Hollywood and academia had a mutually beneficial pairing on Sept. 25 when Pepperdine University honored alumni George Schlatter at the Saban Theatre. While an evening centered around the Malibu school that’s affiliated with the Churches of Christ might have had more gravity, Schlatter had a half-century’s worth of remarkably good TV comedy clips to entertain the audience.

Larry King acted as emcee, and the evening began with remarks by Pepperdine’s Craig Detweiler and Schlatter’s daughter Maria, who said her father once quoted Fred Astaire on the right way to put on a show: “Get it perfect; then cut two minutes.” Of course, this didn’t happen. The show that Schlatter produced himself ran at least an hour longer than planned, but it held the audience that included Diana Ross, George Hamilton, Barbara Davis, Barbara Sinatra, Stefanie Powers and Joan Collins with sister Jackie until the end.

What the evening relied heavily upon were clips from the 1960s “Laugh In.” And it was a wise decision. There’s still a freshness to the comedy, plus it offered cameos from the likes of Richard Nixon, Rev. Billy Graham, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal and Barry Goldwater.

Speakers paying tribute included Kirk Douglas, Arte Johnson (who made an unfortunate decision to talk about his own career rather than the honoree’s), Sarah Purcell and Fred Willard of the Schlatter-produced Real People, Jerry Weintraub and Bruce Vilanch, who said he and Schlatter had “both auditioned for the same role on Duck Dynasty.”
When Shirley MacLaine spoke after clips ran from early Schlatter-produced shows, the first thing she said was: “I wish it could be like that now.” Lily Tomlin, who started her career on Laugh In, said it was “the only audition that ever got me a job — and it was George who did it.”

After a strong song from Jo Anne Worley, King made a comment about Schlatter that might go down in a book on classic Larry King-isms: “There’s a little Hitler in him, but he’s a wonderful person.”

Musical director Glen Roven, who has worked with Schlatter for 25 years and stood in for David Foster, who was under the weather, said that after a music rehearsal went on too long, a frustrated Schlatter rushed on stage to remind him that, “The music is the shit between the jokes.” Late in the show, Tim Conway got arguably the biggest laugh of the night when he began his remarks by saying: “I’ve never had to go to the bathroom as bad as I have right now. I wish I’d worn darker pants.”

Suzanne de Passe and Berry Gordy spoke about Shlatter’s offer to come to Los Angeles and make the 1968 NBC special TCB with Diana Ross and the Supremes and the Temptations, which sparked the exit of Motown from Detroit. (After the show was over, Ross was asked how she felt seeing the old clips. “I was really skinny,” she said. “I loved that.”)
After Sidney Poitier received a standing ovation for being in the audience and Goldie Hawn spoke via video about getting her start on Laugh In, Schlatter came to the stage. He was brief in his remarks, calling the evening a “mosh pit of clips and memories” and how he hoped an evening like this would become an annual fundraiser for Pepperdine’s George Schlatter Comedy Collection housed in the university’s library.

He did not answer one question that hung over the evening: Why did a quintessentially Jewish guy like Schlatter go to a college affiliated with the Churches of Christ?

The post Larry King, Diana Ross, Bruce Vilanch Among Star-Studded George Schlatter Tribute first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Who knew one theatre could contain so many celebrities?

Tonight is the 29th annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. This year’s AIDS fundraiser is called “Broadway My Way” and promises an amazing cavalcade of celebrities.

The list includes Longtime Companion’s Patrick Cassidy, former Cagney & Lacey star Tyne Daly, Phantom of the Opera’s Davis Gaines, The Brady Bunch’s Florence Henderson, The Partridge Family‘s Shirley Jones, the ‘often mistaken for Kathy Griffin’s stunt double’ News Radio’s Vicki Lewis, Laugh-In legend Joanne Worley, Oscar writer Bruce Vilanch, Tony winner and Bunheads’ star Sutton Foster and The New Normal’s Andrew Rannells.

Rannells will be performing the song “What Kind of Fool Am I” from the musical Stop the World, I Want To Get Off, made famous by Sammy Davis Jr.—a star for which Rannells is often mistaken. Bruce will be doing a number from A Chorus Line but wouldn’t confirm or deny if it is “Dance: Ten, Looks: Three” aka “Tits and Ass.” Don’t worry about Vilanch’s ability to keep up with other performers, as he performed in Hairspray for over two years.

The S.T.A.G.E. performance is the longest-running AIDS benefit event in the world. Bruce told me that when he left rehearsal on Thursday, Florence Henderson was practicing her number, which involved a whip. Now if that doesn’t convince you to go, I bet it’s enough for Barry Williams.

Related articles

• West Coast Broadway, My Way Benefit, With Tyne Daly, Andrew Rannells, Bruce Vilanch, Lillias White, Held April 6
• Catch Me If You Can Premiere: Celebrity guests included Jo Anne Worley, Bruce Vilanch, Linda Hart, Charlene Tilton and Ed Ames among others.
• An Intimate Evening With Bruce Vilanch Thursday, Mar 28 7:00p ~ Dallas, TX
• Video: Bruce Talks Oscars, Seth MacFarlane, And Barbra Streisand

The post Bruce Vilanch, Tyne Daly, Sutton Foster And A Host Of Celebrities Head AIDS Fundraiser “Broadway My Way” Tonight first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Tony Award winner Tyne Daly (Gypsy) and The Book of Mormon Tony nominee Andrew Rannells are among the lineup of performers taking part in the 29th annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (S.T.A.G.E.), Broadway, My Way, April 6 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

The one-night-only performance benefits AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the U.S. that provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation.

