"His is a sincerely odd likability, and his gentle, intellectual streak mixes
pleasantly with an underlying mischievousness... Hoptman's show makes for a
decidedly odd and pleasurable Thursday night out." --St Paul Pioneer Press
Ari Hoptman featured in a Star-Tribune profile: "Something in his ability to
scrutinize complex patterns of language demonstrates a native curiosity that
helps explain his capacity for quirky sideways glances at the world around him."
"What Hoptman does is considerably outside the real of garden-variety weirdness. The notions that weave in and out of his mad, mad, mad performance are mind-benders." --Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Ari Hoptman is a talented comedic actor who also knows how to handle dramatic and even musical parts with great skill." --Ari Hoptman's website
Hope all is well, whoever you may be. Why don't you have a seat and stay a while here at my little website until you have to leave or you get bored?
Tis the Fall of 2008 and I am back in the classroom, which makes me feel like I have some purpose in life after a very slow August. In June and July I was back in Bemidji, MN doing Summer Stock once again, where I had the good fortune to star in Larry Shue's "The Foreigner" and to return as Ira in Neil Simon's "Laughter on the 23rd Floor." Bemidji is a pretty town up north and a good city for summer theater (thanks to The Paul Bunyan Playhouse). I worked with a lot of old friends from the Twin Cities and met some new ones as well.
In December I will once again be doing Walton Jones's musical "1940s Radio Hour." You can see me as put-upon producer and radio host Clifton Feddington trying to get his merry band of singers, musicians, and comedians together for the Christmas, 1942 edition of the Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade. A fun outing for the holidays!
Hennepin Stages, 824 Hennepin, Downtown Minneapolis
Thursdays Sundays, 12/04 12/28 (no show on 12/25),
two shows on Saturdays: matinee at 4:30PM and evening show at 7:30PM,
one Sunday matinee: 4:30PM
Click here for Ari's theatrical resume.
Favorite kind of wood: ply
Favorite nog: egg
Preferred style of chocolate chip cookie: not too many chocolate chips
Favorite long-extinct mammal: Ooooohh, well, the American lion maybe? There was one once, right? In the Ice Age? I think I read that. Maybe I'm wrong.
Position on freedom of speech: in favor of it
Favorite word in the Old High German language: sunufatarungo
Experience as a dealer in Atlantic City: minimal, if that
Fifth favorite Marx Brother: Gummo
Favorite British ruling house: The House of Stuart (1603-1714) had it goin' on. Or so I have read.
Most useless fact yet learned: In the Sanskrit language, a quail says "cu-wit cu-wit cu-wit!"
Caribou or elk? Won't even dignify that.
Does Ari know former Monkee guitarist Peter Tork? No
Interested in how linguists helped solve the mystery of intervocalic voiced consonants in Early Germanic? I know you are, and don't try to deny it! Here's the first of three Youtube clips of a film with yours truly.
HEY HEY!
Interested in books for kids or books to scar innocent kids for life or books on English grammar?
Here's a site you may be interested in.
The CD
"Dang! Shtick by Ari Hoptman"
AVAILABLE NOW!