It’s that time of year again for Jeremy Piven & Billy Dec to join forces and host the best party of the year all to benefit the Piven Theatre Workshop & their new Theatre they are building!! Every year these two guys do whatever they can to help raise funds for children’s art & theater scholarships in Chicago and without exception it’s always a good time, it always brings out a fun, philanthropic crowd, celebrities, pro-athletes, media, influencers, movers & shakers… it’s the perfect opportunity to party it up for an excellent cause.
Check out this video from Jeremy & Billy on the set of Entourage inviting all to last year’s party, footage from previous year’s festivities & more! This year, the big afterparty you need to be at is at The Underground, Saturday June 23rd at 10pm (special reception 10p-11p), with just a $20 minimum donation at the door (feel free to give more!). The first event if anyone is interested btw is in Evanston at Noyes Cultural Art Center! For more information on that event, click here!
I woke up at 5am this morning for a BIG press day with Billy. We had to do 5 radio shows, a live tv show & a PSA all in 5 hours when he literally just stepped off a plane from France, Hungary, and Austria 12 hours prior. When he initially told me about how much press he wanted to do BEFORE he was live on Windy City Live- I thought it was absurd, but in all the time I have known him, I can say he pushes himself to work beyond what most people think is feasible. The main purpose behind all this press was to talk about two events that are the very important to him to support art & theatre in Chicago & raise scholarships for kids - The Madhatter’s Ball & The Piven Theatre Gala.
The schedule of the day went as follows:
6am – Picked up Chicago Reader, heard BD won “Best Person to Follow on Twitter” 6:15am – Car Pickup
I took my camera with me to show you guys what it’s like to be Behind the Scenes when you are live on radio & tv!!! It was a crazy, fun-filled day, and I was shocked to see that Billy was still even standing to make it out that night! (Billy attended a party for Factor Models and worked at Sunda later that night. I, on the other hand, was asleep by 10pm)
By the way, for those who follow Billy on facebook & twitter – You may have seen the picture of the bird that he posted that seemed to be injured right outside his office on that day. I’m very happy to report that by the end of the day, the bird was saved thanks to the help from the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors – we will post a video we took and share the whole story here tomorrow!
This video of Jeremy Piven & I on set of HBO’s “Entourage” is not only funny, but explains what kind of work we have been doing to raise money for children’s art & theatre scholarships for about 10 years now- check it out (its from last season, so event info for this year is updated below!). Actors out of Chicago like John & Joan Cusack, Kate Walsh, Aidan Quinn… Have all benefited from the same classes (I’m giving away a classes below!) and have hosted the same events with us over the years (giving away some afterparty tix below!) and I look forward to seeing who will make it big out of there next!
I also want to give a shoutout to Jeremy’s mom Joyce Piven who has been running their acting school for 40 years! I have had a chance to study under her this last year at Piven Theatre Workshop, and can say first hand that I am truly impressed, thankful & supportive of everything she has done and is doing to keep talent evolving at its best in our city instead of making them have to flee to the coasts for the best in acting classes & training! I also want to thank her for honoring me with the Byrne Piven (her late husband and PTW co-founder) Community Leadership Award along with Kate Walsh who won the the Joyce Piven Artistic Excellence Award. Click here for info on us that day!
Most important, I’d really like to invite you all to get involved with us now and join the Piven’s this Saturday, June 25th for the 40th Anniversary of Piven Theatre Benefit at the MCA Loft (5p VIP, 6p for all)!!!!! Here is all the info & tix: http://bit.ly/izeMKd. Afterward, join Jeremy Piven and I as we host the AfterParty at Rockit from 9p-11p… For tix click the button below!
HEADS UP- GIVE AWAY! I am buying 100 tix to treat 100 ppl to join Jeremy & I at our after party at Rockit! I am also giving away an 8wk children’s/teen acting course at Piven Theatre Workshop that was hugely buzzed about when I did it last year…. I will announce the giveaway tomorrow/Thursday 6/23 on either my twitter or facebook just before noon so make sure you click them and get connected with me! Enjoy and spread the word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if you follow kate walsh, jeremy piven & i on twitter (if not, click here to follow!), you probably have seen us talk about the event above! now I get why private practice’s kate walsh deserves an artistic excellence award, but I was as shocked (as you probably are) to see my name in that title when it was first delivered to me! I mean, I love the arts, theatre and anything cultural, especially when it’s locally grown, and have supported the community & its fundraisers as much as I can, but this is just too much! and to top it all off, you can come to the brunch ceremony w/kate and I if you want, and celebrate with us!
