Port Huron Town Hall
2009-2010 Series
Welcome to the 55th season of the Town Hall Series. Each year, Town Hall presents a series of five programs on Monday mornings at 10:30 am at the McMorran Place Theatre. The celebrity performances cover a range of topics of interest to the community. In conjunction, Town Hall also offers a Luncheon Series available to those holding lecture tickets. The luncheons offer an up close and personal visit with the celebrity and an opportunity to have your questions answered as well as obtain an autograph or photograph.
Port Huron Town Hall, a non-profit corporation, was founded in 1955 with the object of presenting lectures and entertainment for cultural, educational, and charitable purposes. Town Hall has presented 239 programs and has given a total of $153,500 to designated non-profit organizations dedicated to St. Clair County. Port Huron Town Hall is an independent corporation operated by a board of 23 directors elected by it's active membership. The Board is responsible for all Town Hall activities and funds. It's members serve on a volunteer basis.
We encourage you to experience Town Hall by purchasing a series ticket through the McMorran Box Office. 1-800-858-6166 or (810) 985-6166.
Season Performance Ticket Price Main Floor or Mezzanine Seat $90.00 US Funds Main or Mezzanine w/Luncheon $200.00 US Funds Balcony Seat $75.00 US Funds Blacony Seat w/ Luncheon $185.00 US Funds
Tickets are being sold through the McMorran Box office only. Tickets orders are processes in the order received. A $3.00 processing fee will be added to each series ticket sold. Credit cards are accepted. The Box Office phone number is 985-6166
Individual lecture and/or luncheon tickets are sold at the door, subject to availability. individual tickets are $35.00 each. Individual luncheon tickets are $22.00 each.
Tim Conway
Oct. 5th, 2009
Actor Tim Conway’s unassuming frame and easygoing Midwestern demeanor served as the perfect baffle for his formidable comedic talents. As a comic actor, he displayed a knack for playing easily confused and clumsy characters, like the naïve Ensign Parker on “McHale’s Navy” (ABC, 1962-1966). But Conway’s true gifts were in physical comedy and improvisation, which were put to excellent use on “The Carol Burnett Show” (CBS, 1967-1978). His peerless timing and pantomime skills easily reduced audiences – and often his castmates – into helpless laughter with little or no dialogue. Conway’s work with Burnett was richly rewarded with four Emmy Awards – three for performance and one for writing. But after “The Carol Burnett Show,” Conway struggled in trying to branch out on his own, though he did find some success in several films with Don Knotts and playing the hapless, height-challenged Dorf in a string of popular direct-to-video comedies. Nonetheless, Conway remained a legendary comic performer who attracted new generations of fans throughout the years.
Born in Willoughby, OH on Dec. 15, 1933, Conway studied speech and radio at Bowling Green University before joining the Army in the mid-1950s. After returning to civilian life, he worked his way up from the mail department to writer at a Cleveland radio station. In 1956, he relocated to New York City and eventually landed his first role on television as a cast member on “The Steve Allen Show” (NBC, 1956-1961). At some point prior to being cast, he changed his first name from Thomas to Tim to avoid confusion with actor Tom Conway of “The Falcon” fame. After Allen’s program went off the air, Conway returned to Cleveland, where he teamed with local radio and television announcer Ernie Anderson (father of director Paul Thomas Anderson). Conway and Anderson appeared together on radio and television, and recorded two comedy albums together. They also collaborated on “Shock Theater,” a popular Friday night monster movie TV slot which featured Anderson as its hipster host, Ghoulardi.
In 1962, Conway returned to Hollywood for “McHale’s Navy,” a WWII-era comedy with Ernest Borgnine as the captain of a rule-breaking PT crew and Conway as his eager, yet bumbling second-in-command. A success in its four seasons, “McHale’s Navy” thrust Conway into the national spotlight, sparking plans to put him in his own series. But the role of star proved to be an uncomfortable fit for the actor. The first attempt was the comic Western “Rango” (ABC, 1967), which cast Conway as an inept Texas Ranger assigned to a remote outpost in order to avoid trouble. The series lasted less than one season and Conway soon moved on to “The Tim Conway Show” (CBS, 1970), a sitcom which partnered him with former “McHale’s Navy” star Joe Flynn as employees of a low-rent airline. That series also disappeared quickly, though the network gave him another shot with a variety program called “The Tim Conway Comedy Hour” (CBS, 1970), which co-starred McLean Stevenson and Sally Struthers and featured Conway’s entire family gathered together to celebrate Christmas in the pilot episode – the gag being that none of Conway’s previous shows lasted long enough for them to do so. Despite this wishful thinking, the show was pulled just one week before the real Christmas in 1970.
