Mark Twain Tonight

It was painful to watch Hal Holbrook attempt to portray Mark Twain. The show was filled with sustained pauses while he tried to recall dialogue, he often fumbled awkwardly with cheat sheets and there were several occasions where he repeated portions of the monologue. What was once surely a brilliant and entertaining show is now simply beyond his capabilities to successfully execute. Many attendees departed at intermission.

Though there were a couple of "slow spots" in the show, to see a 91 year-old veteran actor deliver two hours of monologue, making Mark Twain come alive "Tonight!", was nothing short of phenomenal. Twain's witty-but-biting commentary on the world of his day -- politicians, Congress, and humanity in general -- leaves little doubt that we fail to learn from the foibles of our past but gives a glimmer of hope for those who believe all is lost for future generations. . . after all, here WE ARE! Hal Holbrook is a marvel . . . and a national treasure!

Having been to the show three times in the past, we were excited about seeing Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain at the Tennessee Theatre on 9/30. The first 20 minutes of the act was good (although not as funny as in the past -- maybe he's getting tired...). Then he went into a very strange segment about an animal ramming someone in the backside for about 15 minutes in which few people were laughing. From there, it went downhill...into a VERY inappropriate segment on current politics where NO ONE was laughing. Specific candidates weren't mentioned but it was obvious who he was referring to. That segment then came back around to again mention the backside ramming (non-funny) segment. I guess it was all "tied together" now... My husband and I left at intermission which was one hour into the show. Interestingly, he just walked off the stage -- didn't say anything and no one from the Theatre announced it was intermission. When we got outside, there were several couples who were leaving because they thought the show was over! They similarly expressed that it was awkward, not funny, and politically inappropriate. We were leaving disappointed and won't try his show again. Maybe its time has passed....

Hal Holbrook did a wonderful job at taking us back in time and easily letting us slip into believing that Mark Twain was on stage and we were listening to his entertaining stories. What was difficult was understanding the words, because he was too good at depicting how Mark Twain would have told those stories. Speaking as a very old man, he slurred some words and spoke as if old dentures affected his speech, throughout the show. After the break, Mr Holbrook's came back, speaking clearly having dropped much of the "Mark Twain Speak" and was very easy to understand, but shortly thereafter, he slipped right back into the indiscernible speech.

My wife and I were thoroughly entranced by Hal Holbrook's performance as Mark Twain. His rendition of Twain's commentaries on government and society were performed as though Twain were on the stage. Excellent.

Saw Hal Holbrook in "Mark Twain Tonight" last night. Awesome to say the least. Mark Twain is, by far, my favorite American author and Mr.Holbrook convinced me real life ghosts exist. Pay any price to see his performance.

Truly amazing. I felt like I was watching Mark Twain in person. Hal Holbrook presented a stellar performance. It was my first time seeing him, but my husband's third and still a thrill for a Mark Twain devotee. Thank you Mr. Holbrook for a your insightful portrayal of the infamous Twain.

it was a wonderful show. our seats OMG - 4th row center !

Hal Hobrook is still great as Mark Twain. The material used in the show is so relevant to today that it is difficult to believe Clements was writing and talking about these national and world issues in the early 1900's. The problems faced in the last century are still present and a force to be reckoned with in American life today. The performance makes one realize that Samuel Clements was an amazing man who was at once part of his century and at the same time ahead of it. In the performance, Holbrook brings Clements to life for all to enjoy and respect. Caveat: This performance is not recommended by me for individuals who are hearing impaired unless they have good hearing devices and are up close to the stage in the orchestra area.. One of our party could not fully enjoy the performance because of heaing problems. The theater was unable to provide hearing devises on the evening we attended so check before depending that such equipment will be available at the time of attendance.

We were very disappointed in the performance. Both my wife and I had a difficult time hearing or understanding Mr. Holbrook. At intermission, when we left the theatre, others were complaining about the same thing. Some of which left at intermission also. It seems so odd that for a 'one man show' when the only form of entertainment is the spoken word, no one seemed to pay attention to the sound problem?

This was typical Twain. A man of great humor and Mr. Holrook , who played him beautifully, had us in stiches . I had a great time and would recommend this show to my friends.