this all came about because my buddy jeremy piven who you probably know from “entourage” comes from a dynamic set of parents well known in the national acting community as outstanding acting teachers at their well known piven theatre workshop in evanston, il. they have taught celebrated actors like jeremy, joan cusack, john cusack, aidan quinn, kate walsh… and many others! I have co-hosted fundraisers w/each of those actors, along with jeremy, soon after we became friends about 12 years ago, and over time we have raised a lot of money for children’s scholarships in art & theatre in chicago- which I am very proud of.
I guess through this contribution, his mom Joyce Piven, and the Piven Theatre Workshop, decided to honor me with the Byrne Piven (Jeremy’s dad who has passed away) Community Leadership Award. I am so incredibly honored! my lovely buddy Kate Walsh btw is being honored with the Joyce Piven Artistic Excellence Award which I know she is thrilled about as well.
I highly recommend you check out www.piventheatre.org to read more about Joyce and Byrne Piven’s rich theatrical experience and history; it’s a great success story that I am thrilled to be a part of. if you would like to join us at the celebratory award ceremony brunch, which is now at sunda on October 17 at 12p, just click here or call (847) 866-8049. there is a $100 donation that will go to benefit Piven Theatre Workshop & help train more children & adults in theatre arts!
If you follow me on twitter, you know my life is crazy, and that last weekend was no exception. Photos showed me splitting a bottle of patron tequila w/ buddy John Mayer at underground, vacuum packing Jeremy Piven’s cell phone in rice after he dropped it in the toilet at sunda, jumping on a dozen tv & radio stations live talking about raising money for art & theatre programs for kids, taste testing more food than most eat in a week, trying to fit more crazy tasks & adventures in a day/night than humanly possible to do whatever I can for my team & city!
It occurred to me though that some of you aren’t following me on twitter and are missing out on it all! That’s not good! So I included a sample of my tweetpics / life in the last couple days here so you can get a feel for what you are missing! It’s always random, always crazy, always entertaining.. and most important.. a great way to stay in touch and create a relationship as I have with so many others! Enjoy- and then click here to follow me on twitter too!
jeremy piven dropped his phone in the toliet & i took it & vacum packed in rice at sunda right before we hit rockit & the underground- he tweeted to 1.1 million people- hilarious!
interesting that this all started w/ annual checkup (i know TMI) & fell before my big press push to raise money to support kids, art & theatre. all is good even though my back is out!
on kiss w/ ty for big give away & supporting the arts & theatre! not only was the winner awesome, but she also had the most amount of people tweeting at us- another reason to follow me on twitter!
as soon as we got to sunda- jeremy drops his phone in toliet! funny bc he was saying how he just how he shot an episode of entourage last week where he did the same thing!
this pic represents all the craziness that happened at the underground on twitter- for those pics gotta follow me on twitter- gotta save something for my followers!
next morning working on blog- got asked to be on pride float but tv manager would kill me if missed flight to NY- coming home tomorrow to do it all over again!
was up bright and early this week to spread the word about arts/theatre in chicago and two events that i have been a part of for just about a decade – last night’s lookingglass theatre’s madhatter’s ball (which i’m sure you saw my tweets about!) and saturday night’s piven theatre workshop benefit (to see me on the set of entourage with jeremy piven, click here!) check me out on abc 7 with hosea sanders, i’ve known him for over 10 years, such a fan, he’s truly one of the hardest working guys in chicago!
Jeremy Piven & I made this quick lil fun video for you & your friends while i was on the set of hbo’s “entourage” playing the role of one of ari gold’s agents! it’s about how you can get on the show too! So check it out and spread the word on email, blogging, facebook, twitter, or even speaking human to human!
As you will see, we have been hosting this event for the last 8 years raising money for children’s scholarships to keep arts & theatre alive in Chicago many times joined by Piven Theatre Workshop Alums like john cusack, kate walsh, aidan quinn, and so many more…
This year our event happens on Saturday June 26th! We went a step further and added an intimate dinner w/Jeremy at Sunda just before the usual crazy festivities at rockit bar & grill from 6p-10p! its a must for mingling w/Jeremy & the crew, enjoying drinks, hors d’oeuvres, music, fun, silent/live auction (including the “entourage” walk-on role!)… and to help get all proceeds to kids who want to excel in art & theatre!
