The Tisch School of the Arts
announced today that Golden Globe Award Winner,
James Franco, will join its annual gala, honoring
Billy Crystal, Class of 1970. The
celebrated evening will be held on
Monday, December 6th at the
renowned Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of
Jazz at Lincoln Center.
This year, The Face of Tisch gala 2010
will support the modernization of the original
home of the Tisch School of the Arts, 111 Second
Avenue. In the 1950?s the building was known as
The Central Plaza where Billy Crystal's father,
Jack Crystal, produced legendary live jazz
concerts known as "The Sessions." It was during
these performances where young Billy learned to
entertain an audience. His ties to the building
grew stronger when he returned to 111 Second
Avenue as a student at the School of the Arts
(predecessor to Tisch) in 1968, where he
graduated with his BFA in 1970. Now, Mr. Crystal
once again returns to assist with the
fundraising efforts for the building that played
such a significant role in his family's and his
own life.
"We are thrilled that such a renowned artist
like James Franco has joined our special evening
honoring Billy Crystal. For more than 40 years,
Tisch School of the Arts has drawn on the vast
resources of New York City and New York
University to create an extraordinary training
ground for the individual artist and scholar of
the arts,
Dean Mary Schmidt Campbell commented. 'Our students learn
their craft in a spirited, risk-taking
environment that combines the professional
training of a conservatory with the liberal arts
education of a major research university.
The Face of Tisch gala will raise funds to
continue this critical work in educating and
cultivating the next generation of artists."
Mr. Franco stated, "I am
extremely proud to join the celebrated lineup of
The Face of Tisch gala and participate
in an evening that will support arts education
and an institution like Tisch where I have
benefited personally from their extraordinary
training. I am thrilled to give back to my Tisch
community."
The Face of Tisch is more than a
fundraising event or a gala dinner. It is a
celebration of some of the nation's most
distinguished artists, alumni and current
students performing live at Frederick P. Rose
Hall. The star-studded evening will be produced
and directed by
Arthur Masella. Past Tisch galas have
included performances from Tony Award winning
Broadway shows such as Spring Awakening
and participation from some of the entertainment
industry's most celebrated talent such as
Alec Baldwin, Jerry Seinfeld, Wyclef
Jean, Bill Cosby, Marcia Gay Harden, Debra
Messing, Laura Benanti, Elaine Stritch, Ra'l
Esparza, Rainn Wilson, Matthew Morrison, Joel
and Ethan Coen, Tony Kushner, Mariska Hargitay,
George Wolfe and Jesse L.
Martin.
About Tisch School of the Arts
As one of the nation's leading centers of
undergraduate and graduate study in the
performing and cinematic arts, Tisch offers
programs of study that incorporate
state-of-the-art facilities; a collaboratively
oriented community of award-winning faculty
members; internship opportunities with
established professionals; and the incomparable
artistic and cultural resources of New York
City.
ABOUT JAMES FRANCO
James Franco is currently enrolled at the
Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television at
New York University's Tisch School of the Arts
where he is focusing on film production. Mr.
Franco has been acting in films for 14 years and
has been a highly acclaimed painter for over 20
years. This past year saw the Sundance Film
Festival premieres of his short film Herbert
White and the drama Howl. Franco
also opened his first solo art exhibition, "The
Dangerous Book Four Boys." This, in conjunction
with his guest appearance on General
Hospital, was used to successfully blend
media with performance art at The Museum of
Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA). Mr. Franco
has starred in the blockbuster Spider-Man
films, Eat Pray Love and Milk.
He is currently starring in 127 Hours.