PRESS RELEASE Contact: Cathy Johnson or Susan Claassen 1400 N. First Ave, Tucson, AZ. 85719 Administration – (520) 884-0672 Box Office – (520) 882-9721 [email protected] www.invisibletheatre.com
FOR RELEASE ON OR AFTER DECEMBER 26, 2011
THE INVISIBLE THEATRE
Presents
Written by and Starring John Amos
Directed and Designed by John Harris, Jr.
Made possible in part through the generous support of Dr. Vivian Cox, David Hendricks and Dee-Dee Samet
WHERE: The Berger Performing Arts Center 1200 W. Speedway Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85745
WHEN: January 14, 2012 at 8:00 pm and January 15, 2012 at 3:00 pm
TICKETS: Ticket Price: $42 To charge tickets by phone, call (520) 882-9721 To purchase tickets on-line, go to www.invisibletheatre.com and click on the OvationTix logo Discounts available for groups of ten or more
RUNNING TIME : 2 hours with an intermission
Tucson, Arizona (December 26, 2011); You know him from his Emmy Award nominated performance as the heroic adult Kunta Kinte in the ground breaking mini-series Roots , or as James Evans, the indestructible father from the hit television sitcom Good Times . You were delighted by his hilarious performance opposite Eddie Murphy in the box office blockbuster Coming to America . You have enjoyed him on the Emmy Award-winning drama The West Wing , the CBS series The District, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and House . Whether he was performing with Sylvester Stallone in Lock Up or co-starring with Bruce Willis in Die Hard II , John Amos has always delivered outstanding performances. He now presents yet another astonishing character portrayal in his own extraordinary creation, John Amos’ HALLEY’S COMET where he takes the audience on a whirlwind adventure back in time, beginning at the turn of the century when the world was full of dreams and promises of wonderful things to come.
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HALLEY’S COMET COMES TO TUCSON!
Actor/playwright, Mr. John Amos is bringing his critically acclaimed one-man show, HALLEY’S COMET to The Invisible Theatre! The Emmy nominated actor has been on a world tour with HALLEY’S COMET for the past eighteen years. This year marks his nineteenth season.
This remarkable production is the hilarious and moving story of an 87 year old man who shares the memories of a lifetime with the famous Comet he saw 76 years earlier as an 11 year old boy. He sets out in the wee hours of the morning, returning to the mountaintop where he first met the Comet, and explains to his old friend “that things sure have changed sine the last time you passed this way.” He takes the audience on a whirlwind adventure back in time, beginning at the turn of the century when the world was full of dreams and the promise of wonderful things to come. The audience experiences a roller coaster ride through world wars, romance at a barnyard dance, fast food restaurants, the golden age of radio, brutality during the early civil rights movement and the joys of childhood.
John Amos’ performance is truly incredible. He transforms himself into a parade of characters, including the enchanting 87 year old universal patriarch, a tough young man in the middle of a blood chilling WWII battle in the pacific, a newly freed Liberian slave who heads out West as a cattle driver into Comanche territory to witness first hand a truly astonishing, magical event.
John Amos’ HALLEY’S COMET is a fascinating, incredibly funny, thought provoking theatrical experience you will want to share with everyone. Critics both here and abroad have dubbed Halley’s Comet “a tour de force”, “destined to be a classic”, and labeled Amos “a masterful storyteller”. Don’t miss this remarkable experience!
2 JOHN AMOS ACTOR~PLAYWRIGHT~DIRECTOR
A native of New Jersey, Mr. Amos made his theatrical debut in the Los Angeles production of Norman, Is That You? and was promptly nominated by the Los Angeles Drama Critics for Best Actor. Other stage appearances include; the Broadway production of Tough To Get Help, and the Los Angeles production of Split Second, which won him the NAACP Award as Best Actor, the Berkshire Theater festival production of The Boys Next Door, Eugene O’Neill’s classic The Emperor Jones and the role of Sam in Master Harold and The Boys. Other performances include Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival, Troy Maxson in August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Fences. He has received critical accolades and ovations at England’s prestigious Bristol Old Vic in an exceptional work by English playwright David Goodland’s The Life and Death of a Buffalo Soldier.
