Velma and the Point God in Westwood, Bebe Neuwirth and Chris Paul Lead Backstage at the Geffen
The Geffen Playhouse fundraiser honors the two-time Tony winner and the retired NBA star on October 18.
Bebe Neuwirth and Chris Paul will be the headliners on Sunday, October 18, when Geffen Playhouse stages its 24th annual Backstage at the Geffen inside the Gil Cates Theater. The fundraiser is built on surprise, with unscripted, unannounced performers and industry figures trading stories from behind the curtain.
Neuwirth receives the Artistic Impact Award, whose past honorees include Julie Andrews, Billy Crystal, Diane Keaton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lily Tomlin and Dick Van Dyke. She made her Broadway debut in A Chorus Line in 1980, won her first Tony for Sweet Charity and her second for playing Velma in Chicago. She later played Roxie and Mama Morton as well, and the Geffen notes that she is the only triple threat to have played all three leads on Broadway. Her Fräulein Schneider in Cabaret brought a third Tony nomination, and television viewers know her as Lilith Sternin-Crane on Cheers, a role that earned her two Emmys.
Paul is the first recipient of the new Community Impact Award, meant for a leader outside the theater who has made a meaningful impact on the Los Angeles community. The 12-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist announced his retirement in February after 21 seasons. He will also chair the Geffen Playhouse Artist & Athlete Collaborative, which will bring athletes, playwrights and performers together to develop original work before, during and after the 2028 Summer Games.
“This year marks an exciting milestone for Geffen Playhouse with the introduction of our inaugural Community Impact Award,” the executive director Gil Cates Jr. and the artistic director Tarell Alvin McCraney said in a statement.
Harold A. Brown, the entertainment attorney and founding trustee, receives the Founders Award. Marcel Spears, last seen at the Geffen in its 2024 production of Fat Ham, hosts. Velvet also covered The Family Business, Phylicia Rashad Brings Purpose to the Geffen. The host committee reads like a premiere guest list, with Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Bryan Cranston, Colman Domingo and Dulé Hill among the names.
The evening opens with a reception at 4 p.m. and moves into the theater at 5 p.m., followed by food, drinks and music until 8 p.m. Individual tickets are $1,500.