Scheduled to appear are Rannells (The Book of Mormon, Hairspray), Patrick Cassidy (42nd Street), Carole Cook (42nd Street), Karen Culliver (The Phantom of the Opera), Daly (Master Class), Davis Gaines (The Phantom of the Opera), Florence Henderson (The Girl Who Came to Supper), Shirley Jones (42nd Street), Jane Lanier (Guys and Dolls), Vicki Lewis (Chicago), Kimberly Locke (“American Idol”), Tom Lowe, Pat Marshall (The Pajama Game), Patricia Morison (The King and I), Janis Paige (Mame), Madison Claire Parks, Valarie Pettiford (Fosse), Bruce Vilanch (Hairspray), Jim Bailey, Mary Jo Catlett (The Pajama Game), Joely Fisher (Cabaret), Kathy Garrick, Gordon Goodman (Hear! Hear!), Marsha Kramer (Peter Pan), JoAnne Worley (The Drowsy Chaperone), The MuMos, Alex Newell (“Glee”), Michael Orland, Lisa Vroman (Aspects of Love), Lillias White (The Life) and Terri White (Follies).

George Gray is the celebrity auctioneer. The event is directed by David Galligan with music direction by John McDaniel.

Special guests at Broadway, My Way include Mackenzie Bourg (“The Voice”), Charo, Carolyn Hennesy (“True Blood”), Bret Lockett (NY Jets) and Jack McGee (“Rescue Me”).
The Saban Theatre is located at 8440 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, CA. For more information and tickets, visit StageLA.com or APLA.org/Stage.

The post West Coast Broadway, My Way Benefit, With Tyne Daly, Andrew Rannells, Bruce Vilanch, Lillias White, Held April 6 first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Based on the hit DreamWorks film and the true story that inspired it, the high-flying Broadway musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN officially opened its run March 12 – 24, 2013 at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre. Broadway World’s own Michael Sterling and Jerry Evans of the JLE Media Group were on hand to chat with the stars at the glamorous red carpet event. Celebrity guests included Max Ehrich, Ruta Lee, Jo Anne Worley, Bruce Vilanch, Anna Trebunskaya, Davis Gaines, Linda Hart, Raphael Sabarge, Charlene Tilton and Ed Ames among others. Check out the video below!

Nominated for four Tony Awards and six Drama Desk Awards, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN features a Tony Award-winning creative team, with a book by Terrence McNally (The Full Monty, Ragtime), an irresistible score by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman (Hairspray), choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Legally Blonde) and direction by Jack O’Brien (Hairspray, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

Tickets for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN may be purchased online at www.HollywoodPantages.com or www.Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1- 800-982-2787. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Pantages Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. The Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, just east of Vine Street, and the box office opens daily at 10am except for holidays.

For more information on CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (the tour), please visit www.catchmeontour.com.

The post Catch Me If You Can Premiere: Celebrity guests included Jo Anne Worley, Bruce Vilanch, Linda Hart, Charlene Tilton and Ed Ames among others. first appeared on We Got Bruce!.

Sportsmen’s Lodge hosted Lily Tomlin’s honor with locals Allee Willis, Bruce Vilanch, Jo Anne Worley, Gary Owens and others.

Pacific Pioneer Broadcaster President Sam Lovullo presented Lily Tomlin with the coveted Art Gilmore Career Achievement Award at a well-attended celebrity luncheon last week.

Lily was born in Detroit, Michigan, and over the years she made people laugh with her humorous characters from the child Edith Ann to the snarky telephone operator Ernestine. Some of these wacky characters were showcased on the hit comedy series Laugh-In, which ran from 1969 to 1973. Her work on the series catapulted her to stardom. She went on to appear in dramatic and comedic films, such as “Nashville” (1975), directed by Robert Altman; the working womenâ€s revenge comedy “Nine to Five” (1980), with Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda; and “All of Me” (1984), with Steve Martin.

Since that time, Lily has continued to mix the serious and the humorous, appearing on such shows asFrasier, Homicide: Life on the Street, Will & Grace, and The West Wing. She has also lent her voice to several projects, including a guest vocal appearance on The Simpsons and as the character Mommo in 2006â€s animated feature film “The Ant Bully.” She reunited with director Robert Altman for his last film, “A Prairie Home Companion” (2006), and is slated to appear in several upcoming films, including “The Walker” with Woody Harrelson.

Lily Tomlin has received numerous awards, including: four primetime Emmys; a special 1977 Tony when she was appearing in her one woman Broadway show, “Appearing Nitely;” a second Tony as Best Actress, two Drama Desk Awards and an Outer Critics Circle Award for her one woman performance in Jane Wagnerâ€s “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe;” a CableACE Award for Executive Producing the film adaptation of “The Search;” a Grammy Award for her comedy album, “This is a Recording” (a collection of Ernestine the Telephone Operator routines) as well as nominations for her subsequent albums “Modern Scream, And That’s the Truth,” and “On Stage;” and two Peabody Awards — the first for the ABC television special, “Edith Annâ€s Christmas: Just Say Noël” and the second for narrating and executive producing the HBO film, “The Celluloid Closet.”

In 1992, she was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award. Lily was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2003 she was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Also in 2003, she was recognized again by Women in Film with the Lucy Award in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television. In March 2009, Lily received Fenway Health’s Dr. Susan M. Love Award for her contributions to women’s health.

The post Bruce Vilanch Helps Lily Tomlin Celebrate Broadcast Honor first appeared on We Got Bruce!.