Announcing: David Crosby to Perform at Blank Theatre Benefit

LEGENDARY SINGER-SONGWRITER AND ACTIVIST
DAVID CROSBY
SET TO PERFORM HIS FIRST SOLO SHOW IN 20 YEARS
TO BENEFIT THE BLANK THEATRE COMPANY
MONDAY, DECEMBER 13 AT AVALON HOLLYWOOD

Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoree David Crosby (The Byrds; Crosby, Stills & Nash) will give a rare, intimate concert to benefit The Blank Theatre Company, at Avalon Hollywood on Monday December 13, 2010 at 7:30pm. Hosted by The Blank’s Artistic Producer Noah Wyle, the evening will be David Crosby’s first solo Los Angeles performance in 20 years. The evening will feature new unrecorded material and fan favorites.

Said Crosby, “My friend Noah Wyle took me to see a few of The Blank’s shows. I was duly impressed by the quality of production and the daring nature of the work. Supporting The Blank is just one small way that I can help.” Added Wyle, “When David told me he wanted to play a benefit show for us, I was so touched that he felt inclined to respond to our work with his music. It is a rare and humbling honor for our organization.”

Tickets for the concert are priced at $250 (includes premium floor seating and exclusive after-show reception with David Crosby and Noah Wyle), $100, $75 and $50. They can be purchased online at www.TheBlank.com, or by calling (323) 661-9827. The Blank is a 501c3 non-profit arts organization; the ticket price is tax-deductible, Federal Tax ID# 95-4309846. The benefit is being produced by The Blank Theatre Company in conjunction with Black and Tan Entertainment and The Guacamole Fund.

Avalon Hollywood is located at 1735 N. Vine Street, in Hollywood.

About David Crosby

A California native, David Crosby is a legendary guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is also an activist and a philanthropist. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash (who are joined by Neil Young sometimes), and CPR. Crosby is a two-time member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work in The Byrds and CSN. Crosby also performs often with his band-mate and dear friend Graham Nash on record and on tour. In 1971, Crosby released his first of four solo albums, If I Could Only Remember My Name, featuring contributions by Nash, Young, and Joni Mitchell, along with members of Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and Santana. The album was recently named by The Vatican on its top ten list of all-time albums.

Crosby is also a long-time activist supporting a multitude of social issues. His second book entitled Stand and Be Counted chronicles music activism and social awareness. It was also a critically acclaimed two part documentary television film that aired on TLC. Besides his recent induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Crosby was MusiCares, NARAS’ (The Grammys) philanthropic arm, first Person of the Year.

For further information regarding David Crosby, contact Michael Jensen at (626) 676-9590 or via email at info@jensencom.com.

About The Blank Theatre Company

Now in its 20th year, The Blank’s productions have consistently garnered rave reviews, audience acclaim, and numerous theatrical honors. Over the years, The Blank has been nominated for 23 Ovation Awards and won five including Best Musical; 15 L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards, winning 13 including Outstanding Production; 24 L.A. Weekly Awards, winning seven including Musical of the Year; 12 NAACP Theatre Awards, winning four including Best Production; and won 17 Back Stage Garland Awards. The Blank was awarded the Hollywood Arts Council’s coveted Charlie Award for “pursuing artistic excellence, nurturing the next generation of playwrights, and challenging itself with a grand vision.” The Drama League called The Blank one of the “Best Regional Theatres in America.”

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11-15-10

Announcing: Cast Complete for Courage Campaign Benefit

MICHAEL McKEAN AND JOSH STAMBERG
COMPLETE THE CAST FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY READING OF
TERRENCE McNALLY’S SOME MEN ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 4
TO BENEFIT THE COURAGE CAMPAIGN

LILY TOMLIN SET TO MAKE SPECIAL APPEARANCE

Producers Dan Bucatinsky, Susan Dietz, and Tom Kirdahy have announced that Michael McKean and Josh Stamberg will complete the cast of Terrence McNally’s touching and hilarious play Some Men, a one night only reading benefitting Courage Campaign Institute’s support of marriage equality. (They join the previously announced Alan Cumming, Jason Ritter, John Glover, Matt Gould, David Alan Grier, Justin Kirk and Luke Macfarlane.)

