IMF to Host 8th Annual Comedy Celebration, Featuring Starry CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 11/8

The International Myeloma Foundation's 8th Annual Comedy Celebration will present the smash hit stage show Celebrity Autobiography on Saturday, November 8 at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Created and developed by Emmy Award nominated writer-performer Eugene Pack and Dayle Reyfel, Celebrity Autobiography features outrageous celebrity memoirs acted out hilariously on stage by an all-star cast. Celebrity Autobiography has been one of the most critically-acclaimed and popular productions ever Off-Broadway, and has won a 2009 Drama Desk Award and a 2010 Bistro Award.

Host Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond, Parenthood), and scheduled performers include Danny DeVito (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Lucy DeVito (Deadbeat), Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond, The Middle), Howard Hesseman (Mike & Molly, Head of the Class), Alex Meneses (Everybody Loves Raymond), Laraine Newman (The Boxtrolls, Saturday Night Live), Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey), Eugene Pack (Celebrity Autobiography Creator), Rhea Perlman (Kirstie), Dayle Reyfel (Celebrity Autobiography Creator), Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond), and Rita Wilson (Girls). Additional guests include Event Chair Loraine Boyle, Joe Walsh, and more.

Proceeds from the IMF 8th Annual Comedy Celebration will benefit the Peter Boyle Research Fund and support the Black Swan Research Initiative (BSRI). Renowned actor Peter Boyle died in late 2006 after a four-year battle with myeloma, an incurable cancer of the bone marrow and one of the fastest growing blood cancers in the world. Through laughter, the event honors Boyle and raises money for research to find a cure.

The Peter Boyle Research Fund has supported the International Myeloma Foundation's research since the Fund's inception in 2007. For the second year, the Fund is focused on the IMF's Black Swan Research Initiative®, a groundbreaking and internationally collaborative effort to find pathway to a cure for myeloma, and is progressing ahead of schedule since its 2013 launch. The research team has developed a first-ever test for quantifying minute amounts of disease remaining after treatment, which will help steer patient treatment in the most targeted and effective way ever. Black Swan Research trials are set to begin in early 2015.

To purchase tickets and for more information, visit comedy.myeloma.org.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION (IMF) - Established in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the oldest and largest foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than 350,000 members in 120 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2013, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org. Follow the IMF on Twitter @IMFmyeloma.

ABOUT CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY - Created and developed by Emmy award nominated writer-performer Eugene Pack and Dayle Reyfel, Celebrity Autobiography features a first rate comedic ensemble performing from the actual memoirs of a wide range of celebrities. Past shows featured passages from the "poetry" of Suzanne Somers to the shocking "romance tips" from Tommy Lee, and to the most famous Hollywood love triangle in history -- Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds, and Eddie Fisher. And what's remarkable and unforgettably hilarious -- it's all in their own words. Celebrity Autobiography won the 2009 Drama Desk Award in the category of Unique Theatrical Experience and the 2010 Bistro Awards. The show has been one of the most critically acclaimed productions ever in the Off-Broadway scene and one of the most "buzzed about shows" of recent years.