Mark Russell: "The Laughter of Politics"
to
Marshall Performing Arts Center, University of Minnesota Duluth 1215 Ordean Court, Duluth, Minnesota 55812
Comedian Mark Russell's only Midwest appearance - at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
To Benefit UMD Theatre Scholarships
Hosted by Tom & Pat Isbell*
Friday, January 11, 2013 at 7 p.m.
Marshall Performing Arts Center
$25 - admission (* admission price is not a tax-deductible contribution)
Tickets: 218-726-8561, www.tickets.umn.edu
*UMD Theatre's Tom Isbell has collaborated with Mark Russell on two children's productions with the White House Historical Association at Washington's Kennedy Center.
Long before Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, there was Mark Russell, daring to joke and sing of the often absurd political process. He started in a little piano bar on Capitol Hill – right across from the lawmakers themselves. As he puts it, "I started at the bottom and managed to work my way down." He began knowing little about politics, but was an immediate hit because he could find humor in anything.
Until he retired in 2010, Mark played off the day's headlines, performing stand-up comedy while accompanying himself on the piano. Luckily for us he came out of retirement when he heard that congressmen were cavorting in the Sea of Galilee.
With impeccable timing, twinkling eyes and shock-of-recognition insights into American politics, Mark draws merriment from the pomposity of public life. Reading three or four newspapers a day allows him to constantly update his material. The result is that no two shows are ever identical.