For two hours I sat mesmerized as Holbrook spun literary magic. What strikes you about his performance is two-fold: 1. Hal Holbrook is Mark Twain... literally. He has lived with the character for so long, and has grown into it so well, he transformed in front of you. As a spe ctator you never once feel you are at a Holbrook performance.; 2. Mark Twain's material is as relevent to today as it was in the previous century. Congress, Wall Street, journalism, liquor, the Church... even the French are as in the news now as they were then. It is as though Twain had the power to look into our future at write about it then. History does, indeed, repeat itself. The only thing I could lament about the show was the audience... not one couple as young as my wife and me... We are in our mid-thirties. Don't miss the performance, whatever your age!

It was fun to see Hal Holbrook. He's a marvelous actor. We were disappointed in the performance because we would have enjoyed more humor and less of the serious government speeches and references.

I could not pass up the opportunity to see American classic, Hal Holbrook, play American classic, Mark Twain. No one should. Undoubtedly, I could have had a better view of the performance on video but it was magic to be there. The material seems timeless. Holbrook does the same justice to Twain that he did to Wilder in "Our Town," 33 (gulp) years ago. What a privilege it was to see this icon in action! Thank you.

Difficult to understand what was being said. Possibly acoustics but more likely style of delivery.

If you can, search the internet far and wide for a performance of MARK TWAIN TONIGHT! near you. Holbrook as Mark Twain - the first of the one person shows - is a marvelous and engaging experience. Mr. Holbrook's timing and his use of the pause are supurb, a masters course for any aspiring actor - and many working ones as well. At times, Holbrook - even at 86 - literally holds the audience in the palm of his hand, and some of the silences simply take your breath away. If you have the chance, GO! We will not see his like again. A true American treasure.

Hal Holbrook has been performing this routine since the 50's and has only gotten better with age! I saw him do this routine when I was 10 and 16 years later it is still side-splitting funny. Political commentary that sounds like it's from today's headlines when it's really from Mark Twain's era. He covers human nature, personalities, and behavior like a very entertaining version of your grandfather telling stories by the fire.

Halbrook was truly amazing...as if we all were transported back in time. He was also hilarious and had some very thought-provoking statements. It's hard to believe Halbrook has done this for 55 years. Great performance!!

What a wonderful evening to travel back to simpler times, when people spoke their minds and didn't apologize for doing so! Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain is the embodiment of my imagination. The first half of the show was full of warmth, whimsy and enveloping laughter from the audience. The second half was more serious and seemed to wander a bit, but Mr. Holbrook's protrayal is so bespelling, you were disappointed when the end of the show came all too soon.

I am unable to attend many events,so I select very carefully the ones that I will attend. I made a Great choice in selecting this event. It is amazing how Hal Holbrook has captured the real Samuel Clemens. I have always been amazed by the wit of Mr Clemens. When I have been asked who would you like for the past to be able to speak with. I would pick Mark Twain and last night I felt like I was in the presents of the man himself. I was sorry that he was only here in Ames for only one night. I wish many of my friends and family could have had a chance to attend the performance. Hal Halbrook has for many years been able to bring Mark Twain alive to our generation. His performance will live in my memory.

The last time I saw Holbrook doing Twain was 34 years ago, and that was one of the most wonderful evenings of theater I've ever enjoyed. Last night presented quite a different selection of Twain's writings and speeches, but--if anything--even better and more memorable. Holbrook doing Twain doing Huck doing Pap was just amazing. Not to be missed!!

What can be said about Hal Holbrook that hasn't already been said? His accomplishments run far and wide! I was amazed by how the content of the show could be applied to todays society and how the issues of the day haven't changed much in 100 years...perhaps just worse. We may never see a philosopher like Mark Twain again.

Hal Holbrook , held the audience in the palm of his hand. My husband and I felt the evening went to fast. I began to place the people he spoke of in my history. Amazing night.

The show was great. One would expect this from a show in which the actor has refined it for 50 year. Wow!

Excellent show and Mr. Holbrook's capture of what we believe to be Mark Twain is wonderful. It was slightly slow at times, but still I would recommend it to anyone who wants to 'see' Mark Twain the humorist.

