John Lithgow is 'Actor's Studio' guest in Whitefish

John Lithgow, one of the theater's most versatile actors, is a guest in Alpine Theatre Project's version of "Actor's Studio" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 31, at O'Shaughnessy Cultural Center in Whitefish.

Broadway veteran David Ackroyd, one of ATP's founding artistic directors, will stand in for TV interviewer James Lipton.

Lithgow, a member of ATP's honorary board, is a familiar face in theater, films and television since the early 1970s. He has tackled a wide range of material spanning drama, comedy, musical, science fiction, family fare and thrillers. In addition, he is a composer and a widely read author of children's books who often performs for young audiences.

His latest venture is a new television series, "Twenty Good Years," to be aired on NBC this fall. Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor will play polar opposites who have a hard time seeing eye to eye. But one thing they agree on is that they only have 20 good years left to live.

"We are thrilled to have John join us for ATP's 'Actor's Studio' presentation," Ackroyd said. "Each year we plan to have a member of our honorary board share their career experiences, their philosophies and visions for the future of stage, screen and television with us."

From 1973 to 1982, Lithgow appeared in a different Broadway show each year with such noteworthy actors as Lynn Redgrave and Liv Ullman.

He won a Tony Award for his Broadway debut as a rugby player in "The Changing Room," and Tony nominations for his roles in "Requiem for a Heavyweight," and for his most recent appearance in the musical, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

His film career took off in the 1980s when he was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of a transsexual ex-professional football player in 1982's "The World According to Garp." Lithgow earned another Oscar nomination for his performance opposite Debra Winger in "Terms of Endearment."

Tickets for "Actor's Studio" with John Lithgow are $25; call 862-SHOW.