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Customer Reviews for Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook

Read Hal Holbrook reviews and post your own reviews and ratings.

Average rating:

3.5

(20 Reviews) 20

Rating Snapshot (20 reviews)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

14 of 20(70%)customers would recommend this to a friend.

Hal Holbrook Fan Reviews - Ticketmaster

Review 1 for Hal Holbrook

5 / 5

Hal Holbrook is very good as Mark Twain

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

Favorite moment: The Tom Sawyer reinactment @

Posted 04/08/2013

by Girlpastor

Location:Indiana

We enjoyed the show very much. I do wish he had included more funny material.

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

Favorite moment: The Tom Sawyer reinactment @

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Review 2 for Hal Holbrook

5 / 5

Holbrook Plays Twain

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

Favorite moment: He comments about being an iditt and being a congressman @

Posted 04/08/2013

by Anonymous

Hal Holbrook played Mark Twain last night (April 5th) in Evansville, IN at The Centre. Holbrook, who is 88, is 14 years older than Samuel Clemens was when he died. The nearly packed house was treated almost two hours of talking by Holbrook.

He touched on his favorite topics (congress, politicians and religion) throughout the evening and then read/spoke from Tom Sawyer about Huck Finn and his friend Jim.

There was about a 15 minute intermission 65 minuets into the show. If he were to be close by again I would see him again.

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

Favorite moment: He comments about being an iditt and being a congressman @

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Review 3 for Hal Holbrook

5 / 5

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

Posted 04/08/2013

by HARMONIST1973

EXCELLENT! IT WAS LIKE VISITING AN OLD FRIEND. I SAW HIM YEARS AGO AND WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE THAT HAS A CHANCE TO SEE HIM AGAIN SHOULD DO SO. HAL HOLBROOK IS A CLASSICAL ACTOR AND A GREAT MAN. THANK YOU, HAL, FOR ALL OF THE YEARS OF JOY AND CULTURE THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT US.

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

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Review 4 for Hal Holbrook

2 / 5

Great for those only a little familiar with Twain

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

Posted 04/07/2013

by MarkTwainLover

As someone who has read a lot of Twain, the presentation was enjoyable but not remarkable. My wife had not read any Twain and enjoyed it more. Holbrook is amazing to be doing this so well into his 80s.

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

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Review 6 for Hal Holbrook

2 / 5

Overall -- a downer

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

Favorite moment: None @

Posted 04/07/2013

by Espuelas

Location:SW Indiana

Holbrook is good, and his Twain presentations have been quite good over the years. This one was not. It was mostly a diatribe on politics, religion and racism with little to no humor (fair mix in the first half, absolutely none in the second). His "sermon" was all too true, but I am already more than aware of its truth, myself being older than Twain was in 1905. To sit through almost 2 hours of such a bitter reenactment was was not what I had in mind when I paid my $120 for my wife and me. His Huckleberry Finn dialog was barely intelligible in the G-Tier (perhaps poor audio), hence too long and tiresome. More of Twain's remarkable humor interspersed throughout would have saved it from what it was -- the ramblings of a bitter old man. Quite disappointing.

The Aiken Theatre at The Centre @

- Evansville @

, IN @

- Fri, Apr 5, 2013 @

Favorite moment: None @

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Review 7 for Hal Holbrook

4 / 5

Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: comparison of cats to men @

Posted 03/16/2013

by MisterBillLee

Location:San Diego

Remarkable, especially given Mr. Holbrook's age. Great writing, lighting and acting!

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: comparison of cats to men @

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Review 8 for Hal Holbrook

3 / 5

Mark Twain OK

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Posted 03/13/2013

by Stevol

Location:San Diego

It was a pleasant show but if you looked at the preview clips the remainder of the show was a bit of a disappointment. I was in balcony and had a difficult time hearing. It was actually easier to hear in the lobby. I arrived 40 minutes early but was 15 minutes late because of parking mess. So got off to a rough start. There was less humor than I expected and more moral evaluation.