Additionally, the incomparable Lily Tomlin has been set to make a special appearance. Directed by Michael Morris, the event will take place at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 8:00.

Some Men chronicles the lives of gay men in the United States over the past 80 years, examining the challenges, the victories, the joys and the sorrows of this history through the prism of love and marriage. Some Men had a sold-out run at the Second Stage Theater in New York City in 2007, with a cast that included Don Amendolia, Michael McElroy and Frederick Weller.

Tickets for this benefit reading of Some Men are $250, $100, $75, $50, and $25, and are available at TicketMaster: http://tinyurl.com/2b3743w. The $250 tickets include a post-performance, onstage reception with the cast and producers, and can be purchased directly from the Courage Campaign for a tax deductive donation: https://secure.couragecampaign.org/page/contribute/SomeMenVIP. Those unable to attend the reading on October 4 are encouraged to make a contribution to support the campaign’s Testimony Project. To donate, please visit http://www.couragecampaign.org. The Saban Theatre is located at 8440 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

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10-01-10

Announcing: Laurie Rubin

MEZZO-SOPRANO LAURIE RUBIN WILL PERFORM
TO BENEFIT ISRAEL GUIDE DOG CENTER FOR THE BLIND

ONE NIGHT ONLY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 AT 7:30
ZIPPER CONCERT HALL AT THE COLBURN SCHOOL OF MUSIC

PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE WORKS BY MOZART, GERSHWIN, RODRIGO, SCHWARTZ, SIVAN, AND FEATURE SPECIAL GUESTS

Celebrated mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin, a native of Encino and now a full-time resident of New York City, will return home to California on February 28 to perform a program of works by Mozart, Rodrigo, Gershwin, Sondheim, Schwartz, and Sivan, among others.  The evening will also feature special guest artists.  Set to benefit the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind, the concert will be held at Zipper Concert Hall  at the Colburn School of Music, and the curtain goes up at 7:30pm.

Ms. Rubin will present an eclectic program of works, including songs by Joaquin Rodrigo (a Spanish composer who happened to be blind), and a song cycle commissioned for her by Israeli composer Noam Sivan, who will perform with her.  In addition, she will be joined by guest artists, clarinetist Jennifer Taira, pianist David Wilkinson, and renowned soprano and actress Kate Reinders.  “It is a sincere pleasure to be donating a night of music to this wonderful guide dog school,” Ms. Rubin said.  “Sharing and performing music with good friends is the most rewarding thing in the world for me, and from my perspective as someone who knows the incredible benefits of a guide dog, there is no worthier cause to be supporting.”

Blind since birth, Ms. Rubin received high praise from The New York Times chief classical music critic Anthony Tommasini, who wrote she possesses “compelling artistry,” “communicative power,” and that her voice displays “earthy, rich and poignant qualities.” Recent career highlights include her United Kingdom solo recital debut at Wigmore Hall in London, as well as her solo recital debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.  Ms. Rubin has performed concerts of new music with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and has performed numerous roles, including the lead role of Karen in The Rat Land by Gordon Beeferman with New York City Opera, Penelope in Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses, and the title role in Rossini’s La Cenerentola.  She has recorded a CD with renowned collaborative pianists Graham Johnson and David Wilkinson on the Opera Omnia label.

Since its founding in 1991, the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind has produced over 327 partnerships between blind Israelis and guide dogs. “When a blind Israeli (either Jewish or Arab) requests our assistance, we transport them to our center, house and feed them for three weeks during training, and provide an additional week of training in their homes at no cost to them,” says Noach Braun, director and founder of the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind.  “It is all made possible by the generosity of our donors who have the vision to help those less fortunate.”

Tickets for this special evening with Laurie Rubin and Friends are $50 (with a special student price of $20), and are 100% tax deductible.  They may be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/93740, or by calling (800) 838-3006.  Tickets will also be on sale at the door, subject to availability.  Zipper Concert Hall at the Colburn School of Music is located at 200 S. Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles.  For further concert information, please visit www.laurie-rubin.com, or call (818) 905-1421.

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01-25-10