Geffen Playhouse to Honor Bebe Neuwirth, Chris Paul, Harold A. Brown

Geffen Playhouse today announced the honorees for its 24th annual Backstage at the Geffen signature fundraiser. Being recognized this year are Tony Award and Emmy Award winner Bebe Neuwirth, who will receive the Artistic Impact Award; NBA All-Star, Olympian, and philanthropist Chris Paul, who will receive the inaugural Community Impact Award; and Geffen Playhouse founding trustee Harold A. Brown, who will receive the Founders Award.

Geffen Playhouse alum Marcel Spears (Fat Ham, The Neighborhood) will serve as host for the evening at the Geffen's Gil Cates Theater in Los Angeles. Most recently seen at the Geffen in its 2024 production of Fat Ham, Spears will guide an evening of celebration and spirited storytelling. The highly anticipated Backstage at the Geffen festivities will feature unscripted, unannounced surprise performers and industry luminaries sharing anecdotes and insights from life behind the scenes.

Backstage at the Geffen recognizes the accomplishments of leaders in the artistic community, supports the theater's mission to produce original, quality work and raises funds for its education and community engagement programs, which bring live theater to youth, seniors and veterans in communities across Los Angeles. Backstage at the Geffen celebrates the joy, power and community that make theater vital.

'This year marks an exciting milestone for Geffen Playhouse with the introduction of our inaugural Community Impact Award. We are proud to honor NBA All-Star, Olympian, and philanthropist Chris Paul as its first recipient, and we are grateful for his leadership as Chair of our upcoming Geffen Playhouse Artist & Athlete Collaborative. We are also delighted to celebrate Backstage honorees Bebe Neuwirth and Harold A. Brown, whose extraordinary contributions have left a lasting impact on the arts and our community,' said Geffen Playhouse Executive Director/CEO Gil Cates Jr. and Artistic Director Tarell Alvin McCraney.

Bebe Neuwirth will receive the Artistic Impact Award, which honors a performer or performers who have made significant contributions to the entertainment industry and particularly to the American theater. Past honorees include Julie Andrews, Matt Bomer, Billy Crystal, Diane Keaton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lily Tomlin, and Dick Van Dyke, among others.

Over the course of her distinguished career, Bebe has achieved extraordinary success in theatre, television and film. In 1980, she made her Broadway debut in A Chorus Line. She then appeared in Little Me, Dancin', and Sweet Charity, for which she won her first Tony Award, followed by Damn Yankees, Fosse, and The Addams Family. Bebe won her second Tony, along with the Drama Desk, Astaire, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Distinguished Performance of the Year Awards for her portrayal of 'Velma' in Chicago. She later played 'Roxie' and 'Mama Morton' in the show, making her the only triple-threat to play all three lead roles on Broadway. Her recent performance as 'Fräulein Schneider' in Cabaret earned her a Drama Desk Award and a third Tony nomination. In 2023, she was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. Bebe won two Emmy Awards for her role as 'Lilith Sternin-Crane' on Cheers and received nominations for her work on Frasier and for her portrayal of 'Dorothy Parker' in the TV movie Dash and Lilly. Her numerous film credits include Say Anything, Green Card, Bugsy, Jumanji, and Summer of Sam. Ms. Neuwirth received the CTFD Rolex Dance Award, the Dance Magazine Award, and the Sarah Siddons Award, among others. She is an honorary member of IATSE Local One, the Stage Hands Union. She previously served on the board of the Entertainment Community Fund, where she founded The Dancers' Resource–a program aimed at relieving the particular emotional and physical challenges faced by dancers.

Chris Paul will receive the inaugural Community Impact Award, a newly established honor recognizing a leader outside the theater world whose generosity of time, talent, or treasure has made a meaningful impact on the Los Angeles community. Chris is recognized for his contributions beyond the court through the Chris Paul Family Foundation, which provides advocacy and resources that enrich and strengthen communities nationwide.

