Look To The Stars News: Actors Fund of America

Paul McCartney To Co-Chair Actors Fund Gig

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Paul McCartney is co-chairing a one-night-only concert to raise money for the Actors Fund of America.

With an all-star cast to be announced soon, the Actors Fund is proud to present Chance and Chemistry – A Centennial Celebration of the Music of Frank Loesser. Hosted by Annette Bening, Kevin McCollum and Jonathan Tisch, the concert will be directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific, Sunday in the Park with George, Altar Boyz) with musical direction by Brad Haak.

Oscar, Pulitzer and Tony Award winner Frank Loesser has been called the most versatile of all Broadway composers, having supplied both music and lyrics for such varied works as Guys & Dolls, Where’s Charley?, The Most Happy Fella and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.

The Actors Fund is a nationwide human services organization that helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition.

Tickets to the show – to be held on October 26 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York – start at $150. More information can be found here.

Kristen Johnston To Host Lucille Lortel Awards

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Actress Kristen Johnston will co-host this year’s Lucille Lortel Awards at the Off-Broadway Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis in New York on May 3 to benefit the Actors Fund of America.

Now in its 24th year, the awards will be presented by Jeremy Irons, Parker Posey, Kerry Butler, John Glover, Marsha Mason, Phyllis Newman and many others.

The Lucille Lortel Foundation was created by Lucille Lortel to foster excellence and diversity in the theatre, as well as to faithfully preserve the rich history and support the continued prosperity of Off-Broadway. The Foundation has several major programs, including its general operating support program that has provided millions of dollars to small to mid-size theatres in New York City, universities, and theatre service organizations. The Foundation created and maintains the Internet Off-Broadway Data Base (www.lOBDB.com ).

For a listing of all of the Foundation programs, previous Lortel Award nominees and recipients, information on the Lucille Lortel Theatre and Playwrights Sidewalk, and much more, visit www.lortel.org. For tickets to the event, click here.

Celebrities To Run And Walk For Women

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:00:00 -0000

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) has announced that Revlon spokeswomen Jennifer Connelly and Jessica Alba, along with NBC late night host Jimmy Fallon, will host the 2009 EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York taking place on Saturday, May 2, 2009.

The organization has also announced that Emmy-nominated star of ABC’s “Samantha Who” Christina Applegate will join with Miley Cyrus, her mother Tish Cyrus, Revlon spokeswoman Beau Garrett and “Dancing with the Stars” Carrie Ann Inaba at the Los Angeles event the following week on Saturday, May 9 during Mother’s Day weekend.

EIF’s Revlon Run/Walk event is one of the nation’s largest single-day fundraisers to support women’s cancer research, counseling and outreach programs in New York City and Los Angeles.

The 12th annual New York race starts in Times Square and finishes in the East Meadow of Central Park and attracts nearly 40,000 participants. The 16th annual Los Angeles Race takes place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at Exposition Park and attracts close to 60,000 participants each year. The EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women was launched in 1993 through the combined efforts of Lilly Tartikoff, Ronald O. Perelman, chairman of Revlon, Inc. and EIF. Since inception, nearly $55 million in grants have been made from the combined events in New York and Los Angeles.

“Hundreds of thousands of women and men have come out year after year to support the cause and for loved ones who have been personally affected by cancer. Their devotion and commitment to finding a cure is what has made the EIF Revlon Run/Walk so successful,” says Ronald O. Perelman, chairman of Revlon, Inc., co-founder of the Run/Walk and co-founder of the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program. “Through significant advancement in education and research, so many women today are finding resources and treatments made available to them and with that aid they are beating the odds and surviving cancer.”

Proceeds from past EIF Revlon Run/Walks have funded cutting-edge research, contributing to the development of the breakthrough gene treatment Herceptin as well as other targeted therapies, bringing new and innovative treatment approaches to women’s cancers worldwide. Monies raised have also helped numerous organizations in providing education, advocacy and outreach services to those affected by women’s cancers.

“The heartfelt support that we receive each year for this event is overwhelming,” says Lilly Tartikoff, co-founder of the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women and co-founder of the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program. “Every single person that participates helps to take us one step closer to a cure. Without our loyal supporters we would not be able to do this.”

“We are truly grateful to the entertainment community for their invaluable support, helping us raise much-needed funds for crucial research and support programs to help the women we love,” said Lisa Paulsen, president and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. “Step by step, all who participate in this even bring change and hope to women everywhere, like my cousin Dawn. She heard our message to get screened and went for her first mammogram at age 40 to learn she had early stage breast cancer. While this has been a challenging year for her, she’s going to be okay.”

2009 New York event beneficiaries include: Actors Fund of America, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, CancerCare, Cancer Control Center of Harlem, Cancer Schmancer, Gilda’s Club NYC, Gouverneur Healthcare Services, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Nassau University Medical Center – The Breast Imaging Center, National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Women’s Cancer Research Alliance, Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York, William F. Ryan Community Health Center, and the YWCA of Brooklyn.