A very uneven performance. It had a few good moments, but much of it was excruciatingly slow and rambling.

Hal Holbrook's performance as Mark Twain is not to be missed. Mr. Holbrook's knowledge of the material is encyclopedic and the deliver and timing are superb. Of course, his resemblence to Twain enhances the experience. I vividly recall seeing this performance in 1967 and it has worn well over the intervening 42 years. If you have not seen Mr. Holbrook, you should and if you don't you will miss a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable production.

Couldn't understand him thirty percent of the time. And there were the long silent pauses.

I really enjoyed the show and am in awe of Hal Holbrook still touring in it at the age of 91. What an inspiration. The show had some very funny parts, and it's remarkable how much of the humor of that era is still relevant today. The part where he did a monologue from Huck Finn was riveting, he has such stage presence! In a few parts some of his dialogue was a little hard to understand but it didn't diminish the enjoyment of it. One thing I will remind people - he's playing a role and telling stories and acting as other people in the stories some times. Pay attention, some folks didn't seem to follow along. At one point he was telling a story about someone who rambled when he told stories and as he was telling it as if he were the rambler, he was rambling and almost falling asleep. Someone in the audience near me whispered 'did he fall asleep?' - well no, Hal Holbrook didn't fall asleep. But the man Mark Twain was talking about and emulating fell asleep so he as Mark Twain appeared to nod off. It was part of the bit. Anyway, I enjoyed it very much and I'm so glad I got to see it.

Both I and my partner had trouble understanding much of the dialogue, although our seats were centrally located in front of theatre.

I have wanted to see Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain for years and the performances in my area always sold out before I could get tickets. The show was very funny and very serious at times. It got a little slow in areas. There were several moments where it looked like he lost his train of thought and had to pull out his notes. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the show from the legend who has been doing this for over 50 years. At age 91 I'm sure that the show won't go on forever. Thank you Mr. Holbrook for a wonderful evening.

Hal Holbrook is an amazing actor but I don't believe this was a stelar performance. The first half was entertaining. The second half was lacking entertain. The articulation was not clear and very difficult to follow. I have been wanting to see this performance for years as I taught Mark Twain's novel to my students. I was disappointed in the performance.

Hal Holbrook in "Mark Twain Tonight" was brilliant. Even though he has been performing this show for over 50 years, it was fresh and incredibly entertaining. I would highly recommend seeing this show! Phenomenal.

Hal Holbrook and his one-man Mark Twain show are institutions. However, at 91, Mr. Holbrook's energy, clarity of voice and perhaps memory have seen better days. Maybe he should switch to teaching others how to do a one-person show. Still I admire him a lot and I'm happy my wife and I went to the show.

I respect the body of work that Hal Holbrook has compiled. However, I was dismayed at his Mark Twain performance 30 Sept in Knoxville TN. He appeared tired and bored throughout the performance. With the intermission, the show was much too long and ran for over 2 hours; I noticed several patrons who left and did not return after intermission. He garbled his words and made it difficult for me to catch his punch lines.

Mr. Holbrook's delivery was at many times unintelligible. We were not the only ones with this problem as many of our theatre neighbors were discussing the same thing. For a very expensive ticket (in my opinion) I was disappointed in the entire performance and would not recommend this show.

Holbrook needs to either go to sleep or to pasture or Alcoholics Anonymous. He mumble and slurred 80%. I heard a few laughs. Maybe from those that had heard it before when it was good.

The first half was funny. The second half, too serious. Unfortunately, he is getting too old to maintain a full show.

Holbrook is an American master...an icon. Sadly, very sadly, I must say it is time for him to retire.

I have to respect Hal Holbrook for getting up on that stage for 90 minutes at his age of 94, wow, what stamina, but he needs to cut this down to about an hour, and do more talking about political events of Samuel Jackson's era, and less talk of old stories about friends and their characters. Plus pretending he was asleep, that was a little bizarre and boring. I'm sorry but people were running out as fast as they could when it was over. This would be better In The Round than on a big stage.