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

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Review 9 for Hal Holbrook

4 / 5

See Review

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Posted 03/13/2013

by AllanEugene

Location:San Diego, CA, Balboa Theatre

i had been waiting over 40 years to see this performance by Hal Holbrook; I won't say I was disappointed, but I do have some criticisms:
Mr Holbrook tends to drop his last words (lowers his voice) in a sentence, which means I missed some of the "kickers" in his jokes.
There was too much Hal Holbrook and not enough Mark Twain in his performance.- that is, at times he seemed to be playing to the audience in his discussion of various curent "hot" topics, instead of staying in role and using Mark Twain's writings for his discussions.
Aside from my nitpicking, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

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Review 10 for Hal Holbrook

1 / 5

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Posted 03/12/2013

by Anonymous

Was Hal Holbrook acting or was he experiencing senior moments? While many lines were delivered with impeccable timing, others were choppy and unintelligible. It was painful to watch. We left at intermission.

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

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Review 11 for Hal Holbrook

4 / 5

Holbrook wonderful; Balboa Theatre seats tight

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Holbrook does a great Twain. I enjoyed some of the humor and the reading from the book. @

Posted 03/12/2013

by 42Kim

Location:San Diego

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.

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Holbrook does a great Twain. I enjoyed some of the humor and the reading from the book. @

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Review 12 for Hal Holbrook

4 / 5

Still and always relevant and bracing

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: his delivery of Huck's decision regarding Jim. @

Posted 03/11/2013

by Anonymous

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.

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: his delivery of Huck's decision regarding Jim. @

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Review 13 for Hal Holbrook

1 / 5

Very Disappointing performance and content

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: The standing ovation when he first appeared on stage. @

Posted 03/11/2013

by Smoothtracks

Location:Del Mar, CA

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.

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: The standing ovation when he first appeared on stage. @

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Review 14 for Hal Holbrook

5 / 5

Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain Tonight!

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Start middle and End !!! @

Posted 03/11/2013

by hagar22

Location:Moernoi Valley, CA

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

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Start middle and End !!! @

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Review 15 for Hal Holbrook

5 / 5

Hal Holbrook does not disappoint

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Mark Twain telling us about Congress 100 years ago and being just as relevant today was incredible. It's amazing how some things never change. @

Posted 03/11/2013

by catlori

Location:San Diego, CA

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.

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Mark Twain telling us about Congress 100 years ago and being just as relevant today was incredible. It's amazing how some things never change. @

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Review 16 for Hal Holbrook

1 / 5

The parties over Hal, time to hang up the mustache

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Leaving the theater...unfortunately... @

Posted 03/11/2013

by foxcraft

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

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Leaving the theater...unfortunately... @

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Review 17 for Hal Holbrook

1 / 5

Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain Tonight!

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Leaving @

Posted 03/11/2013

by HuckLover

Location:Orange County

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.

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Leaving @

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Review 18 for Hal Holbrook

3 / 5

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Posted 03/11/2013

by Anonymous

Location:San Diego

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....

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

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Review 19 for Hal Holbrook

5 / 5

Remarkable

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Posted 03/11/2013

by lindalovely2

Location:Santee, CA

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

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

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Review 20 for Hal Holbrook

5 / 5

Believable!!

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Comments on religion. @

Posted 03/11/2013

by Corkleen

Location:San Diego, CA

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!

Balboa Theatre @

- San Diego @

, CA @

- Sat, Mar 9, 2013 @

Favorite moment: Comments on religion. @

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Customer Reviews for Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook is very good as Mark Twain

Holbrook Plays Twain

more of a dramatic presentation than entertainment

Great for those only a little familiar with Twain

Overall -- a downer

Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain

Mark Twain OK

See Review

Holbrook wonderful; Balboa Theatre seats tight

Still and always relevant and bracing

Very Disappointing performance and content

Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain Tonight!

Hal Holbrook does not disappoint

The parties over Hal, time to hang up the mustache

Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain Tonight!

Remarkable

Believable!!