Steve Martin and Martin Short Coming to URI's Family Weekend

Two wild and crazy guys will be part of the party at the University of Rhode Island’s Family Weekend this year.

Stand-up duo Steve Martin and Martin Short, along with Grammy-winning Steep Canyon Rangers will entertaining guests with side-splitting humor and rhythmical bluegrass music at the Ryan Center on the campus of the University of Rhode Island for Family Weekend 2015.

The Nov. 7th event is dubbed a Very Stupid Conversation. Tickets are set to go on sale for the general public on Friday, May 8th at 10 AM.

An actor, playwright, comedian, producer, screenwriter and musician, Steve Martin is one of the most diversified and acclaimed performers of his generation. Appearing in over 50 of the most iconic movies in recent film history, Martin is celebrated for his starring roles in titles such as Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Parenthood, Cheaper by the Dozen, Father of the Bride, Baby Mama and It’s Complicated. Winning his first Emmy at just 23, for his writing on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Martin gained fame for his quick wit and comedy stylings. Quickly becoming one the most celebrated comedians, Martin landed spots doing stand-up on some of television’s most legendary sketch comedy programs including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, On Location and Saturday Night Live, and soon earned the honor of the first comedian to sell out an arena performance.

Continuously evolving his career, Martin began incorporating his love for the banjo into his stand-up routines and released his first bluegrass album, The Crow: New Songs for the 5-Strong Banjo. Shortly after, Martin found himself playing on the prestigious stages of the Carnegie Hall, Royal Festival Hall in London and the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Following his performances, Martin went on to co-write songs with the bluegrass band, Steep Canyon Rangers and later, collaborated with Eddie Brickell on the critically acclaimed album, Love Has Come For You, which Martin would earn a Grammy Award for.

Joining Steve Martin, is Martin Short, a renowned actor and comedian, who has been celebrated for his roles in television, film and theater. Gaining attention on his work on Canada’s SCTV Comedy Network, Short earned his first breakout role on Saturday Night Live where he cultivated his iconic characters Ed Grimley, lawyer Nathan Thurm and Irving Cohen. Quickly transitioning from television to film, Short starred alongside Steve Martin in both the Three Amigos and Father of the Bride, followed by leading roles in Inner Space, Three Fugitives, Clifford, Pure Luck and Mars Attacks.

Later, Short joined the theater, where he took home a Tony and Outer Critics Circle Award for his role in Little Me. Furthering his career as an accomplished stage actor, Short starred in the musical version of Neil Simon’s The Goodbye Girl that led to his second Tony nomination and Outer Critics Circle Award win. Making his return back to television in recent years, Short garnered seven Emmy nominations for his work on The Martin Short Show. Following the show, Short went on to launch his own critically acclaimed series, Primetime Glick, where he received another five Emmy nominations. In 2010, Short was nominated for his nineteenth Emmy Award for his work as Leonard Winstone, on the FX series Damages.

Tickets to see Steve Martin and Martin Short with the Steep Canyon Rangers at the Ryan Center start at $63 for the General Public, $45 for URI Families & Faculty/Staff and $25 for URI Students with student ID. Tickets are available May 8th online at www.theryancenter.com, charge by phone at 1.855.387.4849, or at the Ryan Center Box Office.

For more information about the show please visit www.theryancenter.com.

For more information about URI Family Weekend 2015 please visit http://web.uri.edu/familyweekend/