We were very disappointed in the show. Holbrook was hard to understand, and we didn't see the point in his pretending to fall asleep while talking. Show was very slow moving.

If you ever have a chance to go see Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight! go. He is amazing and makes you want more.

I've attended "Mark Twain Tonight" previously and met Mr. Holbrook. This show was not everything I would have preferred. Mr. Holbrook, as always, is an outstanding actor, and his show is one of my favorites for many years. However, tonight was so different from others I have seen, and didn't include nearly as much humor, that I was just a little disappointed. His reading of Huck Finn was of course masterful but not what I wanted. He spent most of the time on Mr. Twain's "political" presentations, and that, too, is not what I wanted. Quite a few lines were very difficult to hear and perhaps this was due to acoustics or his mike but both my wife and I had trouble understanding some of his delivery. Having said all that, the show is still worth the money and Mr. Holbrook is still one of the best stage actors there is. I would pay money to go see him again; of that I have no doubt.

Sadly it was not what I expected. Holbrooks' acting was great but the subject matter was lacking. I expected to be laughing and chuckling over Twains writings. Hate to say it but it was very boring. We ended up leaving shortly after the intermission.

Hal Holbrock was spot on for first fifteen min and then lost his way. Disappointed

Actor William Gillette impersonated Twain on stage on June 5, 1877 with Mark Twain in the audience, and Twain complimented him. Gillette later made recordings of his impersonation that Hal Holbrook studied closely. Clara Clemens (Mark Twain's daughter) met with Hal Holbrook and endorsed him, and Holbrook interviewed Isabel Lyon (Twain's private secretary), "Bim" Pond (the son of Twain's lecture agent), and others to research Twain's mannerisms, gestures, and personality. Holbrook performed Twain in the late 1940s and began his solo performances in 1954. Sam Clemens was "Mark Twain" from 1863 to 1910--forty-seven years. Hal, now 91, has inhabited the role of "Mark Twain" even longer and has memorized and performed more of Twain's writings than Sam Clemens ever did. He feels Mark Twain in his bones--the happy skylarking humorous Mark Twain and the cynical social commentator. I'm a serious no-nonsense Twain scholar, but when I watch Hal Holbrook on stage I'm a kid again, and having a grand adventure just as exciting and meaningful as those of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Holbrook IS Mark Twain on stage, and if seeing Mark Twain is not on your bucket-list then reports of your own life have been an exaggeration.

My mom bought be a cassette (remember those) of one of Hal Holbrook's performances as Mark Twain and for 30 years I've been trying to make it to one of his live performances. And there were moments of this performance that were great. But there were many parts that were not. On the one hand, Mr. Holbrook is in amazing shape for being 91 and the fact he is still performing is remarkable. But there were many times where he was clearly a man in his 90th decade. He would often stammer and trip over words. In between segments (and sometime sentences) he would often appear to lose his train of thought, resulting in an awkward stretch of silence. Some parts of the performance were incredibly funny and you could see a hint of what once made these performances so great, but you had to squint to appreciate that. The 20-minute rant about Congress was neither funny nor particularly well executed and led to a significant portion of the audience leaving at intermission, myself included.

Hal Holbrook is now 90 years old and has transformed a man who died at the age of 74 into an immortal. I saw the original TV broadcast when I was a kid back in 1967 and even at that age was enthralled and thoroughly entertained. In college and grad school 10-20 years later I had opportunities to see this National Treasure (HH) play another National Treasure (MT) twice and considered myself a very luck person indeed. To see him do this performance once again (now as a retired person) is nothing short of miraculous. For the unfamiliar, this performance re-creates for us, now, the way people in the late 1800's-early 1900's would have actually experienced Mark Twain himself: live on stage telling his own stories and recounting his personal travels and experiences. He was arguably one of the earliest examples of the stand-up comedian. (Think John Stewart minus 150 years but at least equal with respect to IQ points#. Yes, I did not like a couple of specific things: I think whoever is in charge of such things should do a better job with sound. The first several minutes of the performance was marked by volume that was both a bit too loud and somewhat distorted and I believe many less familiar audience members may have missed a lot of good lines/build up because of this. This did improve over the course of the performance, perhaps they were tweaking it as time went on or maybe our ears adjusted. Of the performance itself, IMHO Mr. H did drag out the "drowsiness" of a story character a bit too long. This may work well in smaller venues like Ford's Theater in DC, but in a larger auditoriums somehow it seems rather more draining. Otherwise I enjoyed the performance immensely even though it contained much more "serious" material #i.e. regarding corporate interference in politics and hypocrisy in religion# than more amusing stories. But this is very well received in Wisconsin given our current state political situation. The fact that Twain was writing about these same issues over a hundred years ago actually raised a small hope in me that perhaps we too will somehow survive these times. Bottom line is: If you are at least passingly familiar with, and can appreciate Mark Twain's literary "voice" and are willing to tolerate some technical limitations you really ought to take the opportunity to enjoy what must likely be one of the few more actual live performances of "Mark Twain Tonight!" it's hard to imagine that anyone else will be able to resurrect Mark Twain other than the Deity Himself.