For much of the early 1970s, Conway remained active in television movies and theatrical releases, including several genial kids’ comedy for Disney like “The Apple Dumpling Gang” (1975), which partnered him with another TV star struggling to find his footing, Don Knotts. In 1975, Conway joined the cast of “The Carol Burnett Show” – he had been a guest star and writer on the series since its inception in 1967, winning an Emmy in 1973 for his performance. Once enshrined as a permanent cast member, he quickly became the source of the show’s most deliriously funny moments, most notably as “The Old Man,” a perpetually befuddled oldster whose shuffling gait and slow speed would drive everyone around him berserk, and “Mr. Tudball,” the badly bewigged Swedish office boss who was thwarted at every turn by his inept secretary, Mrs. Wiggins (Burnett). Conway was particularly well-matched with Harvey Korman – the pair generated some of the series’ biggest laughs simply by trying to stay in character and not break out into hysterical laughter, as happened in the infamous dentist sketch, where Conway attempted to drill Korman’s tooth after injecting his hand and leg with Novocain. For his efforts on “Burnett,” Conway won four Emmys and a 1976 Golden Globe.
Conway remained active as a writer and performer while starring on the “Burnett Show,” mostly in TV movies and features for Disney like “The Shaggy D.A.” (1976) and “The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again” (1978). In 1980, he got his fourth shot at his own television show with “The Tim Conway Show” (CBS, 1980-81), a sketch comedy series with occasional musical numbers like “The Carol Burnett Show,” which came as no surprise since the producer was Joe Hamilton. Despite guest shots by Burnett, Korman and Vicki Lawrence, Conway’s new show proved to be as short-lived as the others. Meanwhile, he tried his hand at a standard sitcom, “Ace Crawford, Private Eye” (CBS, 1982-83), a spoof of detective programs with Conway as an accident-prone investigator. But again, Conway failed to make good as the star of his own series.
As the ‘70s faded into the ‘80s, Conway was a popular guest star on television series and specials, and found a popular if peculiar outlet for his brand of comedy with a series of comic how-to videos that were sold through direct marketing on television. The first of these, “Dorf on Golf” (1987), featured Conway as the title character, a diminutive man with a horrific toupee – much like Mr. Tudball’s – who tried to educate viewers on the finer points of the sport. Since he played the character buried up to his knees, Conway was able to execute all manner of gravity-defying gags and pratfalls – like falling every-which way – which viewers relished. Conway went on to make six more Dorf videos from 1988 to 2001. Dorf also turned up on “Tim Conway’s Funny America” (ABC, 1990), which featured him in a variety of disguises and scenarios opposite real people in everyday situations.
Conway was a frequent guest star on television series throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Among his recurring roles were Ephraim Wanker, Peggy Bundy’s hillbilly dad on “Married with Children” (Fox, 1987-1997) and “Yes, Dear” (CBS, 2000-2006) as star Anthony Clark’s uptight father. He earned his sixth Emmy Award in 1996 for an appearance on “Coach” (ABC, 1989-1997) and won over a whole new generation of fans with his vocal work for numerous animated series, including the “Hermie and Friends” video series, which reunited him with Don Knotts, and “Spongebob Squarepants” (Nickelodeon, 1999- ), which featured him as Barnacle Boy, elderly sidekick to superhero Mermaid Man (voiced by Ernest Borgnine). Conway also returned briefly to series work with “On the Spot” (Fox, 2002-03), a unique blend of sitcom and improvisational comedy. Meanwhile, Conway delivered a memorable guest starring performance on “30 Rock” (NBC, 2006- ), playing long-forgotten television star Bucky Bright. Conway earned another Emmy Award nomination, this time for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
Rick Steves
Nov. 9th, 2008
Rick Steves advocates smart independent travel. As host, writer and producer of the popular public television series Rick Steves' Europe, and best-selling author of 30+ European travel books, he encourages Americans to delve deep into Europe and become "temporary locals." He helps American travelers connect much more intimately and authentically with Europe — and Europeans — for a fraction of what mainstream tourists pay.
