WHEN JERRY LEWIS CALLS, THE STARS ANSWER
TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 16, 1999 -- Maybe it's his status as one of our culture's greatest comedy icons, or maybe it's the fact that all of America knows and respects his commitment to helping others throughout his legendary film and television career.
Either way, Jerry Lewis has always had the Midas touch when it comes to recruiting the biggest celebrity names for his MDA Telethon, which airs live this year for 21½-hours starting at 9 p.m. EDT Sept. 5.
Over the years, Lewis has had success approaching musical giants from Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra to three former Beatles, as well as top-of-the-line comedians, including sitcom phenomenon Jerry Seinfeld, "Saturday Night Live" star Martin Short and "Politically Incorrect" host Bill Maher - all of whom cite Lewis as a career inspiration.
"I'm so grateful to all of these amazing stars who give of their time and talent to help make the Telethon a great event to help 'my kids, '" Lewis says. "The incredible thing is, many of these performers end up thanking me, because I've given them a chance to help someone else, to make a difference."
Exceptional Comedy
Short and Maher are slated to be part of the comedy lineup on this year's Telethon, which will originate from CBS Television City in Hollywood and will include live satellite feeds and special segments from locales including New York, Las Vegas and Chicago. Many of Lewis' favorite comic guests will appear, including mime master Marcel Marceau; multi-talented comic actor/singer/dancer Jason Alexander; zany prop comedian Carrot Top; Master of the Malaprop Norm Crosby; and outstanding practitioners of the standup art, including Max Alexander and Bob Zany.
Anchor & Cohosts
Ed McMahon will be returning as Telethon anchor for the 32nd year. Lewis and McMahon will be joined by three co-hosts: "Entertainment Tonight" correspondent Jann Carl, VH-1 personality Cynthia Garrett and Parade magazine editor Walter Anderson. Jean and Casey Kasem again will link up with Lewis' national feed as part of their local Telethon co-hosting duties at KCAL in Los Angeles, as will husband-and-wife Olympic gold medal gymnasts Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci, who'll be co-hosting in Chicago at WGN-TV.
Lewis and his co-hosts will remind viewers of the Telethon's primary purpose, to raise funds for MDA's research and services. They'll also talk with families fighting neuromuscular diseases - the "Telethon's brightest stars," according to Lewis.
Great Music
Music has always been a huge part of the entertainment mix on the Telethon. The white-hot lineup of country performers includes LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain, Suzy Bogguss, and Pam Tillis. Renowned rockers Sheryl Crow, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Dave Matthews, the Goo Goo Dolls and Cyndi Lauper will appear courtesy of the VH-1 music channel to lend a harder edge to the show's musical mix.
This year's broadcast also will include an assemblage of sophisticated song stylists, including Maureen McGovern, Gary Morris, Diane Schuur, Frank Sinatra Jr., Lorna Luft and Monica Mancini. Davis Gaines, cast members from "Fosse" and "Annie Get Your Gun" will perform Broadway classics. Telethon favorite Charo will contribute her talents as singer, dancer and world-class flamenco guitarist. Virtuoso violinist Rachel Barton and The Young Musicians Foundation orchestra will delight classical music enthusiasts.
Stage & Screen
Stars from the big and small screens will be well represented on Telethon, including film actors Christopher Walken and Brendan Fraser, and television favorites Lucy Lawless, Kevin Sorbo, David James Elliott, and Ricardo Montelban. Broadcasting personalities including Larry King, Martha Stewart, Alex Trebek and Judge Judy will, along with Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and Olympic gold medalist Cathy Rigby, help "Jerry's kids" with special appeals to make phones ring.
Variety
The Telethon has always welcomed an eclectic variety of artists from a range of performing disciplines. This year will be no exception, with performances by vocal manipulation expert Ronn Lucas; impressionist Martin Dube; singer/impressionist Bill Acosta; contortionists The Long Brothers; juggler Vladik; choral ensembles Masters of Harmony and Voice of Ascension; illusionist Rick Thomas; and many more unique performers.
There's something for everyone on the Telethon, which is broadcast by some 200 local "Love Network" stations across the country. Check local listings for station and time.
Last year's Telethon raised a record $51.6 million in pledges and contributions and reached an estimated 75 million viewers in the United States and Canada. In addition, the 1998 Telethon was viewed live as streaming video on the World Wide Web by people in more than 60 countries.
The 1999 Telethon will establish another milestone, becoming the first live, multilingual Internet programming. All of the 21½-hour broadcast will be transmitted live in English, Spanish and Japanese at www.mda.org.
Shortly after the Telethon, Lewis will be off to Italy to receive the Venice International Film Festival's career Golden Lion Award as "an extraordinary example of the total filmmaker." Soon after that, he'll reunite with his Telethon production team to start working on the year 2000 Telethon - the legendary entertainer's 38th for MDA.
MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat 40 neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, and far-reaching professional and public health information. The Association's programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributions.
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