Jay Leno joins friends Kathy Buckley and Fritz Coleman

A SPECIAL EVENING WITH JAY LENO AND FRIENDS RAISES FUNDS FOR
NO LIMITS FOR DEAF CHILDREN AND
GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS

SATURDAY, MAY 23 AT 8:00 PM

LOS ANGELES (April 3, 2015) – In partnership with No Limits for deaf children, Geffen Playhouse will host a one-night-only Spotlight Entertainment fundraising performance of A Special Evening with Jay Leno and Friends on Saturday, May 23 at 8:00 pm in the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse.

Acclaimed comedian, author, speaker and philanthropist, Jay Leno is joined by Kathy Buckley, “America’s First Hearing Impaired Comedienne,” who will host the evening, and warm-up comic Fritz Coleman, California broadcasting icon and longtime standup comic.

Jay Leno began his career in night clubs, where he worked 300 nights a year before hitting it big in 1992 with his own late-night talk show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992). By that time he had appeared on television, acted in a few films such as American Hot Wax but hit paydirt with his late-night television appearances: he made a record number of visits to Late Night with David Letterman and served as Johnny Carson's permanent guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. A big, sweet guy with a very good comedy routine, he vied with David Letterman to inherit Carson's seat when Johnny retired in 1992. His victory was well-publicized, but empty, though he did gain a measure of revenge when his show beat Letterman's for the Emmy in 1995. On April 3, 2013, NBC announced that Leno would leave The Tonight Show in spring 2014, with Jimmy Fallon as his designated successor. Leno's final show as the host of The Tonight Show was on February 6, 2014 with his final guest Billy Crystal and musical guest Garth Brooks, along with a few surprise guests including Jack Black, Kim Kardashian, Jim Parsons, Sheryl Crow, Chris Paul, Carol Burnett, and Oprah Winfrey.

Kathy Buckley’s television appearances include The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Inside Edition, CNN, HBO, VH1’s Stand-Up Spotlight, Comic Strip Live, Evening at the Improv, and Caroline’s Comedy Hour. E! An spokesperson for the charity No Limits for deaf children, Kathy dedicates her life to help low-income children with a hearing loss and their families have a better future. She is also a sought after motivational speaker, who has inspired people around the nation, speaking at corporate events, conferences, and universities. Whether performing in a comedy club, appearing on television, speaking publicly, teaching at camps for children, or appearing in any number of other settings, Kathy Buckley bears her message that anything can be achieved when the heart and the mind work together.

Fritz Coleman is NBC4’s longtime weekday weathercaster and known for his sense of humor and extensive knowledge of weather. Coleman has been named “Best Weathercaster” in nearly every major paper in Southern California, including the Orange County Register, the San Bernardino Sun, and four times in the Los Angeles Daily News. Coleman won a number of awards and honors for his dedication to community service. He has utilized his humor in a number of series and specials that have aired on NBC4, including Fritz and Friends and The Perils of Parenting, receiving four Los Angeles-area Emmy Awards for his work. He has also written, produced, and starred in three one-man plays.

A Special Evening with Jay Leno and Friends
Hosted by Kathy Buckley
Warm Up Comic Fritz Coleman
Headliner Jay Leno
Spotlight Entertainment Series Fundraising Event in the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse
Saturday, May 23, 2015
8:00 pm Show
9:30 pm Wine & Dessert
Special VIP Opportunity: A limited number of patrons will enjoy VIP orchestra seats for the performance and a pre-show reception. To become a sponsor or learn more, please contact Jamie Mikelich at Geffen Playhouse ( or 310.208.6500 ext. 128) or Michelle Christie at No Limits ( or 310.280.0878).

TICKET INFORMATION
VIP sponsorship packages (ranging from $1,000 to $100,000) are currently available and tickets (currently ranging from $75 to $125) are available in-person at the Geffen Playhouse box office, via phone at 310.208.5454 or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org.

LOCATION
Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024

ABOUT NO LIMITS FOR DEAF CHILDREN
No Limits just returned from Washington DC where its sold-out production of Silent NO MORE received a resounding standing ovation at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Family Theater. This hit-show features a collection of inspiring life stories by individuals with a hearing loss. To date, No Limits has produced over 85 theatrical productions in 13 states across the country, reaching over 150,000 people nationwide

No Limits is the only program in the country that teaches deaf children the skills to succeed in school and in life through its national theater program and educational centers in Los Angeles and Las Vegas at no cost to low-income families with deaf children. Founded in 1996 by Michelle Christie, Ed.D, a teacher for the deaf with over 18 years of experience in the entertainment industry, No Limits was designed as a language-enriched program to help deaf children not only graduate from high school but also from college.

No Limits has received countless accolades for its revolutionary techniques, including the George Washington Medal of Honor by the Freedom’s Foundation. No Limits has been the subject of four documentaries and been featured on Oprah, The Learning Channel, PBS, CNN, NBC, and other local media outlets across the nation for its innovative and uplifting programming. As a result of the comprehensive No Limits program, children with a hearing loss are learning essential skills that will help them become successful, productive members of society.

ABOUT GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since opening its doors in 1995. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and second productions, the not-for-profit organization continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates, and is currently helmed by Artistic Director Randall Arney, Interim Managing Director Gil Cates Jr., and Co-Chairs of the Board Martha Henderson and Pamela Robinson Hollander. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen welcomes an audience of more than 130,000 each year, and maintains an extensive education and outreach program, designed to engage young people and the community at large in the arts.

More than 15,000 disadvantaged children and adults who have not had access to theater arts are served annually through four core Geffen Playhouse education and outreach programs; two distinct in-school arts education programs serve third through fifth graders in Title 1 schools. Other underserved populations including veterans, young adults recently emancipated from foster care, recent amputees, socially-isolated seniors, and adults working their way out of homelessness all participate in two season-long programs on the Geffen Playhouse campus. For more information, please visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.