Look To The Stars News: Bonnie Somerville

Stars To Come Out For The Art Of Elysium Genesis Event

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

The Art of Elysium – a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging actors, artists and musicians to share their time and talent with children who are battling serious medical conditions – has announced their next annual event: The Art of Elysium GENESIS.

A celebration of emerging talent, Genesis will bring together artists, creative thinkers, and social leaders in support of this wonderful organization. This event will allow for a new generation to come together and celebrate individuality and the arts while supporting The Art of Elysium’s programs and mission. The evening will include specialty cocktails by Death & Co., “Coffee Bar” provided by Coffee Bean, custom “Jean Bar” provided by Current Elliott, an art exhibition by Last Legion Games, and special musical performance by Fight from Above, sponsored by Rogue Pictures.

Among the guests expected to attend the event are Sophia Bush, Beth Riesgraf (Leverage), Edi Gathegi (Twilight: New Moon), Madeline Zima (Heroes), Bonnie Somerville (The Ugly Truth), Jaime Ray Newman (Eastwick) and many more.

The event will take place on October 10 at HD BUTTERCUP at 3225 Helms Avenue, LA.

Since its inception, The Art of Elysium has provided artistic workshops in the following disciplines: acting, art, comedy, fashion, music, radio, songwriting and creative writing and their results have been astounding; producing a mutual exchange of hope and appreciation between both children in need, as well as, the artists themselves.

The Art of Elysium holds their annual HEAVEN gala on the eve of the Golden Globes in Los Angeles, CA and is supported by corporate sponsors that have included Cartier, Vogue, Ford and Relativity Media. The 2009 gala was their biggest success to date and raised over $1,000,000 for the organization, as well as, receiving more than 197,500,000 media impressions in major publications throughout the world. Guests included Sting, Golden Globe nominee Marisa Tomei, Kirsten Dunst, Eva Mendes and Tobey Maguire among others. In addition to HEAVEN, The Art of Elysium hosted its first annual PARADIS at the Cannes Film Festival this past May sponsored again by Cartier & Relativity Media as well as Soho House and Grey Goose. The event was incredibly well attended by industry insiders as well as by Cannes jury member Robin Wright Penn and festival darling Quentin Tarantino.

To find out more about the Genesis event, click here.

Band From TV To Launch New Epilepsy Site At Charity Gig

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Band From TV – the celebrity charity music group made up of stars from some of today’s most popular TV shows – is to play a special gig next month to launch a charity website set up by its founding member.

Talk About It was created by Heroes star Greg Grunberg to raise awareness of epilepsy and help educate people the world and end stigmas about seizure disorders. The site features many of his Heroes co-stars and celebrity friends, such as Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, and John Mayer. Grunberg is a longtime supporter of epilepsy causes, an issue that he has been involved with since his son, Jake, was diagnosed with the condition. He is the official spokesperson for the Epilepsy Foundation and Epilepsy Advocate.

Grunberg started the Band From TV – which includes members such as Hugh Laurie, Teri Hatcher, Bonnie Somerville, Hayden Panettiere, Adrian Pasdar, James Denton, Jesse Spencer, and Bob Guiney – after getting a few celebrities to play together at the House Of Blues for charity. The success of that event has led to a number of gigs in the US which have, according to Hugh Laurie, “raised a gargantuan sum of money for charity.” These charities include such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust. Band From TV recently released their first CD, Hoggin’ All The Covers, which has become a huge hit at Amazon.com and can be ordered here. Look To The Stars was lucky enough to interview Greg just before Christmas, and the video of our chat can be viewed here.

To celebrate the launch of Talk About It, Band From TV – along with special celebrity guests including Scott Grimes from ER and many others – are performing one night only on October 25 at The Canyon Club in Agoura. Come with your family and friends and be ready to rock out to your favorite cover tunes being performed by some of your favorite TV actors.

THIS SHOW WILL SELL OUT!! Tickets may be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster or by calling The Canyon Club Box Office at (818) 879-5016.

Stars To Attend Change The World Awards This Weekend

Fri, 29 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Hollywood Note Foundation will hold its annual Change The World Awards this Sunday, May 31.

The award ceremony – hosted by Scott Baio and his wife Rene – will attract a large number of stars who will be recognized for their personal efforts to make the world a better place. Recipients will include Band From TV – featuring Greg Grunberg, Bob Guiney, Bonnie Somerville, Hugh Laurie, James Denton, Jesse Spencer and Teri Hatcher – who will recieve the Humanitarian Award of Inspiration. Also being honored are Ed Begley Jr., who will be presented with the Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award, Bart Simpson’s voice Nancy Cartwright – who will receive the Change The World Public Service Award – and many others, including Aimee Teegarden, Kevin Sorbo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Sumpter, and Michael Bernard Beckwith.

