April 13, 2009

'The Wit and Wisdom of Al McGuire' to take center stage

One-man show about famed basketball coach at Marquette May 15-16

Event Information:
Dates: Friday, May 15
          Saturday, May 16
Time:  7:30 p.m. curtain
Place: Helfaer Theatre
          525 N. 13th St.

**UPDATE: Dick Enberg and Cotter Smith will host a public talkback following the Saturday night performance.**

Don't Undress Until You Die: The Wit and Wisdom of Al McGuire, Dick Enberg's one-man play about the legendary Marquette basketball coach, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, at Marquette University’s Helfaer Theatre, 525 N. 13th St. The play, formerly titled McGuire, debuted on the Marquette campus in 2005 to a sell-out audience.

Tickets are $30 and available by calling the Helfaer box office at (414) 288-7504. All ticket proceeds benefit Marquette’s Department of Performing Arts Drama Fund Scholarship.

Renowned sportscaster and multiple Emmy Award winner Enberg, who will be at the performances in connection with his role as Marquette’s Commencement speaker later that weekend, has written a deeply moving tribute to this sports legend.  His play shares his memories of his long-time colleague and close friend.

The play revisits McGuire’s inimitable wit and wisdom, as he reminisces about his life from the streets of Queens to his days at Marquette and his travels as a sportscaster. Enberg’s script depicts why the philosophy of this uncommonly funny and profound man had such an important and lasting impact on so many. McGuire was a leader on and off the court, and the people of Milwaukee adopted the New York native as one of their own. McGuire's final game was March 28, 1977, the NCAA championship game in Atlanta in which Marquette beat North Carolina, 67-59. After a second career as a sportscaster for NBC and CBS, he died January 26, 2001, of a blood disorder at the age of 72.

Distinguished actor Cotter Smith will reprise his role as McGuire. Smith's New York theatre credits include the Broadway production of Wendy Wasserstein's An American Daughter, Lanford Wilson's Burn This and Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive, as well as 10 years as a member of the Circle Repertory Company. His numerous television and film credits range from his debut 25 years ago as Robert Kennedy in the mini-series Blood Feud to his more recent role as the President of the United States in the Twentieth Century Fox film X2: X-Men United.

There is limited interview availability for Enberg and Smith following select performances. Media interested in speaking with them must call Christopher Stolarski in the Office of Marketing and Communication at (414) 288-1988 (office) or (414) 235-6060 (cell), or e-mail christopher.stolarski@marquette.edu to make arrangements.