Hal Holbrook is amazing! Over 90 years of age and he has the whole thing memorized.. The shoe is funny and serious and wonderful.

Hal Holbrook is a living legend. He may be 90, but his energy us of a man half that age. I highly recommend this gem of storytelling.

I was one of the privileged to see Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain Tonight. I believe that is was the closest you could come to actually meeting Mark Twain and has inspired me to read more of Mark Twain's books.

At 90 Hal is still Mark Twain for this generation!

Hal Holbrook is delightful in his signature performance as Mark Twain. There is a twinkle in his eyes throughout. He is having a good time, as well as the audience is. The first half of the performance is a bit slow. One isn't quite sure whether some of the long pauses are calculated or are attributed to a loss of train of thought. Perhaps, Mark Twain had a propensity for "stream of consciousness"? The second half perked up a bit with clever quotes and perfect timing - deserving a standing ovation!

Hal Holbrook was once good at this. he now needs to retire.

While Mr Holbrook's tenacity was admirable, I feel he is due for retirement. His performance Failed to cover 50% of his material and it was sometimes painful to watch him struggle. I wish him a happy retirement and hope he is not forced to work for financial concerns.

This was a great show, filled with Mark Twain philosophy and humor. It is amazing how true Mark Twain's observations from 1905 are today. A very entertaining show that I would highly recommend.

I saw Holbrook perform in Baton Rouge nearly 40 years ago. He was good then. Maybe he should consider retiring; in the first act he rambled, repeated, was anything but sharp and funny. At one point in the second act, he stopped speaking to the audience and stared offstage with hands deep in pockets, wiggling about as if he had to relieve himself. It was uncomfortable to watch, unbearable to hear. His interpretation of Huck's drunk father was maudlin and almost incomprehensible, as was the next bit about Jim's daughter who had scarlet fever, and both were delivered almost exactly the same way. If we had not been sitting in the middle of the row, we would have walked out.

Poor sound quality during first Act. Mr. Holbrook seemed to ramble and forget his train of thought. Not much energy on stage,

What was a wonderful and interesting performance by Hal Hollbrook was spoiled by the sound system. (According to Heyman Center personnel, the system was the show's system, not HC's). We had to really concentrate and strain to hear--only about 1/2 of the entire performance was clearly audiable Our group kept asking "what did he say"!!!!!!!!!! What a pain.

We were very disappointed in the show. The performance was fair, at best. The sound quality could have been much better. It was very difficult to understand Mr. Holbrook during the first half of the show. We paid too much for a "fair" performance.

No one will doubt the talented actor was 100% accurate... 100% cynical plus 100% bitter. You could hear a pin drop as he mystically had us hanging on to every word. Perhaps in the hope that the next story would be less caustic than the last. If you thought Twain was about a good-natured chuckle (as I naively did) think again. Demonstrates a considerable talent twisted into a world-view where every institution (particularly religion- so many will cheer) is burnt to the ground, then sadly finding there is nothing left to hang on to...or to hope in. No stained glass windows left to break...only bitterness and a full box of matches. If you need a pick-me-up stay away. If you need assurance that there is no good left in the world, get a front seat. Makes the opposite message of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE that much more attractive and necessary!!

