Steve Martin to Open McCallum Season This Month

Steve Martin and his bluegrass band, the Steep Canyon Rangers, will open the McCallum Theatre's 25th anniversary season on Aug. 31, it was announced today.

The actor-comedian has toured with his band for three years, performing
at such events as Bonnaroo, New Orleans' Jazzfest and the Newport Folk Festival and winning the International Bluegrass Music Association's 2011 "Entertainer of the Year'' award.

"Rare Bird Alert,'' released in 2011, features 13 tracks written by Martin and guest vocals from Paul McCartney and the Dixie Chicks. The 2010 release, "The Crow/New Songs for the Five-String Banjo,'' won a Grammy for best bluegrass album.

Martin also won Grammys for his collaboration with Earl Scruggs on
"Foggy Mountain Breakdown'' in 2001, and for his comedy albums "Wild and
Crazy Guy'' in 1978 and "Let's Get Small'' in 1977.

Martin, who is also an author, playwright and producer, established the
Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass in 2010.

The McCallum's upcoming season includes the Broadway musicals  "Rock of
Ages,'' Dreamgirls'' and Disney's "Beauty and the Beast'' and performances by
comedian Howie Mandel, opera singers Renee Fleming and Susan Graham, violinist Itzhak Perlman and singers Smokey Robinson, Frank Sinatra Jr,. Barbara Cook and Elaine Page.

Tickets for Martin's 8 p.m. show are $125, $95, $75 and $65 and are
available by calling the McCallum box office at (760) 340-2787 and are also available online.