2009 Los Angeles event beneficiaries include: AltaMed Health Services Corporation, Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research & Training, Cancer Schmancer, Citrus Valley Medical Center, Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Program, John Wayne Cancer Institute, Los Angeles Breast Cancer Alliance, Providence Saint Joseph Foundation, Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program, Team Survivor Los Angeles, UCLA Digital Mammography Program, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital, Wellness Community, and Women of Color Breast Cancer Survivors’ Support Project.

Information about the event is available here.

Stars Raise Cash In Celebrity Charity Smackdown

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

South by Southwest (SXSW, Inc.) is a private company based in Austin, Texas, dedicated to building and delivering conference and festival events for entertainment and related media industry professionals. Since 1987, SXSW has produced the internationally recognized Music and Media Conference & Festival and this year they’ve added a new twist.

SXSW, in conjunction with PayPay, have kicked off the first ever social-media smackdown and charity fundraiser at Mashable and Blurb’s SXSW Bash at Six Lounge in Austin.

Here’s how it works: PayPal has challenged nine celebrity teams to raise the most money for their chosen charities via social media sites and blogs. Fans can help by copying their favorite celebrity’s PayPal fundraising widget to their MySpace pages, Facebook page, or personal Web sites to encourage friends to donate.

The ‘Smackdown’ runs March 16-26, when PayPal will announce the winner and make an additional donation to the winning celebrity’s charity of choice.

Participating celebrities include Alec Baldwin, who is raising money for the Actors Fund of America.

“The Actors Fund is the pre-eminent organization for assisting all of my friends and colleagues in performing arts and entertainment around the country,” said Alec Baldwin, star of NBC television program “30 Rock.” “Most of those who work in this business are not stars – they’re working professionals who have no place else to turn when times are difficult. Please help them continue their vital work with your generous support.”

Also taking part are:

Corbin Bleu, benefiting Stand Up To Cancer.

“I am proudly supporting Stand Up to Cancer, because this organization is determined to bring an end to a disease that affects one out of every two men and one out of every three women,” said actor and recording artist, Corbin Bleu. “There are amazing causes in this Smackdown, but I hope I can put a spotlight on SU2C and its pledge to end cancer’s reign as a leading cause of death.”

Ernie Johnson, benefiting Samaritan’s Feet .

“I am honored to be the spokesperson for Samaritan’s Feet,” said Ernie Johnson, famous NBA reporter. “This organization demonstrates compassion to the poorest of the poor through servant leadership by washing their feet and telling them that they are loved. We are no different from them. We just happen to be born in the US and not a Third World country. I feel blessed and privileged to be the voice of these children who don’t have one.”

Kyle Petty, benefiting the Victory Junction Gang.

“Victory Junction is excited to participate in this charity challenge, which will raise awareness and funds for children with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses,” said NASCAR driver Kyle Petty. “In these economic times, raising money is more important than ever, and we appreciate the fundraising opportunity PayPal, in partnership with Mashable, has given us to continue to deliver life-changing camping experiences.”

Other participating celebrities include Brea Grant for Girls Rock Camp Austin, Elevenmoms for Share Our Strength, Hayden Panettiere for The Whaleman Foundation, Linkin Park for Music for Relief, and Pete Cashmore for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

Donations can also be made directly on the Charity Smackdown homepage, where details about the celebrity teams and their causes will be showcased.

Meryl Streep's Doubt For Actors Fund

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Actors Fund of America is holding a special screening of the movie Doubt, and invites you to join the film’s stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis to raise money for their cause.

Doubt – to be released in December – is based on John Patrick Stanley’s Pulitzer Prize winning play about a priest’s relationship with a black student in the 1960’s.

The screening will take place at the Paris Theatre in New York on December 7, with a special reception afterwards. Proceeds will go towards the Actors Fund’s mission to help professionals in performing arts and entertainment who are in need or crisis.

Tickets for the screening and reception are $150, and $50 for the screening only. They are available at the Actors Fund website.

Annette Bening To Tell Us All About Eve

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Annette Bening is to star in a charity reading of an Academy Award winning screenplay.

All About Eve scooped six Oscars when it was released in 1950, and on November 10 Bening will join several other performers in an evening honoring that achievement. The reading will benefit the Actors Fund of America, an organization committed to professionals in performing arts and entertainment and providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition.

Bening will read the part of Margo Channing, originally played by Bette Davis, and will be joined on stage by Tony Award winner Brian Bedford as Addison DeWitt, Tony nominee Peter Gallagher as Bill, Angela Lansbury as Birdie, Cynthia Nixon as Karen and John Slattery as Lloyd.

The reading will take place at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in Manhattan. Emmy and DGA Award winner John Erman will direct the evening, and showtime is at 7:30 PM.

More information can be found at the Actors Fund website.

Look To The Stars News: Actors Fund of America

Paul McCartney To Co-Chair Actors Fund Gig

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