The dialogue and person were great! The audio was a shamble! Many times I would close my eyes in hope that it would enhance my listening to enjoy the dialogue of the character. I booked these tickets in January when they went on sale because I am a fan of Mark Twain's common sense perspective. I also purchased tickets for relatives. I was totally disappointed with the audio! Great venue, great seats, the audio ruined it.

The first half was unforgettable Twain/Halbrook; the last half was so bad it ruined the first half; seemed like a completely different show and not entertainment Twain would be proud of.

Both my husband and I have been faithful fans of Hal Holbrook for years, but this was not his best night. This was the first time we've seen him as Twain and we eagerly anticipated the evening. Unfortunately, he seemed distracted and lacked the energy of every other performance it's been our privilege to witness, either on stage or screen. We were very disappointed but would see him again with the hope we would catch him when he's on his mark.

It is always a cause for joy to see Mr. Holbrook's classic performance as Mark Twain, but this was not one of his better performances. The first half was fine, but the second part of the show bogged down badly in an unintelligible and far too long excerpt from Huckleberry Finn.

That WAS Mark Twain on that stage - - If you have ever wanted to meet Mr Twain - - you HAVE to see this show!!!

Hal Holbrook is an extremely talented actor, but Mark Twin Tonight just didn't do it for me. The sound, or lack thereof, made it extremely difficult to follow the stage activity, and because of it, it seemed the night would just never end.

Hal Holbrook, the iconic character actor, put on an unforgettable performance in his long running "Mark Twain Tonight". I had the honor of being selected, along with three other Drama majors at East Carolina University in 1965, to be in the dressing room for the three hours it took Mr. Holbrook to apply his makeup and get into costume. During the performance, I was about 25 feet in front of, and above him in a follow spot emplacement, as he exhibited his incomparable acting abilities. The only difference I was able to discern between his performance then and today is that, naturally, it took less time to apply his makeup. If you would like to witness an acting tour de force, "Mark Twain Tonight" is your best bet!

This was truly an amazing theatrical event. The stage was simple, and it was just one person performing, but it was moving, funny, profound, and worth every moment. Highest rating!

Maybe if I were more familiar with mark twain's written works, I could have appreciated this performance more. My husband and I left at intermission, and we weren't the only ones.

Lots of fun, Very humorous and entertaining, would recommend to anyone who likes Mark Twain or Hal Holbrooke

This is our third time seeing Mark Twain Tonight over a period of several decades. Since Mark Twain was very prolific, Mr. Holbrook has much material to work with in tailoring each performance to suit the times. The first and second times we saw this show our nation was apparently enjoying more cheerful times. Not so these days, which explains why the material for this show was overwhelmingly lifted from the dark and cynical writings of Twain. There was (with good reason) much to laugh at in reference to Congress, but upon reflection afterward it was really rather depressing. The darker and more cynical sections were oppressive and really stuck with us for days afterward, which is a testament to Mr. Holbrooks' talent. He did show signs of slowing down which is understandable at 87. The fact that he can still pull this show off and have the effect he did alone was worth seeing this show. This would have been a 5 star review were it not for how down it was. If I were to review the audience response, especially with only one curtain call, it would only warrant one star. Sad.

So glad I finally got to see Hal Holbrook in his signature role! It was on my Bucket List!

Hal Holbrook doing Mark Twain is an American Classic.

I've wanted to see Mr. Holbrook's one-man show for quite some time and it was well worth the wait. Mr. Holbrook brings this great American humorist, lecturer, essayist, and author to life - you almost believe Samuel Clemens is on stage. Mark Twain's observations are as timely today as they were at the turn of the last century, his personal stories are humorous and provide a glimpse of the varied richness of Twain's life experiences. This show is a "must see"!

We were very excited to see this show. My husband had seen it twice before. We invited 4 friends as our guests. This was a 2 hour performance. 95% of the performance felt like a lecture from the bully pulpit. After 30 minutes it was no longer Mark Twain's clever musings, it was just boring. The theater is beautiful. The audience

Simply amazing and not to be missed. Third show in as many decades and it only gets better with age. See this while you can.