Over the past 15 years, Rick has hosted over 100 travel shows for public television (most still airing in rebroadcasts), and numerous pledge specials. Rick's relationship with public television began with his first series, Travels in Europe with Rick Steves. Since then, he has become one of public television's top pledge drive hosts, raising millions of dollars annually for stations across the U.S. His current Rick Steves' Europe TV series has grown to 70 half-hour shows carried by over 300 public television stations annually, reaching 95 percent of U.S. markets. Rick writes and co-produces his television programs through his company, Back Door Productions.
Rick recently launched a weekly public radio program, Travel with Rick Steves. Focusing on world travel, each hour-long program has a guest travel expert for interviews, followed by call-ins with questions and comments. This show airs across the country and has spawned a popular podcast.
Rick self-published the first edition of his travel skills book, Europe Through the Back Door, in 1980. He has also written 12 country guidebooks, nine city and regional guides, six phrase books, and co-authored Europe 101: History and Art for Travelers. His Italy guidebook is the bestselling international guidebook in the U.S. In 1999, he tackled a new genre of travel writing with his anecdotal Postcards from Europe, recounting his favorite moments from 25 years of travel. Rick's books are published by Avalon Travel Publishing.
In addition to his guidebooks, Rick is a syndicated newspaper columnist with the Tribune Media Services and is a regular on the op-ed page of USA Today. He appears frequently on television, radio, and the Internet as the leading authority on independent European travel.
Rick took his first trip to Europe in 1969, visiting piano factories with his father, a piano importer. By the time he reached 18, Rick jokes, "I realized I didn't need my parents to travel!" He began traveling on his own, funding his trips by teaching piano lessons. In 1976, he started a business called Europe Through the Back Door (ETBD), which has since grown from a one-man operation to a company with a well-traveled staff of 70 full-time employees. ETBD offers free travel information through its travel center, website (www.ricksteves.com), European Railpass Guide, and free travel newsletters. ETBD also runs a successful European tour program with over 300 departures — attracting over 10,000 travelers — annually.
Rick is outspoken on the need for Americans to fit better into our planet by broadening their perspectives through travel. He is also committed to his own neighborhood. He's an active member of the Lutheran church (and has hosted the ELCA's national video productions). He's a board member of NORML (working to reform marijuana laws in the USA). And Rick has provided his local YWCA with a 24-unit apartment building with which to house homeless mothers.
Rick lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington. His office window overlooks his old junior high school. He lives with his wife Anne, and two children, Andy and Jackie.
Capital Steps
Dec. 14th, 2009
The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them.
In the years that followed, many of the Steps ignored the conventional wisdom ("Don't quit your day job!"), and although not all of the current members of the Steps are former Capitol Hill staffers, taken together the performers have worked in a total of eighteen Congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience.
Since they began, the Capitol Steps have recorded 28 albums, including their latest, Camaign and Suffering . They've been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS, and can be heard 4 times a year on National Public Radio stations nationwide during their Politics Takes a Holiday radio specials
Jodi Picoult
Feb. 8th, 2010
Jodi Picoult, 41, is the bestselling author of fifteen novels: Songs of the Humpback Whale (1992), Harvesting the Heart (1994), Picture Perfect (1995); Mercy (1996), The Pact (1998); Keeping Faith (1999), Plain Truth (2000), Salem Falls (2001), Perfect Match (2002), Second Glance (2003), My Sister's Keeper (2004), Vanishing Acts (2005),The Tenth Circle (2006) and her newest novel, Nineteen Minutes, which debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and her newest novel, Change of Heart (2008)
Picoult studied creative writing with Mary Morris at Princeton, and had two short stories published in Seventeen magazine while still a student. Realism - and a profound desire to be able to pay the rent - led Picoult to a series of different jobs following her graduation: as a technical writer for a Wall Street brokerage firm, as a copywriter at an ad agency, as an editor at a textbook publisher, and as an 8th grade English teacher - before entering Harvard to pursue a master's in education. She married Tim Van Leer, whom she had known at Princeton, and it was while she was pregnant with her first child that she wrote her first novel, Songs of the Humpback Whale.