Chris' honor coincides with the upcoming launch of The Geffen Playhouse Artist & Athlete Collaborative, a first-of-its-kind initiative chaired by Chris that brings artists and athletes onto the same stage in the years leading up to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The collaborative will convene athletes, playwrights, performers, and cultural leaders to develop and stage original works before, during, and after the Summer Games, steps away from where the world's top athletes and their families will live and play in Los Angeles. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

Affectionately known as the 'Point God,' Chris Paul is a 12-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold medalist. He was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history. In 2021, Paul became the first player in league history to record 20,000 points and 10,000 assists in their career. He ranks second on the NBA all-time career assists and steals list. In February 2026, Chris announced his retirement after 21 seasons in the NBA. Off the court, he's a father, husband, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. His New York Times best-selling memoir, Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court, is a powerful and unexpected memoir of family, faith, tragedy, and life's most important lessons. His business footprint is diverse and includes a multi-platform production company Ohh Dip!!! Entertainment which focuses on creating robust documentaries, as well as scripted and unscripted content. Through the Chris Paul Family Foundation, Chris continues to provide advocacy and resources that enrich and strengthen communities across the country through its Club 61 Leadership Alliance and the accredited HBCU Business of Entertainment Media and Sports class at North Carolina A&T University and Southern University. Paul co-launched the Social Change Fund United with Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. His philanthropic efforts have earned him the 2016 ESPY's 'Sports Humanitarian of the Year' award, the NBA Community Assist Award five times, and the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award.

Harold A. Brown will receive the Founders Award, a special distinction granted to titans in the entertainment industry who have not only shaped the entertainment business through their visionary leadership, but who have also made a direct and lasting impact on the past, present, and future of Geffen Playhouse. Harold is the fourth distinguished recipient of the award, following Frank Mancuso (2020), Gene Block (2024), and Frank Marshall (2025).

Harold A. Brown is an entertainment attorney and longtime partner at Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, which he joined in 1976. He was also a founding trustee of Geffen Playhouse and served for 25 years, helping shape the theater as a leading cultural institution in Los Angeles. Over the course of his distinguished career, Brown has represented many of Hollywood's leading artists, filmmakers, producers and executives, including Steven Spielberg, Stephen King, Robert Zemeckis, Michael Mann, George Miller, Michael De Luca, and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Known for his deep relationships with colleagues and clients, Brown was honored as the 2017 Beverly Hills Bar Association Entertainment Lawyer of the Year. He has been a trustee of Pitzer College since 2009, serving as its Board Chair from 2017-2021.

Presenting Sponsors for Backstage at the Geffen are The Adi and Jerry Greenberg Foundation and UCLA Health.

The Backstage at the Geffen Host Committee includes Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg; George Cheeks; Mary Ann Cloyd; Bryan Cranston and Robin Dearden; Colman and Raúl Domingo; Tara Duncan; Carla Gardini; Patricia Glaser and Sam Mudie; Adi and Jerry Greenberg; David Greenwalt; Dulé Hill and Jazmyn Simon; Cindy and Alan Horn; LaTanya Richardson Jackson; Laura and Jarred Kennedy; Allen and Jessica Kling; Karen and Walter Loewenstern; Fay and Frank Mancuso; Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy; Alan Mayo; Madeline and Bruce Ramer; Allison Rawlings; Linda Bernstein Rubin and Tony Rubin; Michelle Satter; Chris T. Schmidt; Jodi and Howard Tenenbaum; Miranda and Brett Tollman; Julie and Peter Weil; Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks; and Kevyn Wynn.

Sponsor packages for Backstage at the Geffen are available starting at $5,000. Customized sponsorship and brand activation opportunities are also available.

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. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen maintains extensive education and community engagement programs, designed to involve underserved young people and the community at large in the arts. 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 Executive Director/CEO Gil Cates, Jr., Artistic Director Tarell Alvin McCraney and Board Chair Mary Ann Cloyd. www.geffenplayhouse.org

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