Tickets to the Rockit portion are $125, to include the Sunda dinner its $300, and the number to call at Piven Theatre workshop to order tix is 847.866.8049 and website is www.piventheatre.org for more info!
**Updated Thursday, June 24th at 4pm ::: Just confirmed the official after party is at The Underground – arrive at 11pm sharp when doors open, space is limited. $20 cover to benefit The Piven Theatre Workshop.
BTW – if you missed me on ABC this morning – here’s the link - http://bit.ly/b66ukW
Sneak peek into the amazing silent auction….
At Sunda:
Set Visit to ABC’s Private Practice; meet Kate Walsh
First of all- check this quick video made by 4th & 5th graders in Kyoto, Japan- about the horrible malaria problem in Africa they are trying to help- a fight that we here in chicago will be supporting this weekend!
In partnership w/ the Chicago White Sox, Malaria No More will recognize World Malaria Day on Sunday, April 25th during the White Sox/Mariners game in a variety of ways to raise awareness & funds to support their mission to end malaria deaths by 2015. The day will start off w/ my long time buddy, 3-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Jeremy Piven throwing out the 1st pitch. Then American Idol Finalist, Elliott Yamin will lend his phenomenal voice to the National Anthem and God Bless America. Also in attendance will be our Governor, Pat Quinn, showing his support for the continent of Africa.
Why are all parts of chicago & the world coming together? Because every 30 seconds, a child dies of malaria in Africa. Approximately 250 million people are infected with it every year. 90% of those terribly unfortunate people, are under the age of 5 years or pregnant women. Malaria no more has set out to end these deaths in just five short years. Seems almost impossible, doesn’t it? But oddly enough, it’s not – and you can help! It’s a known fact that malaria comes from malaria-carrying mosquitoes, but it might not be known that this disease and subsequently this epidemic can be solved with just a $10 mosquito net!!! You can donate a life-saving net by texting the word “NET” to 85944 - this will last for five years and can cover two people. It’s so easy to help!
For more information about Malaria No More and what you can do to help – visit www.malarianomore.org
***UPDATED MAY 17TH 2011***
This is the 2nd year in a row that the Chicago White Sox have partnered with Malaria No More to help educate and prevent this treatable disease that claims the lives of over 1700 a day in Africa (this time last year, that number was up to 2200 a day!). This Thursday, May 19th, come out and see the Sox take on the Cleveland Indians – former Chicago Bear Jerry Azumah along with long-time supporter Governor Pat Quinn will be on hand to help host the evening. Although these devastating statics are slowly getting better, there is still so much work to do – please visit www.malarianomore.org for more information and to see first hand how anything you can do to help, makes a world of difference.
First of all- check this quick video made by 4th & 5th graders in Kyoto, Japan- about the horrible malaria problem in Africa they are trying to help- a fight that we here in chicago will be supporting this weekend!
In partnership w/ the Chicago White Sox, Malaria No More will recognize World Malaria Day on Sunday, April 25th during the White Sox/Mariners game in a variety of ways to raise awareness & funds to support their mission to end malaria deaths by 2015. The day will start off w/ my long time buddy, 3-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Jeremy Piven throwing out the 1st pitch. Then American Idol Finalist, Elliott Yamin will lend his phenomenal voice to the National Anthem and God Bless America. Also in attendance will be our Governor, Pat Quinn, showing his support for the continent of Africa.
Why are all parts of Chicago & the world coming together? Because every 30 seconds, a child dies of malaria in Africa. Approximately 250 million people are infected with it every year. 90% of those terribly unfortunate people, are under the age of 5 years or pregnant women. Malaria no more has set out to end these deaths in just five short years. Seems almost impossible, doesn’t it? But oddly enough, it’s not – and you can help! It’s a known fact that malaria comes from malaria-carrying mosquitoes, but it might not be known that this disease and subsequently this epidemic can be solved with just a $10 mosquito net!!! You can donate a life-saving net by texting the word “NET” to 85944 - this will last for five years and can cover two people. It’s so easy to help!
For more information about Malaria No More and what you can do to help – visit www.malarianomore.org