Though Rob Lowe only lived in Dayton, Ohio from when he was 6 months old until he was 12 years old, we claim him as one of our own. Soon after Lowe moved to Malibu, California with his mom and brother, Chad, his film career took off.
In the 1980s, the Brat Packer played heartthrobs in The Outsiders and St. Elmo’s Fire. In the ’90s, he pivoted to star in iconic comedies Wayne’s World and Austin Powers and cinched an Emmy nomination for playing Sam Seaborn on TVs The West Wing, which also starred fellow Daytonians Allison Janney and Martin Sheen.
And in 2011, he published his first book, bestseller Stories I Only Tell My Friends, a candid autobiography in which he wrote about his Dayton upbringing, his addiction to alcohol and even his infamous late-’80s sex tape scandal. (In 2014 he published a follow-up book, Love Life.)
For someone who’s accomplished practically everything — hosting a talk show and doing Shakespeare in the Park are still on his list — touring behind his books were an opportunity to do a one-man show and to return to his Dayton theater roots. He’ll perform Stories I Only Tell My Friends Live! at the Aronoff Center June 1.
“I had such a positive experience with both of the books, so instead of writing a third one I decided to do something totally different and write this show,” Lowe says. “It’s harder and harder to find something new, something where I can get the adrenaline pumping through my body because I’ve been at it for so long. So this is a totally new world for me — to come out alone, just you and a microphone, and entertain people for 90-minutes. To me it’s the ultimate in being an entertainer-slash-actor, and I wanted to see if I could do it.”
Onstage, Lowe borrows some anecdotes from his books, but he says he wrote a funny show full of newer material. “If you like the books you’ll love it, and if you have no idea what the books were, you’ll like it equally.”
For years, Lowe had the germ to do the stage show, especially when he saw friends Ricky Gervais and Parks and Recreation co-star Aziz Ansari do similar programs.
“I was always envious of that,” he says. “I was like, ‘I wonder if I have a show in me somewhere?’ And it just percolated and percolated. You don’t want to create a show that doesn’t give people what they want, and when you’re known for a lot of different things, that can be a challenge. But I think I figured that out.”
While Lowe’s in town, he said he might hook up with fellow Brat Packer and Cincinnatian Emilio Estevez. He also plans to make a pilgrimage to his favorite pizza place in Dayton, Marion’s, throw the first pitch at a Reds game and hang out with his dad, Chuck, a prominent Dayton lawyer.
In the past decade, Lowe’s been best known for playing the “literally”-loving Chris Traeger on the aforementioned Parks and Recreation. Every single member of the cast convened at the PaleyFest television festival in Los Angeles in March for the show’s 10th anniversary.
“I’ve worked with a lot of ensemble casts and a lot of casts that got along really well, but nothing compares to Parks,” Lowe says. “There’s a connection with all of us that’s really, really deep. What I’ve always loved about Parks and Recs is its spirit. It’s such a beautiful, well-meaning, goofy, loving place to spend time. And to create that kind of world that also has unbelievable biting comedy within it is just a tremendous accomplishment on everybody’s part.”
Lowe says people still come up to him and say “literally” — Lowe uses that word in real-life conversations, too — but he never gets tired of hearing it.
“It’s one of my proudest achievements,” he says. “It took me 30-plus years to get a catchphrase. Now that I’ve finally got one, I’m not giving it up.”
Even though Lowe’s life started out with some ups and downs — his parents divorced when he was 5 years old — he believes “1 billion, trillion percent” that everything happens for a reason, including his one-man show.
“The divorce wasn’t a great time for me and the family, but without that I’m not here, and this is the happiest I’ve ever been. There’s a plan, but it sometimes takes years and years and years to get to the meaning of it.”
Rob Lowe: Stories I Only Tell My Friends Live! is onstage at the Aronoff Center 8 p.m. June 1. Tickets $30-$65; $250 VIP. More info/tickets: cincinnatiarts.org.
