Hal Holbrook Tickets

I love Holbrook's Twain. He does a fabulous job and there is a reason why the house is sold out. However, the Balboa Theatre is an awful place to spend the evening. The theatre is fine looking but the seats are so tiny and so close together. I have a bruise on my hip from the chair and a swollen left knee from it being pushed into the chair in front of my all night. Those seats are not meant for anyone with any height on them (too close together) and if you are even a little wider than I am, you'd never be able to sit down at all. They are tiny seats. I don't know that I would return to that theatre again for fear of being in that much discomfort again.

I enjoyed the show. I'm a fan of the 1967 filmed performance, and though Holbrook, at 87, has declined in energy somewhat, as is natural, he still conveys the moral force and wit of Twain, who still, and always, has something we keep needing to hear. So much of the material was so relevant to today's political and world scene, it was almost eerie. Twain had his finger on the pulse. I also enjoyed hearing Holbrook deliver Twain's "Corn-Pone Opinions," a wise and lacerating essay on self-interest. Touching moments involving Huck, and Twain's daughter Susy too. The show overall seems to me to be a portrait of a man in deep crisis over the state of mankind, and dealing with it through humor as best he can. I recommend it.

Content was cynical, dark, and repetitive. The show only had "lift-off a couple of times in the narrative. If Holbrook would have told a story about his life it could have been engaging beyond all measure. At the end, when he talked about meeting his wife and how being with her was "Eden" was a bright moment. My husband and I are highly educated and the whole performance and content left us flat, uninspired and not at all entertained. We both thought we wasted our money. We had first row seats but two rows of chairs were put in front of us making our prime purchase for a cat bird seat invalid. Holbrook is a tired legend and should retire to keep his legacy intact. Or, he should freshen up his content with engaging stories. What a huge disappointment.

Best show ever, I waited 15 years to see him and was not disappointed !! Mr Holbrook was in excellent form.

Watching Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain was facinating and amazing. It was hard to tell where the two parted. The show was humurous and relevant. I'm so pleased I saw the show.

I think 2235 performances is probably several hundred (or more) than enough. Mr. Holbrook, bless his dottering ole heart, can barely shuffle onto the stage and forgets what is next a lot - although maybe he was on antihistamines - had a cold perhaps - but it was more than that...he had no energy for it. They sold a DVD of a performance when he was younger in the lobby... Would have saved us over $100 if we had just gotten that and quit winners ourselves... fox

Mr. Holbrook should retire. I think he actually dozed while sitting in a chair on stage. His voice was muffled and he slurred occasionally. I left at intermission and would like my money back. I have always admired his work but not this.

I went with my husband and son, who are big fans of Twain. I am not equal in their overall enthusiasm, however, I do enjoy a good show and appreciate Twain's writing for its contribution to American literature. We saw this show at the Balboa, which I've been to before, but we sat in the balcony this time. Never again will I purchase balcony tickets. The discomfort from the ridiculously tight seating only enhanced the lackluster experience I had. The show itself was a not entirely enthralling. Slow, monotonous...I would think that Twain himself might have injected a bit more energy into his performances, particularly with some of his more passionate barbs and stories. Holbrook, though amazing for his age, seemed tired and almost "programmed" in his presentation. Clearly, it is a rote character for him, but there is a fine line between mastery of a character and wearing it thin. My husband and son enjoyed themselves, but I was ready to go home at intermission. Also, people, if you are sick, stay home. The woman in front of us was hacking up her lungs throughout the performance. Such poor form....

Hard to believe Hal has been doing Mark Twain for over 50 years and still does such a wonderful job of portraying the man.

Great show and Mr.Holbrook's portrayal of Samuel Clemens was so believable. Age old commentary still appropriate for modern times- goes to show you that humans haven't changed much!