Backstage at the Geffen to Honor Jim Gianopulos, 6/4

The Geffen Playhouse's annual Backstage at the Geffen fundraiser, which recognizes leadership in the theater community while raising support for the theater's artistic and outreach initiatives, will honor Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment Jim Gianopulos with the Distinction in Service Award.  This honor will be presented to Mr. Gianopulos by entertainment icon and longtime colleagueWarren Beatty, and the star-studded event will be co-chaired by Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney CompanyRobert A. Iger and his wife, journalist Willow Bay.  This irreverent evening of laughter, music and stories, which is sponsored by City National Bank, will be held on Monday June 4, 2012 at the Geffen Playhouse.

Backstage at the Geffen is a truly unique event at which audiences are privileged with some of LA's most prominent performers' intimate behind-the-scenes stories.  This year's performers will be announced shortly, but previous artists who have shared their backstage stories include: Julie Andrews, Annette Bening, Carol Burnett, Kristin Chenoweth, Clint Eastwood, Brendan Fraser, Tom Hanks, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Hyde Pierce, Ray Romano, Martin Short and Dick Van Dyke.  

The recipient of this year's Distinction in Service Award, Jim Gianopulos has demonstrated a vital commitment to our cultural landscape. As Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, Mr. Gianopulos is one of the longest tenured studio heads in the industry and during his time at Fox he and his co-chair Tom Rothman have overseen a broad range of successful films and the studio's most profitable years ever. He also has the distinction of having championed two of the biggest risks, and the two highest grossing films of all time: Avatar and Titanic. Mr. Gianopulos is a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a member of the Board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund and a trustee of the American Film Institute.  In addition to his involvement in the entertainment industry, he serves on the National Entertainment Advisory Council for the Anti-Defamation League, on the Board and Executive Committee of the X-Prize Foundation and as a Trustee of Carnegie Mellon University.

Gianopulos joins an elite group of Geffen honorees – including 2011 recipients Julie Andrews (presented by Carol Burnett) and Creative Artists Agency (presented by Tom Hanks), 2010 recipients Kristin Chenoweth (presented by Matthew Morrison) and Barry Meyer (presented by Clint Eastwood), 2009 recipients Leslie Moonves (presented by Mary Steenburgen) and Rita Wilson (presented by Martin Short),  2008 recipients Annette Bening (presented by Anjelica Huston) and Robert A. Iger (presented by Julie Taymor), 2007 recipients Helen Mirren (presented by John Lithgow) and Herb Gelfand (presented by Gil Cates), 2006 recipient Colin Callender (presented by Annette Bening) and 2004 recipient Karl Malden (presented by Tom Hanks) – each of whom have each been celebrated at Backstage at the Geffen, an event that has become known throughout the city as a "must-attend" night at the theater.

Backstage at the Geffen title sponsor City National Bank is joined by presenting sponsors including Audi of America, Los Angeles magazine and the W Los Angeles-Westwood along with its poolside restaurant The Backyard, which will be the site of an exclusive pre-show reception and dinner by Executive Chef Dakota Weiss for honorees, special guests and the event's Host Committee.  The evening will also include a silent auction, which will launch online on May 8, 2012.

The evening raises funds for the Geffen Playhouse's artistic initiatives including new play development, playwright commissions, second productions and artistic risks, as well as the theater's award-winning education and outreach programs, which help bring the excitement of live theater to more than 22,000 children, families and community members each year.  Last year, the event raised $850,000 for these programs, which helped the theater to produce three world premieres in our 2011/2012 season as well as bring nearly a thousand students to the Geffen Playhouse for special matinee performances.

BACKSTAGE AT THE GEFFEN
Monday, June 4, 2012
7pm – Reception
8pm – Program
9:30pm – Dessert 
Distinction in Service Award – Jim Gianopulos
Distinction in Theater Award – TBA

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