Craig Ferguson to Bring 'The New Deal Tour' to Capitol Theatre, 10/23

In 2014, Ferguson concluded his nine-year run as the host of CBS' "The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson," setting all-time viewer records and earning a Primetime Emmy nomination. He is the current host of syndicated game show "Celebrity Name Game," a New York Times best-selling author, and has become a huge success on the North American comedy circuit, selling out theatres around the country including Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.

CAPA presents Craig Ferguson: The New Deal Tour at the Capitol Theatre (77 S. High St.) on Friday, October 23, at 8 pm. Tickets are $50.50 at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.

Since taking the helm of CBS' "The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson" in 2005, the show set all-time viewer records in the nine years before Ferguson stepped down. Most recently, he reprised his character "Gobber" in How to Train Your Dragon 2, and became the host of the new syndicated game show "Celebrity Name Game" executive producers Courteney Cox and David Arquette.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Ferguson got his start in the entertainment industry as a drummer for some of the worst punk bands in the UK. Following his musical stint, he began bartending in a local pub in Glasgow where he was introduced to Michael Boyd, the artistic director of The Tron Theatre in Glasgow, who persuaded Ferguson to try acting. After several low-paying acting gigs, Ferguson discovered he had a knack for comedy, and was soon the star of his own BBC television show, "The Ferguson Theory." After several stints on the English comedy circuit, Ferguson brought his act to America in 1995 to star with Betty White and Marie Osmond in the short-lived ABC comedy, "Maybe This Time." After the show ended, ABC decided to add the talented Scotsman to "The Drew Carey Show," playing Drew Carey's boss, "Nigel Wick," from 1996-2003.

Ferguson has also become a huge success on the North American comedy circuit. He has performed to sold-out theaters all over the country, selling out Carnegie Hall in October 2010. The following October, Ferguson performed his highly praised stand-up at New York City's Radio City Music Hall to a sold-out audience.

Additionally, Ferguson has three widely acclaimed stand-up comedy specials, A Wee Bit O' Revolution (2009), Does This Need to Be Said (2011), and I'm Here to Help (2013) which garnered him a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album.

Ferguson has written the feature films The Big Tease and Saving Grace. In 2003, he made his directorial debut with I'll Be There which he also wrote and starred in. I'll Be There went on to receive the Audience Award for Best Film at the Aspen, Dallas, and Valencia film festivals. He was also named "best new director" at the Napa Valley Film Festival. Ferguson's other film credits include Niagra Motel, Lenny the Wonder Dog, Prendimi l'anima, Life Without Dick, Chain of Fools, and Born Romantic.

Ferguson lent his voice to the animated features How to Train Your Dragon (2010) as the Viking "Gobber," the highly anticipated Disney classic Winnie the Pooh (2011) as "Owl," and Disney's animated blockbuster Brave (2012) as "Lord Macintosh."

In 2006, Ferguson debuted his first novel entitled Between the Bridge and the River, which made the best-seller list. In the novel, two childhood friends from Scotland and two illegitimate half-brothers from the deep South suffer and enjoy all manner of bizarre adventures which, it turns out, are somehow interconnected-and, even more surprisingly, meaningful.

Ferguson came into his own on "The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson," winning his first Emmy nomination in 2006, as well as receiving the 2009 Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting for his interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

In 2008, Ferguson succeeded in becoming a US citizen, and soon after, landed himself the biggest gig of all-a date with President Bush hosting the White House Correspondence Dinner. Critics raved of his witty and comical deliverance speech to the 3,000 attendees who included political journalists, celebrities, and Washington's power players. In 2009, Harper Collins published Ferguson's memoir, America On Purpose, a book about why and how Ferguson became an American. The book was listed on the New York Times bestseller list and continues to sell well.

Ferguson also serves on the board of the Lollipop Theater Network. The network's mission is to bring movies that are currently in theatrical release to hospitalized children facing chronic and life threatening illness nationwide.