Mr. Amos has directed two productions of the Bahamian Repertory Company, Twelve Angry Men and Zindel’s tragic comedy And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little. He is the former Artistic Director of the John Harms Theater in Englewood, New Jersey. Mr. Amos conceived and wrote HALLEY’S COMET, his critically acclaimed one-man show in 1990. This year marks the 15 th Anniversary of the HALLEY'S COMET World Tour. The show has toured worldwide, receiving standing ovations from Washington, D.C. to Bermuda.
A former television writer, his credits include The Leslie Uggams Show and the Emmy Award- winning Loman and Barkley Show. He is best known for his work as a television and film actor, most notably for his portrayal of the adult Kunta Kinte in the epic mini-series, ROOTS, which garnered Mr. Amos an Emmy nomination. His motion picture credits include; Lock Up with Sylvester Stallone, Coming to America, co-starring with Eddie Murphy and the blockbuster Die Hard II. While his television credits are too numerous to mention in total, he considers his role as Gordy the Weatherman, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, as being among his favorites. Let’s not forget Norman Lear’s comedy 704 Hauser, and of course his powerful role as James Evans in the hit-series, Good Times. He portrayed Mayor Ethan Baker on CBS', The District , had a recurring role with NBC's Emmy Award Winning The West Wing , as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was featured in WB's All About The Andersons , starring as Anthony Anderson's father.
Mr. Amos devotes a great deal of time to his Halley’s Comet Foundation, which provides positive alternatives to young people through its nautical and maritime programs.
The proud father of two children, Shannon and K.C. and grandfather of Quiera Noel, Mr. Amos considers himself one of the most fortunate people on earth. “I love my work, and I am grateful to GOD to have a profession that brings joy to so many”.
3 WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT JOHN AMOS’ HALLEY’S COMET
ON JOHN AMOS :
"Amos is just dazzling!" (Bob Goepfret, The Record )
"The best performance I have seen on stage in many years belongs to veteran actor John Amos." (Bob Ruth , Business Journal Youngstown )
"Amos reveals his depth and electricity as an actor." (Marianne Evett, Plain Dealer Critic )
"Amos' performance is superb." (Roger Moore, Winston-Salem Journal )
"John Amos is a versatile actor. His performance in this very demanding role was superb." (Pat Ferro, The Suburbanite)
ON HALLEY’S COMET :
"A funny and touching journey through 76 years of the American experience." (Patricia O'Haire Daily News , New York)
"Halley's Comet is a two-hour tour de force that evokes both tears and laughter." ( Business Journal )
"Destined to become a classic." (Mike Johnson, Metro Weekender, England)
"Halley's Comet delivers a message of hope for our planet ." (Plain Dealer)
"The material soars!" (The Record )
"A compelling autobiography of oral history." ( Winston-Salem Journal )
"Halley's Comet is a play that asks longingly if things will ever be the way they used to be." ( Akron Beacon Journal )
"Searching for innovating theater with mass appeal? Look no farther than ... Halley's Comet." (On Center Stages)
4 IWO VETS, THEIR STORIES THEIR VOICES
The real story behind the Montford Point Marines
Join John Amos and K.C. Amos in a special screening and discussion of their documentary
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 9:45 AM Tucson High School 400 N. Second Ave
FREE to the public - Call (520) 882-9721 for reservations
K.C. Amos found himself close to major Hollywood productions since the young age of four. His father, actor John Amos, would bring K.C. to the set of Roots and K.C. remembers thinking, “I may be to young to play now, but I will get my chance to tell stories one day soon.
An award-winning and Grammy nominated filmmaker, K.C. has now created a documentary that tells an important story! It is about the Montford Point Marines – the first black Marine unit that served in the Pacific in World War II – who, until recently, were omitted from the history books. In November, the U.S. Senate unanimously awarded the unit the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Invisible Theatre 1400 N. First Avenue at Drachman Tucson, AZ 85719 Box Office – (520) 882-9721 Administration – (520) 884-0672 Fax – (520) 884-5410 www.invisibletheatre.com
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