Keith McNutt News

The Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation (AFHDC) and Artspace, two of the nation's leaders in artist housing, congratulated the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) at a press conference this week at the historic Los Angeles Theatre in Downtown L.A. for securing a major grant to proceed with critical pre-development work on the Broadway Arts Center, a proposed mixed-use development with a theater, art gallery, creative commercial space and affordable housing for artists in Downtown L.A.

This year the "Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement" was presented to Jason Alexander, "A man worthy of the tribute for both his illustrious career and for his support of The Fund over the years," said The Fund's President and CEO, Joe Benincasa. See below for photos from the event!

The Actors Fund just offered TONY Award VIP's a kick-off reception in advance of their highly anticipated annual Tony Awards Gala Viewing Party to be held on Sunday, June 10 at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles (http://www.actorsfund.org/performances-and-events/tonyparty2012). Check out photos from the celebration below!

The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that helps everyone-performers and those behind the scenes-who works in performing arts and entertainment, helping more than 12,800 people directly each year, and hundreds of thousands online. Serving professionals in film, theatre, television, music, opera, radio and dance, The Fund's programs include social services and emergency assistance, health care and insurance, housing, and employment and training services.

The cast of ABC's hit drama GREY'S ANATOMY last night gathered to perform 'Grey's Anatomy: The Songs Beneath the Show,' a live musical celebration to benefit The Actors Fund, at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus. Participants included: Jessica Capshaw, Justin Chambers, Eric Dane, Sarah Drew, Chyler Leigh, Kevin McKidd, Sandra Oh, Jim Pickens, Jr., Sara Ramirez, Kim Raver and Chandra Wilson. Check out photos from the special concert below!

'Next stop, Carmel CA,' announced Betty Buckley as she wrapped a truly spectacular cabaret concert entitled 'AH MEN! The Boys of Broadway' in the historic lobby of the Pantages Theatre. The sold out benefit for The Actors Fund featured 'Many of my favorite songs that I would otherwise never be able to sing on Broadway ... because they were written for men.' Arrangements that included 'I Can See,' 'My Defenses Are Down,' and both the 'Jet Song' and 'Maria' from WESTSIDE STORY, as well as 'Luck Be A Lady,' 'Hey There,' 'Come Back to Me,' and a SWEENY TODD medley. Ms. Buckley introduced a new arrangement that received with wild enthusiasm from the patrons, entitled 'A Hymn to Her' and dedicated to the question, 'Why can't women play famous Broadway roles written for men?' Among the men Buckley credited with influencing her most were the brilliant Russ Tamblyn, the graceful Fred Astaire and the very sexy Gene Kelly. Among those in attendance were colleagues and friends such as Ruta Lee, Alley Mills, Orson Bean, Juliet Mills, Maxwell Caulfield, and fellow TV Mom Marion Ross, among other industry notables like Tony Hoover (Hollywood Red-Line Tours owner), B. Harlan Boll (Publicist/Author/Producer), Patricia Kelly (wife of the late Gene Kelly) and the evening's producers John Bowab and Martin Wiviott.

'Who would have thought that a young boy from Weymouth would become part of such a large family of vagabonds,' remarked Hal Holbrook about the actors and industry professionals that gathered to honor him at the 15th annual TONY Award party in Los Angeles. 'Not all of us have been lucky enough to make a steady income from this profession we love so much. It's nice to know an organization such as the Actors Fund exists to watch our backs, while we concentrate on using our craft to make the world a richer place to live,' added Holbrook just after friend and colleague, Sean Penn, presented the accomplished thespian with the Julie Harris Award. Penn, who directed Holbrook in 'Into The Wild,' said 'Hal always got it in the first take, but you wanted him to do it again, just so you could watch him work.'

On January 16, 1964 theatergoers at the St. James Theatre first experienced what was to become perhaps the most memorable scene in musical comedy, when the curtains part atop the stairs of the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant and Dolly Levi appears in her red Freddy Wittop gown to begin her descent to 'rejoin the human race.' Forty-seven years (not to mention over 5,000 performances) later and 3,000 miles away, patrons of the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles were able to revisit a little bit of theatrical history as Jerry Herman's first Dolly, Ms. Carol Channing, again entered through parting red curtains and took the stage wearing her original 1964 gown in celebration of her 90th birthday.

Stage and screen legend, Theodore Bikel, was on hand to introduce his colleague, friend and Tony Award Winner John Lloyd Young to the Los Angeles theatrical community for the Actors Fund concert series entitled MUSICAL MONDAYS, held in the lobby of the historic Pantages Theatre, where WESTSIDE STORY is currently playing.

As the theatrical community of NY gathered on the Great White Way to celebrate their own for the 2010 TONY AWARDS, the Los Angeles thespian society congregated 3000 miles away to cheer their colleagues via a LIVE feed, courtesy of Direct TV, as THE ACTORS FUND and host Tommy Tune honored TONY Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell at their 14th Annual Tony Awards Party with the Julie Harris Award. Former High School chum and dance partner Annette Bening presented the award in recognition of not only 'Stokes' theatrical accomplishments, but also his leadership as Chairman of the Board of The Actors Fund. The gala, which included a memorable performance of 'You Made Me Love You' by Lorna Luft dedicated to the evening's honoree, was produced and written by Marc Cherry and David Rambo.

On Monday, March 15th, The Actors Fund presented the next in their series of Musical Mondays in the lobby of the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.

While the world's eyes were focused on the TONY Awards in New York on Sunday June 7th, a crowd of almost 500 theatre patrons gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate by watching the ceremony live via satellite and to honor seven time nominee and two time TONY Award-winner Chita Rivera at the 13th Annual TONY Awards® Benefit presented by The Actors Fund.

STEVEN SCHWARTZ is, of course, one of the most important composers and lyricists for musical theatre and musical films working today, with an amazing career of stellar achievements. He has been nominated for six Academy Awards and the winner of three. His credits include the animated features Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as last year's smash Enchanted and DreamWorks' first animated feature, The Prince of Egypt. Alongside his film work, Schwartz' incredibly successful stage productions include Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show and the worldwide phenomenon WICKED.

Held at the popular Skirball Center in Los Angeles, the Actors Fund's 12th annual TONY Award party was completely sold out well in advance and by far the most successful year ever by raising over $125,000, which is a tribute in itself to honoree Tommy Tune and host Florence Henderson, who was on hiatus from her own program on the RLTV network entitled 'The Florence Henderson Show.'

The Actors Fund kicked off its third year of intimate Musical Mondays celebrations Monday night in the lobby of Hollywood's Pantages Theatre as Broadway composer and musical director Ron Abel took center stage joined by a handful of all-star friends...

The Actors Fund's Musical Mondays in the lobby of The Pantages Theatre continued on Monday night with a performance by recording legend Melissa Manchester.

On Monday night, October 1 Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley kicked off this year's Actors Fund 'Musical Mondays' series in the Pantages Theatre Lobby.

On Saturday, September 8 at 8 PM at the Wilshire Theatre (8440 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills), The Actors' Fund presented a one-night-only engagement of Falsettos, with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine.

On Sunday, June 10th at L.A.'s Skirball Center, the Actors Fund paid tribute to Jerry Herman at its 11th Annual Tony Awards Party, featuring a live feed of the 61st Annual Tony Awards as they happened in New York.