There are big stages and then there are those stages which may be smaller, but have a history to them.
For Jeff Daniels, the stage at the Grand Opera House falls firmly into the latter category.
“I love all those old opera houses,” Daniels said. “I remember walking on and one of the highlights (The Grand Opera House) people told me was that Samuel Clemens spoke here. There’s a history of places like The Grand. I love that and love being able to play on the same stages.”
Daniels will return to the Grand Opera House, where the author known as Mark Twain once spoke, for two shows on Aug. 24. The shows are part of a short tour in which Daniels and the Ben Daniels Band, which is headed by his son, will stop at 14 to 15 venues in the upper Midwest during a two-and-a-half week period.
The tour falls during a lull in Daniels’ shooting schedule for the HBO series “The Newsroom,” for which Daniels won an Emmy, and the November release of his new movie, “Dumb and Dumber To.”
It will be Daniels’ fourth visit to the Grand Opera House. His last performance was in 2010 when the venue was reopened after being closed for a year for repairs and renovation.
It is expected that Daniels will sell out both shows because of his popularity in Oshkosh and the intimate, down-to-earth vibe that he brings to the stage.
“He delivers,” Grand Opera House Director Joe Ferlo said. “In a hall like ours, to have a legit star basically sitting 20 feet in front of you just putting it out there as a human being, it’s an intimacy you don’t get anywhere else.”
A songwriter and playwright, Daniels is known for an arsenal of humorous and poignant songs. While previous visits to the Grand have featured Daniels and his guitar, the upcoming show in August will also include a night of fun music with his son’s band – and one piece will feature a trio of amped up cigar box guitars played “a little like ZZ Top,” Daniels said.
“It’s not just me sitting in the chair with an acoustic guitar,” Daniels said. “At the end of the day, our job is to entertain them and give them a good night out.”
With film credits including “Dumb and Dumber,” “Pleasantville” and “Terms of Endearment,” along with his work in “The Newsroom,” a wide range of people are familiar with Daniels’ work as an actor, Ferlo said. What they may not be as familiar with is the work he’s done as a musician, Ferlo said.
“I think people are genuinely surprised when the man picks up the guitar and starts singing and playing. It’s a side of his personality that is important to him, but he didn’t really bring out in public until six or seven years ago,” Ferlo said. “He doesn’t play a lot of tour dates, which is one of the reasons that makes it so special.”
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