Hal Holbrook is 85 Today! Actor Best Known for His Award Winning Portrayal in MARK TWAIN TONIGHT!

On the night of March 16, 2007, the curtains were drawn, the lights went low. I knew I was about to experience something that would affect me for the rest of my life. And indeed, that night as I watched Hal Holbrook perform the lead in Mark Twain Tonight! at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, Florida, I was witnessing history. I lost myself within his intense, poignant portrayal of the American Humorist who died in 1910. Oblivious to the fact that when Twain ( Holbrook) analyzed the issues of his day- be it racial, economic or personal- that he was not simply speaking of the society which I now live in, but of the woes and worries of a century gone.

The ability to capture an audience as Holbrook has done for over 50 years is not only a testament to the beauty of Mark Twain's voice that continues to live on, but of Holbrook's nearly lifelong devotion to educating the world about the great American Author.

Today is Mr. Holbrook's 85^th birthday. He was born Harold Rowe Holbrook, Jr., on February 17, 1925, in Ohio, and is one of our last surviving World War II veterans- he served as an engineer. After the war, he devoted several years of intense study on Mark Twain and his euphemisms, first portraying him publicly in 1954, at the Loch Haven Teachers College in Pennsylvania. A portrayal that caught the eye of none other than Ed Sullivan himself, resulting in Holbrook appearing on his show in character on February 12, 1956.

His props are simple. A desk, a pulpit, and chair, circa 1900- dressed in his classic 3 piece crème suit with era shoes and pocket watch to match. He alternates back and forth across the stage, as his dialogue escalates. Out of the over 2,100 performances Holbrook has delivered through the years, no two performances are exactly the same. Although the playbill gives a list of all possible monologues, Holbrook has maintained the freedom to choose which ones to depict- so as not to inhibit his creativity, and to keep himself and his audiences refreshed. So each performance is a treasure. On the 100^th anniversary of Mark Twain's death, Holbrook will once again step into the shoes of his most honored portrayal when he presents his one man, Tony Award winning show in Elmira, New York on April 21, 2010.

So I, Mr. Holbrook, salute you, and honor you on this your 85^th birthday, for keeping Mark Twain alive and well in the 21rst century. And in your own words, from that night long ago, when as I stood next to Cindy Lovell and she thanked you for keeping Mark Twain alive, your eyes sparkled, as you whispered and smiled... "I could do no less". Indeed Mr. Holbrook, your dedication is priceless.