MARK TWAIN TONIGHT!

Hal Holbrook opened this celebrated one-man show Off-Broadway in 1959. Upon moving it to the Great White Way in 1966, he won a Tony for it. He continues to perform it sporadically today. The show consists of a miscellany of Twain's writings arranged and performed differently every night depending on the actor's feel for his audience. This version preserves the 1967 CBS special, the audio of which has been remastered in stereo. The special, in turn, seems to come from two separate performances, together with commercials adding up to two hours. The recording eliminates all but the actual performance. The stereo does little to enhance the performance, merely adding noise to already noisy tracks. But Holbrook's performance is exceptional. He fully inhabits the author at the age of 70, combining the results of his research into Twain's speech and mannerisms with his own sense of showmanship. He presents the most satisfactory and personable stage Twain of all those many who have followed and imitated him. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]