Take yourself back 105 years, think about an audience in the early 1900's with little other entertainment but to gather together and listen to a man with VERY cynical ideas of the world. This is what Hal Holbrook brings to the stage as Mark Twain. Mr. Holbrook transforms the audience so that you feel that you are living in history. 5 stars for Mr. Holbrook and his acting performance. Once to get beyond the historical feeling, you concentrate on the subject matter of his oration. Twain was a bitter old man and the passages selected by Mr. Holbrook convey this Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens character. These selections led to uncomfortable feelings about patriotism, religion, and all that is wrong in the world. I expected the humorist/story teller Twain; but the bitter/cynical Twain showed up tonight and I was left with a bad taste in my mouth.

My third time to se Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain... hopefully not his last time thru San Antonio

Hal Holbrook has been doing Mark Twain Tonight for so long it should come as no surprise that when he dons the cream white suit and clenches a cigar that his transformation into Samuel Clemens becomes complete. What is amazing is how Holbrook's and Twain's observations on politics, religion and mankind itself remains funny and topical over one hundred years past Twain's death. Holbrook/Twain's biting humor on stage at the Lauire Auditorium in San Antonio on November 6, 2011 gouged corporate greed, political liars, religious hypocrits and human failings in a manner that continues to amuse and compel laughter out loud. The performance is as professional and stunning as the material is intelligent and aserbic to a fault. The only disappointment to even hint is that Holbrook's age and frailty may prevent him from offering an encore and pleasing the audience even more. Holbrook is a treasure depicting a national treasure.

I was completely enthralled! This is the second time I have seen Mr. Holbrook live this year. I am an avid Mark Twain fan and Mr. Holbrook IS Mark Twain. I have all his records and listen to them often. To bring Mark Twain alive as he does is pure genius. Please bring him back soon. Thanks, James

This was a very special night with Hal Holbrook's lifetime achievement of playing Mark Twain. He actually becomes Twain and you never think of the actor himself. See it now as Mr. Holbrook is now 86 years old and who knows how long he can continue this act. The show last about an hour and a half and is a wonderful experience. Imagine being talented enough to do a one man show and have the audience captivated for 90 minutes!

Had heard great reviews of this show, but was less than impressed. We had even previously traveled from San Antonio to Corpus Christi to see the show and spent the night in a hotel, but discovered it had been cancelled at the last minute due to Hal's family emergency, but booked again here. Hal Holbrook did an a great job of portraying Mark Twain in that Mark liked to discuss his unpopular political views, but Mark was also known for his multitude of funny comments and I would have liked to have seen more of that. There were too many long tirades on politics where the audience didn't even laugh for long periods of time. Still, being the gracious state of Texas, everyone gave loud and long applause at the end. I've always admired Hal Holbrook and was glad that we got to see him in person.

Hal Holbrook does an amazing job delivering 'Twainisms'. We were so amused at the words yet so taken aback at how politics, religion and general life has changed very little over the last century. ie -Between Congress they don't have enough brains to bait a hook!

Could not hear Mr. Holbrook half the time. Not sure if it was him or poor sound equipment. Everyone around use had the same problem and kept asking each other what he was saying. I have excellent hearing. Getting out of Trinity U. parking lot was a real problem. Police had closed down several secondary exits and sent everyone on a long winding jounery thru the campus and out one exit only. The police traffic plan was nonexistant and they acted like this was their first event. Who was in charge?

I have seen this performance now for the third time. This time he chose passages that were very attuned to the time we are now experiencing. There is less humor than the previous performances, but it was entertaining and I would recommend it highly

Excellent monologue. Mr. Holbrook captured the true essence of Twain's character.

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to see Hal Holbrook. His comic delivery and timing was impeccable. I want to reread Huck Finn now.

I've been waiting 50 years, since reading in a sixth-grade "Weekly Reader" about Hal Holbrook's arduous makeup process and transformation, to see his performance. Although I'm sure he doesn't require as much preparation nowadays, the effect is still the same. Mark Twain's writings have supplied Mr. Holbrook with a wealth of material and he draws upon these sources as he chooses. It's surprising how well so many of Twain's observations and pithy comments remain timely and true today. There were some omitted selections I wish I could have heard, but, then, I'm not sure I can sit that long; I'm no longer 12 years old.

Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain Tonight was witty and fun.

Totally enjoyable experience! So glad I was able to see this production. I just wish I'd taken advantage of the ALD for the hearing impaired during the 1st act, but he was great!

Absolutely remarkable! Have wanted to see him perform Mark Twain for many years and I'm so glad that I had this opportunity. Amazing how we are still talking about the same issues 100 years later. Highly recommend to everyone.

Mr. Holbrook has been doing this gig -- along with lots of other work in theater, film, etc. -- for 35 years! The amazing thing is that he continues to research, revise, and revitalize the material for every audience. His dedication, scholarship, and and ability are really inspiring. I'm not generally a fan of one-person shows, but this is a legendary performance. As always, I liked being in the Balboa Theater, a much more intimate space than some other venues, and reminiscent of theaters in New York and San Francisco.

It felt like we watched what could be the end of an era...a master actor at the top of his craft doing a one man show for 2 1/2 hours in tribute to one of the greatest American humorists and social commentators. Mr Holbrook was amazing.

Hal Holbrook has more energy and power in his voice than many 40 years younger. He was captivating as Mark Twain throughout his two hour one-man show. His choice of Twain writings always seemed current, rather than a voice from the past. He interspersed comedy with serious topics and held the audience spellbound in this sold-out theatre. Would love to see his show again, as no two are alike.

Hal Holbrook's timing in the delivery of "punchlines" is still impeccable, and the lines of Twain humor flawlessly delivered in Holbrook's manner is worth the price of admission every time. We attended the performance with friends as a party of four, and we were each captivated by the delivery and content of this incredible one-man-show. That is, we were held captive to Holbrook's ability to assume so realistically Mark Twain's persona and then take us back to the 1905 setting wherein he was capable of reminiscing about Twain's younger years and experiences and engage in a political commentary relevant to those times. While it was interesting to see how much (most ?) of the 1905 social dialog certainly resonated with those issues still facing this nation and the world today, we felt that these prolonged monologues may have occupied a bit too much of the time dedicated to the total performance. These, we believe were flat spots in an otherwise outstanding tribute to Hal Holbrook's remarkable portrayal of Mark Twain, his well-integrated alter ego. Notwithstanding, it was an amazing performance and justly deserving of the standing ovation he received. In closing, it is our observation that he should just stick to the Mark Twain stuff in his social commentaries. There really is no need to update it, because the foibles of Congress and society Samuel Clements wrote and spoke about are timeless. Holbrook just doesn't need to bother updating or modernizing it. There is enough original Twain material for several different shows. It seems apparent that Holbrook personally wants to use that bully pulpit to make his audience think about contemporary problems, and he wants to contribute to the public debate/dialogue. If he really wants to convey these messages, perhaps he should consider doing a different show designed for that purpose, something like Imagine What Mark Twain Would Say Tonight, A Century Later.... Sorry to dwell on the low spots in an otherwise amazing performance.

Great show - truly a piece of Americana. Hal Holbrook is a treasure.

Although set in 1905 it was as relevant as if it was set in 2011. While it was both entertaining and thought provoking it revolved mainly around political satire (or political reality) due to this, it may not hold the interest for those under 12. Mr. Holbrook s performance was great!

Brilliant, and moving. Astounding that Holbrook has been playing Mark Twian longer than Samuel Adams. A wonderful evening, worth the wait, and the influx of cameras filming the show for a future event. Very exquisite timing for Holbook, as Twain's autobiography, the first volume, has just been released.

Hal Holbrook has performed "Mark Twain Tonight" for 57 years and he is as good as he ever was. The show starts with a good deal of levity and thought; invoking frequent laughter and applause from the audience. An intermission gives the audience a "opportunity to leave" if they're so inclined. The second half of the performance is a bit more serious, and at times somber. A standing ovation is typical with Hal Holbrook and this evening didn't disappoint. A must see event for those interested in a thought provoking and humorous performance. Hal Holbrook is 86 years old and hopefully there are many more performances to come.