Norman Lear News

Geffen Playhouse celebrated its 25th Anniversary and raised $1 million for the theater’s education, community engagement and artistic initiatives at its signature Backstage at the Geffen annual fundraiser held June 4, it was announced today. 

A&E Network will premiere the new two-part documentary event “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution” exploring the progression of Black comedy and the comedians who have used pointed humor to expose, challenge and ridicule society’s injustices and to articulate the Black experience in America.

Ballet Hispánico’s Noche Tropicana Gala on May 16, 2022 at The Plaza Hotel raised more than $1.1 million in support of the organization’s artistic, educational, and community outreach programs in New York City, across the United States and around the world.

Ballet Hispánico, announces its 2022 Gala at The Plaza Hotel in New York City on Monday, May 16, 2022. The theme of the evening will be Noche Tropicana, a nod to the famous Tropicana Night Club of the 1940s and 1950s in Havana, Cuba.

Great Barrington Public Theater tickets now on sale. The season opens June 3 with Solo Festival, five weeks of daring, single-actor shows that run the spectrum of sensibilities, emotions, drama, comedy, history and music; written, performed and directed by local and nationally renowned artists.

Los Angeles talent manager Brad Lemack, who has also been a professor at the Emerson College Los Angeles Campus for 27 years, has been selected the recipient of the college’s 2022 Alan L. Stanzler Award for Excellence in Teaching. Lemack accepted the award at a ceremony at Emerson’s main campus in Boston this weekend. Lemack teaches courses he created specifically for students who come to Los Angeles for a semester of academic classes and internships in the industry, including The Business of Acting and Celebrity Crisis PR.

Stars in the House for Ukraine, an 11+ Hour telethon of the weekly streaming show, raised $139,000 for the International Rescue Committee's humanitarian efforts for those affected by the war in Ukraine. That total is inclusive of a generous matching donation by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which matched the first $50,000 worth of donations.

More celebrity guests have been added to Stars in the House For Ukraine – the 10-hour telethon to raise money and awareness for those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Hosted by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, the show will air live on Saturday, March 26th from 12:00pm ET – 10:00pm ET.

Pasadena Playhouse begins performances of the West Coast premiere of Ann – written by and starring Holland Taylor and directed by Benjamin Endsley Klein March 22, with performances continuing through April 24. 

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) hosted the 33rd Annual Producers Guild Awards on the evening of Saturday, March 19, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza. A full list of winners is below. 

Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley announced today that their Stars in the House series will host a 10-hour telethon to raise money and awareness for those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Donations of the event will benefit the International Rescue Committee and their humanitarian efforts for those affected by the war in Ukraine.  

Notable Hollywood leaders who will take the stage to present throughout the evening include: Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Denis Villeneuve, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Casey Bloys, Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Jamie Dornan, Michelle Yeoh, Aunjanue Ellis, Jung Ho-yeon, Troy Kotsur, Linda Lavin, and David Alvarez.

The Off Broadway Palm Theatre presents the laugh-a-minute comedy Greater Tuna playing now through April 30, 2022. The New York Posts said, “The audience all but exploded the theatre with laughter.” and the Washington Post said it's  “Hilarious, a tribute to the art of acting.”

In 1966, Cavett wrote and hosted the special, WHERE IT’S AT, produced by Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear. In 1968, Cavett was hired by ABC to host THIS MORNING, which was renamed THE DICK CAVETT SHOW and moved to prime time and then to late night, where it ran opposite THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON.

Lineup includes a daring, new work by Alison Larkin; a versatile mix of verse, monologue and music by Will LeBow; a brand-new comedy by Mark St. Germain; and a riveting, contemporary drama by Andrew Bovell of an American family coming to terms with unspoken truths.

The Second Stage Theater production of Richard Greenberg's Tony Award-winning play, Take Me Out played Second Stage's Hayes Theater. Learn more about the cast bringing the show to the stage!

Pasadena Playhouse presents the West Coast premiere of Ann – written by and starring Holland Taylor and directed by Benjamin Endsley Klein from March 22 through April 24; the press opening is Saturday, March 26. 

Greg’s upcoming feature projects include Amazon’s My Policeman directed by Michael Grandage, starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin; an Untitled Rock Hudson Biopic, which he will direct; Red, White and Royal Blue; Be More Chill, and HBO Max’s Moonshot. The film division of his company, has an exclusive first-look feature film deal with Netflix. 

The Pompano Beach Cultural Center will present the humorous and insightful stage play 'Willie & Esther', starring 70s television legends Ted Lange and BerNadette Stanis. Combining quick-witted dialogue and deeply emotional scenes, James Graham Bronson's story follows two middle-aged African American lovers as they fantasize about robbing a bank.

Celebrated humorist, television writer, playwright, and national bestselling author R. Eric Thomas is returning to his roots as an award-winning playwright in 2022. Thomas will debut three world-premiere plays at a variety of professional regional theatre companies along the Mid-Atlantic region.