In 2003 she was awarded the New England Bookseller Award for Fiction. She has also been the recipient an Alex Award from the Young Adult Library Services Association, sponsored by the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust and Booklist, one of ten books written for adults that have special appeal for young adults; the Book Browse Diamond Award for novel of the year; a lifetime achievement award for mainstream fiction from the Romance Writers of America; Cosmopolitan magazine’s ‘Fearless Fiction’ Award 2007; Waterstone’s Author of the Year in the UK, and a Vermont Green Mountain Book Award. Most recently, she wrote five issues of the Wonder Woman comic book series for DC Comics. Her books are translated into thirty four languages in thirty five countries. Two – The Pact and Plain Truth – were made into television movies; a third, The Tenth Circle, will air on Lifetime this summer. My Sister’s Keeper is currently in development at New Line Cinema, with Nick Cassavetes directing and Cameron Diaz starring.
She and Tim and their three children live in Hanover, New Hampshire with two Springer spaniels, two donkeys, two geese, three ducks, six chickens, and the occasional Holstein.
Tom Santopeitro
March. 8th, 2010
Tom Santopietro's third book, Sinatra in Hollywood will be released by St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books on November 11, 2008.
Sinatra in Hollywood details the brilliant, fascinating, and occasionally inexplicable film career that earned Frank Sinatra standing as one of the last legends from Hollywood's golden age, and grants Sinatra status as an actor equal to his fabled career as vocalist and recording artist. Laced throughout with Sinatra's own observations on his film work, the book deals head-on with the tumultuous marriages to Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow and directly addresses the rumors of Mob involvement in Sinatra's career. The complete arc of Sinatra's astonishing 60 year run as an actor is traced, from his rise in musicals like Anchors Aweigh and On the Town, through his fall from grace with legendary flops like The Kissing Bandit, to the near-mythic comeback with his Oscar winning performance in From Here to Eternity.
In the process, Sinatra in Hollywood comes to examine just how Sinatra's iconic screen image did nothing less than embody America at the height of its standing in the second half of the twentieth century- the "American Century."
Tom's second book, Considering Doris Day , published in April 2007 by St. Martin's Press, was named a New York Times Book Review "Editor's Choice". Praised by The Atlantic as "a book offering serious insight into a relatively neglected life- the observations are apt- and often bold", Considering Doris Day constituted an encyclopedic analysis of the film, recording, and television careers of superstar Doris Day, the first book to place this all-American icon within the cultural context of America itself. Considering Doris Day was published as a trade paperback in August, 2008.
Prior to Considering Doris Day, Tom's first book, The Importance of Being Barbra, was published by St. Martin's Press in 2006. Analyzing the extraordinary world wide success of Barbra Streisand, it was the first book written about Barbra Streisand to focus solely upon her career, not personal life, and included a "career scorecard" which graded Streisand's fifty plus albums, eighteen feature films, and television specials. In addition to other countries, the book has now been published in China, and a trade paperback edition of the book was published in the United States in October, 2007.
Considering Doris Day and The Importance of Being Barbra have been featured in The New York Times, Publisher's Weekly, The Atlantic, Library Journal, The Boston Globe, The Miami Herald, The New York Post, and numerous newspapers across the country. Tom has made multiple radio appearances across the country, in forums ranging from National Public Radio to Voice of America, as well as appearing on network and cable television stations. He lectures about all three books nationwide, addressing groups ranging from the Dallas, Texas Women's Club to the Palo Alto, California Morning Forum. Tom writes book reviews for BarnesandNoble.com and also interviews celebrity authors as part of their signings at Barnes and Noble bookstores.
Prior to becoming an author, Tom worked as a tennis pro and has spent twenty-five years as a manager of over 30 Broadway shows, including A Few Good Men, Jersey Boys, Xanadu, Master Class, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Noises Off and The Iceman Cometh, working along with the way with Patti LuPone, Tommy Tune, Glenn Close, Jason Robards, Valerie Harper, Michele Lee and Bea Arthur.
Tom is a graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law, from which he emerged with a firm resolution never to practice law. It is a resolution applauded by the American Bar Association.
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