Angela Bassett Hosts 2013 Hollywood Bowl Opening Tonight

Actress Angela Bassett has been confirmed to host the 2013 Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl, tonight, June 22, at 8 pm. Also confirmed, talk show host/comedian Arsenio Hall will induct Patti Austin into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame that evening. Bassett and Hall join the star-studded lineup of participants for the special evening: in addition to Austin, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith and John Legend will be inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame; Stevie Wonder will induct John Legend; and Darren Criss will perform, then introduce the Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA) student performance. Each inductee will perform with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, led by Thomas Wilkins.

Angela Bassett's talent and abilities in television and film have time and time again earned respect and acclaim from her peers and fans, proving her to be one of the industry's premier leading ladies. The Yale School of Drama graduate began her career on the stage in several noteworthy performances on and off Broadway. She also starred with her husband, Courtney B. Vance, in John Guare's adaptation of His Girl Friday. Moving from the stage to the small screen, Bassett received critical raves for the ABC mini-series "The Jacksons: An American Dream" and her narration of the PBS mini-series "Africans in America." Other notable television appearances included NBC's "E.R." and ABC's "Alias." To the delight of audiences of the popular FX series, "American Horror Story," she will be joining the cast for its third season. Bassett made a successful crossover to the silver screen in John Singleton's Boyz n the Hood. Other memorable films include Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale, Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days, Vampire in Brooklyn, Supernova, andNotorious. Perhaps best known for her intense portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic What's Love Got To Do With It, Bassett earned an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical, and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture for her powerful performance. Bassett has received several NAACP Image Awards for How Stella Got Her Groove Back, The Score, Music of the Heart, Malcolm X, Contact, Boesman and Lena, and Ruby's Bucket of Blood, for which she also received a Screen Actors Guild nomination. Additionally, she received Emmy nominations for The Rosa Parks Story on CBS and PBS Storytime's Uncle Jed's Barbershop. Bassett recently appeared in the Antoine Fuqua film Olympus Has Fallen, for which she earned a BET nomination for Best Actress, and Lifetime's movie Betty and Coretta, for which she earned a Critics' Choice Awards nomination for Best Actress in a Movie or Mini-series. Next, she will be seen in Gregg Araki's indie film White Bird in a Blizzard and Kasi Lemmon's film Black Nativity.

Before Arsenio Hall became a household name he'd appeared on various television shows, including "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," and was asked to replace Joan Rivers on the Fox Network series "The Late Show." He also co-wrote and co-starred in the Paramount Pictures hit comedy Coming to America. It was his Emmy-winning late night talk show, "The Arsenio Hall Show," however, that virtually overnight changed the face of late night television by captivating young viewers across the country. During his successful five-year run as executive producer, Hall provided a forum for cutting-edge comedy, politics and the television debut of such pop superstars as Mariah Carey, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Boyz II Men, and countless others. In 1998, he joined the cast of the CBS dramedy "Martial Law," playing Terrell Parker, a streetwise detective, for two years. He followed this up with a two-season stint as host of the new "Star Search" (CBS). Then, taking on his most challenging task to date, he returned to stand-up comedy and toured for the first time in over a decade. Hall continued to appear in various films and television programs over the next decade and on May 20, 2012, was crowned the "Celebrity Apprentice" for Season 5 of Donald Trump's hit reality show on NBC, where he competed for his charity, The Magic Johnson Foundation. He was been featured as a "Guest Mentor" on the OWN Network's "Your OWN Show," as well as appearing as guest host on the daily talk show "Access Hollywood LIVE!," CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" and "The View." He was also featured in the NBA Entertainment documentary "The Announcement," where he shared his insight and experience surrounding the day when Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced he was HIV-positive. Most recently, Hall announced his highly-anticipated return to late night television, with a new CBS Television Distribution syndicated late night talk show set to debut this fall on September 9, 2013.

Proceeds from the evening benefit the LA Phil and its education programs, which reach more than 120,000 children, teachers and adults every year.

Established in 2000, the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame identifies and pays tribute to artists whose unique achievements embody the spirit of the world-renowned Hollywood Bowl. The Hall of Fame is now part of an exhibit on the main floor of the Hollywood Bowl Museum that includes photos and film of inductees over the years. The "Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame" was conceived on behalf of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association by Wayne Baruch and Charles F. Gayton, who have created and produced all of the Hall of Fame opening concerts.

The evening will feature:

HOLLYWOOD BOWL ORCHESTRA

YOUTH ORCHESTRA LA (YOLA)

THOMAS WILKINS, conductor

Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, inductees

Patti Austin, inductee

John Legend, inductee

Stevie Wonder, presenter

Darren Criss, presenter

Arsenio Hall, presenter

Angela Bassett, host

It all takes place tonight, June 22, 2013, 8 PM at the Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Avenue in Hollywood, Calif. Patron packages for this annual benefit concert include a VIP pre-concert reception at 5 p.m., followed by a gourmet dinner prepared by Patina and served in guest boxes prior to the concert. Proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its education programs. Opening Night Concert packages ($2,300 to $15,750) may be purchased through the LA Phil's Special Events office. Please call 213.972.3051 for details and reservations. Tickets for the concert only ($12 - $130), which begins at 8 p.m., are on sale online at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl box office, through Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000, and by credit card phone order at 323.850.2000.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

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