Beneficiaries of the event will include Stand Up To Cancer, Happy House, Save The Ta-Tas, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), Coalition for Clean Air, the Ready or Not Foundation, and the Agape Foundation.

The ceremony – which will be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel – will feature performances by Rachael Lampa, Daniel Nahmod and Kute Blackson.

Find out more at the official Change The World Awards website.

Band From TV To Play Concert For Charity In Miami

Thu, 14 May 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The All-Star Band From TV is to play a special Concert For Charity event in Miami on Saturday, May 16.

The band – made up of television stars such as Greg Grunberg, Bob Guiney, Bonnie Somerville, Hugh Laurie, James Denton, Jesse Spencer and Teri Hatcher – recently scored the number 1 slot on Amazon with their CD/DVD package, Hoggin’ All the Covers. Proceeds from every show the band plays goes to charities such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust.

The Concert For Charity will take place at the Shore Club Hotel in Miami Beach and will also feature a special appearance by Melora Hardin, who spoke to Look To The Stars about charity last year.

General admission tickets to the event cost $50. $175 VIP admission includes a pre-party with the band and a preferred viewing area. The event is for ages 21 and over. Click here for tickets.

To watch a video of the Band From TV at the recent Heroes For Autism event, click here.

Attend The Change The World Awards For A Special Price

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Hollywood Note Foundation is to hold its annual star-studded Change The World Awards on May 31, and now Look To The Stars readers can purchase tickets for a reduced price.

The award ceremony – hosted by Scott Baio and his wife Rene – will attract a large number of stars who will be recognized for their personal efforts to make the world a better place. Recipients will include Band From TV – featuring Greg Grunberg, Bob Guiney, Bonnie Somerville, Hugh Laurie, James Denton, Jesse Spencer and Teri Hatcher – who will recieve the Humanitarian Award of Inspiration. Also being honored are Ed Begley Jr., who will be presented with the Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award, Bart Simpson’s voice Nancy Cartwright – who will receive the Change The World Public Service Award – and many others, including Aimee Teegarden, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Sumpter, and Michael Bernard Beckwith.

The ceremony – which will be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel – will feature performances by Rachael Lampa, Daniel Nahmod and Kute Blackson.

Individual tickets usually cost $500, but as a special offer, Look To The Stars can now offer you tickets for $350. To purchase the tickets, go to the Change The World website and enter the online registration code NOTE 0531 when you make your purchase.

Hugh Laurie To Be Honored For Charity Work

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

House star Hugh Laurie will be honored with a special humanitarian award by the Venice Family Clinic later tonight, February 23.

Along with House creator David Shore, Laurie will be honored for his charity work. Also being honored at the event is the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Founded in 1983, Silver Circle is Venice Family Clinic’s premier giving group, raising more than one million dollars annually to provide free, quality health care to people in need. The Venice Family Clinic, the nation’s largest free clinic, provides free, quality health care to people in need. Last year, with the support of Silver Circle donors and more than 1,500 volunteers—including nearly 500 physicians—the Clinic served over 23,500 children and adults in approximately 100,000 primary care, specialty care, mental health and dental visits. Silver Circle is Venice Family Clinic’s premier annual support group, raising approximately $1,000,000 per year.

Laurie was busy with his charity pursuits over the weekend: on Sunday he performed with the Band From TV at the West Coast Premiere of NASCAR, the Auto Club 500. The band – made up of television stars such as Greg Grunberg, Bob Guiney, Bonnie Somerville, James Denton, Jesse Spencer and Teri Hatcher – recently scored the number 1 slot on Amazon with their CD/DVD package, Hoggin’ All the Covers. Proceeds from every show the band plays goes to charities such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust.

The Venice Family Clinic event will be held at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. More info can be found here.

Band From TV To Receive Special Charity Award

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Band From TV – the star-studded band made up of celebrities from shows such as Desperate Housewives and Heroes – is to receive a special accolade at the Hollywood Note Foundation’s annual Change The World Awards in May.

The awards will celebrate Hollywood for its impact on philanthropy, and will recognize celebrity individuals for their personal efforts to make the world a better place.

Band From TV – which features stars such as Greg Grunberg, Bob Guiney, Bonnie Somerville, Hugh Laurie, James Denton, Jesse Spencer and Teri Hatcher – raises money through gigs and album sales for a range of charities such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust. They have been spotlighted by the Hollywood Note Foundation to receive the Humanitarian Award of Inspiration at the award ceremony.

Also to receive awards at the event will be Ed Begley Jr., who will be presented with the Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award, Bart Simpson’s voice Nancy Cartwright – who will receive the Change The World Public Service Award – and many others, including Aimee Teegarden, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Sumpter, and Michael Bernard Beckwith.

