Whoopi Goldberg, John Leguizamo, Brooke Shields and More Present at GARDEN OF LAUGHS Benefit Today

MSG Entertainment and the Garden of Dreams Foundation announced that actress, host of The View and Garden of Dreams Foundation board member Whoopi Goldberg; Rangers legend Adam Graves; actor John Leguizamo; hip hop pioneer, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Garden of Dreams Foundation board member Darryl "DMC" McDaniels; tennis legend and sports announcer John McEnroe; actress Brooke Shields; cast members from the Emmy Award-winning series The Sopranos including Steve Schirripa and Tony Sirico; Knicks legend John Starks; and New York Giants Defensive End and two-time Super Bowl Champion Justin Tuck will participate in Garden of Laughs, a comedy event presented by Chase to benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation. This esteemed list of entertainers and sports icons will serve as on-stage presenters today, January 26, 2013 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden with more presenters to be announced.

"We are grateful to all the participants who have generously donated their time and talent to be a part of this memorable evening to benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation. This will be an extraordinary night of comedy and through this fundraising benefit we will be able to create even more memorable opportunities and experiences for children in our Foundation," said Hank Ratner, president and chief executive officer, The Madison Square Garden Company and chairman of the board, Garden of Dreams Foundation.

Garden of Laughs, Executive Produced by Emmy Award-winner Rory Rosegarten, and with special guest host, Bob Costas, will feature stand-up performances by some of the biggest names in comedy including Adam Ferrara, Darrell Hammond, Robert Klein, Brian Regan, Ray Romano, and Wanda Sykes. The evening will benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which works with all areas of The Madison Square Garden Company, including MSG Entertainment, the Knicks, the Rangers, the Liberty, MSG Networks and Fuse to make dreams come true for children facing obstacles.

Tickets to Garden of Laughs are on sale now and available through Ticketmaster Charge By Phone (1-866-858-0008) and all Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets are also available in person at MSG, Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre Box Offices. All net proceeds raised will help support the Garden of Dreams Foundation.

Since its inception in September 2006, Garden of Dreams has created thousands of once-in-a-lifetime experiences that have brought joy and happiness to more than 215,000 children and their families. These unique and unforgettable on-going events and programs - often involving unprecedented access to Madison Square Garden celebrities, events and venues - have brightened the lives of children battling everything from homelessness and extreme poverty, to illness, to foster care.

The Garden of Dreams Foundation undertakes a staggering number of annual events to brighten the lives of children, with nearly 500 events taking place over the past year alone. Ongoing opportunities include attendance at numerous games and events at Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall; ongoing educational and career oriented programs targeting high school students; hockey, basketball and dance skill programs in partnership with the Rangers, Knicks and Rockettes; the annual Garden of Dreams Talent Show on the Great Stage of Radio City; and Dream Week, a week-long summer camp that incorporates all of Madison Square Garden properties. In addition, the Foundation conducts ongoing wish fulfillment; toy, coats and holiday drives and celebrity, athlete and coach clinics.

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