Mark Twain was a funny man; just ask Mark Twain.
Or Val Kilmer, who channels the long-dead American writer, humorist and icon in Kilmerβs one-man play βCitizen Twain.β
Kilmer brings his 90-minute self-penned play to Rialto Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 5, for βVal Kilmer Live Presents Cinema Twain,β to screen a film version of the play. The actor (βTombstone,β βTop Gun,β βThe Doors,β βBatman Foreverβ) is expected on Saturday to introduce the 90-minute film and take questions from the audience afterwards. VIP ticketholders can meet Kilmer at the end of the night for selfies and one-on-one time.
Hereβs the 4-1-1 on the show:
- When, where and how much: 8 p.m. Saturday at the Rialto, 318 E. Congress St. Tickets are $36 general admission, $71 VIP at ticketfly.com
- What: Kilmer reinvents himself as the famous humorist, from the bushy mustache to the shock of fuzzy white hair. Dressed in a white three-piece suit, he channels Samuel Clemens and his alter ego Twain — the film was shot before a full house in Pasadena, California, in 2013 — for 90 minutes, recounting Clemens’s life with humor and poignancy while inserting modern-day political and pop culture references.
- Yes, I’ll be your Huckleberry: Kilmer utters that famous line from “Tombstone” — “I know the story you want to hear. ‘I’ll be your huckleberry’ “ — before sucking on a vapor pipe that he later explained was his attempt to create the “thick pea soup” fog. “But Val Kilmer can’t afford a fog machine in Pasadena apparently,” he told the audience, which busted out laughing.
- And speaking of huckleberry: Kilmer is taking part in the inaugural Doc Holli-Days in Tombstone Aug. 12 and 13. He is expected to be the special guest at the VIP Doc Holliday Birthday Party Aug. 12. Very few if any tickets ($150 apiece) remain; check out valkilmer.gallery/product/doc-holliday-birthday-party-vip-tickets