The ceremony – which will be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel – will feature performances by Rachael Lampa, Daniel Nahmod and Kute Blackson.

More information can be found at the Change The World Awards website. To read an exclusive report about the Change The World Awards Announcement event by Look To The Stars Celebrity Ambassador Rachel Zeskind, click here.

Band From TV To Rock NASCAR

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of Heroes and Desperate Housewives will want to get to the West Coast Premiere of NASCAR, the Auto Club 500 on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 11am PDT for a special performance by Band From TV.

“We are so excited to feature Band From TV at our Opportunity, California FanZone Stage,” said Auto Club Speedway president Gillian Zucker. “Not only will Southern Californians experience the thrill of a live NASCAR race, but also a full weekend of live entertainment including a musical performance from Hollywood celebrities- an experience you can only get here at Auto Club Speedway!”

More information about the event can be found here.

Win An Autographed Band From TV CD/DVD

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of great music and television’s hottest stars should aim to stay home in front of the TV this Friday, as Band From TV make an appearance on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show. And Look To The Stars is giving you the chance to win an autographed copy of the group’s brand new CD/DVD, Hoggin All The Covers.

The all-star cover band donates all of its proceeds to charities – including Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust.

House star Hugh Laurie – who plays keyboards in the band – will take on vocal duties during their performance on The Tonight Show this Friday, January 16.

Greg Grunberg of Heroes fame will also be on the show. Grunberg started the band after being getting a few celebrities to play together at the House Of Blues for charity. The success of that event has led to a number of gigs in the US which have, according to Hugh Laurie, “raised a gargantuan sum of money for charity.”

Grunberg’s excitement about the project is clear in our recent exclusive interview with him.

“My oldest son has epilepsy,” said Grunberg. “And I saw this band as a wonderful vehicle to help raise money for the [”Pediatric Epilepsy Project":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/398-pediatric-epilepsy-project]. Having band mates who also happen to be in some of the most popular shows on television creates an amazing opportunity to really reach out to our fans to help support these wonderful causes."

Hoggin’ All The Covers

The Hoggin’ All The Covers DVD/CD set features 13 tracks – including “Piece of My Heart,” “Mustang Sally” and “The Letter” – recorded at a gig in LA, and the DVD includes footage of rehearsals, exclusive interviews and information on the charities that will benefit from sales. It is currently available on Amazon.com and Amazon.de, and will soon be available on Amazon.co.uk.

Even better, we have a signed copy to give away in a free prize draw.

How to enter

To enter our draw, just guess what song Hugh is going to sing on the show. We’ve included a hint below in case you’re not feeling lucky today!

Drop us a line at contests@looktothestars.org before the show airs on NBC on Friday at 11:35pm telling us your name, address, and the answer to the question. All correct answers will go into the random draw.

Hint: the song was originally recorded by Billy Preston for his 1973 album, Music Is My Life_. It then spent a week at #1 on the Billboard Charts during July of that year. Still too hard? It’s also Track 3 on the Hoggin’ All The Covers CDcode=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001IDZGCU.

The Band From TV To Light Up Christmas Tree

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Band From TV will be appearing at the annual “Hollywood Christmas Tree Lighting at The Grove,” on Sunday, November 23.

The charity band made up of television stars – including Hugh Laurie, Greg Grunberg, Teri Hatcher, James Denton, Bob Guiney – recently released their first CD/DVD, Hoggin All The Covers. The band was started in 2006 to provide funding for several worthwhile charities – Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – and to raise money through music to help those in need.

Grunberg had the idea to establish the band after being asked to get a few celebrities to play together at the House Of Blues for charity. The event sparked a great amount of interest, and has led to a number of gigs in the US which have, according to Hugh Laurie, “raised a gargantuan sum of money for charity.”

Sunday’s show, hosted by Jon Lovitz, will also feature performances by Grammy Award-winner Natalie Cole, the HB Barnum New Life Choir, and Straight No Chaser, a talented A Capella group best known for their rendition of “12 Days of Christmas.”

The show starts at 7:30pm, and will be held at The Grove, 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles. More information can be found at www.thegrovela.com.

Band From TV Gets Help From JetExpress

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Band From TV has announced an exciting new alliance with ExpressJet.

The group has named the carrier as their official transport provider, which means the company will fly the band to concert events across America free-of-charge.

“We are incredibly grateful to ExpressJet for providing transportation for our band all throughout America,” said Greg Grunberg, who started the band to raise money through music to help those in need. “All of the money saved from ExpressJet providing this service goes straight to the charities and we are beyond thankful.”

Band From TV is a 9 piece musical ensemble that features the talents of Desperate Housewives’ James Denton on guitar, House’s Hugh Laurie on keyboards, and Desperate Housewives’ Teri Hatcher on vocals. The full length album follows earlier releases on the House soundtrack and the top-selling version of Minnie The Moocher on iTunes. They release their first CD and DVD – Hoggin’ All The Covers – next week.

“We are proud to associate our expertise in aviation with the talented actors and musicians of Band From TV,” said ExpressJet’s Sr. Manager of Marketing, John Yeng. “We couldn’t be happier to do our part in raising money for the very worthy charities that each celebrity has chosen.”

Band From TV donate all their proceeds to a range of charities, including Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Band From TV Are Hoggin' All The Covers

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Band From TV is set to release its first CD/DVD for charity.

Hoggin’ All The Covers will be released on Amazon on October 28, and will feature a fine selection of the songs the celebrity funksters have been rocking audiences with since being formed in 2006.

Band From TV is a 9 piece musical ensemble set up by Heroes’ star Greg Grunberg, who plays drums, and features the talents of Desperate Housewives’ James Denton on guitar, House’s Hugh Laurie on keyboards, and Desperate Housewives’ Teri Hatcher on vocals. The full length album follows earlier releases on the House soundtrack and the top-selling version of Minnie The Moocher on iTunes.

The live CD features 13 tracks – including “Piece of My Heart,” “Mustang Sally” and “The Letter” – recorded at a gig in LA, and the DVD includes footage of rehearsals, exclusive interviews and information on the charities that will benefit from sales, such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The Band From TV Global Charity Trust was created to provide funding for several worthwhile charities, and to raise money through music to help those in need. Grunberg started the band after being asked to get a few celebrities to play together at the House Of Blues for charity. The event sparked a great amount of interest, and has led to a number of gigs in the US which have, according to Hugh Laurie, “raised a gargantuan sum of money for charity.”

The CD/DVD package will also be available from the Band From TV website.

Band From TV To Flex Their Musical Muscles For Rally

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

June 21 will see the Ford Flex Rally, a scavenger hunt-style car challenge, take to the streets of greater Los Angeles for charity. And the event will be hosted by Band from TV, a music group made up of some of your favorite TV stars.

Band From TV – whose members will drive in the rally and then perform at a red carpet event at the race finish – is a charity rock band of television actors who donate the proceeds of their performances and recordings to the charities of their choice. Formed by Greg Grunberg after performing at the House of Blues with several other celebrities, the band includes Hugh Laurie on keyboards, Teri Hatcher on vocals, and the talents of James Denton on guitar.

“The new Flex from Ford is cool, man,” said Greg Grunberg. “I’ve got 3 kids and I’m the drummer in the band and this car works for my lifestyle. Any time my band gets to play a big party like the Flex Launch and raise a ton of money for our charities is a great day in my book.”

The band will donate their proceeds to their favorite charities, and anyone wishing to join in the fun can register for the event at www.flexrally.com.

Hugh Laurie - Band From TV For Charity

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:13:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A rock group comprising of some of television’s biggest stars has scored a hit on iTunes with their new version of the Cab Calloway classic, Minnie The Moocher.

Band From TV is a 9 piece musical ensemble set up by Heroes’ star Greg Grunberg, who plays drums, and features the talents of Desperate Housewives’ James Denton on guitar and House’s Hugh Laurie on keyboards.

“There’s about 50 versions of Minnie The Moocher on iTunes, and I’m afraid ours is the most popular,” joked Laurie about the song’s current success. “It’s a funky version of it… it was a real thrill.”

Money from the gigs is split between the members of the group to go to the cause they feel most passionately about, including The Art of Elysium and The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Laurie’s charity of choice is Save the Children, an organization he has close family ties to – his sister, Susan Lassen, helped found the Save The Children Long Island Volunteer Chapter and was a member of the Board of Trustees.

Greg Grunberg also has close personal ties to his chosen beneficiary. “My oldest son has epilepsy,” he said. “And I saw this band as a wonderful vehicle to help raise money for the [”Pediatric Epilepsy Project":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/398-pediatric-epilepsy-project]. Having band mates who also happen to be in some of the most popular shows on television creates an amazing opportunity to really reach out to our fans to help support these wonderful causes."

The band, which also includes Bonnie Somerville, Brad Savage and The Bachelor’s Bob Guiney, is currently preparing the final touches to their first album, due to be released this Fall in the US. The CD/DVD package, to be called “Hoggin’ All The Covers”, features reworked versions of classic songs such as Mustang Sally, Lean On Me, and Pink Cadillac. They have also had their take on the old Rolling Stones song, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, included on the recently released House soundtrack.

Band From TV’s versions of Minnie The Moocher and You Can’t Always Get What You Want can be heard on www.myspace.com/bandfromtv, and more information about concert dates and the new album can be found at www.bandfromtv.org.

Look To The Stars News: Bonnie Somerville

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