FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Livermore Valley Arts
Contact: Ruth Egherman (925) 583-2306
Comedy Legend Jason Alexander Opening 2023-2024 Bankhead Season
with Brilliance at the Bankhead Gala on September 9, 2023
LIVERMORE, CA – (August 28, 2023) – Livermore Valley Arts is celebrating the start of the 2023-2024 season with Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor, singer, comedian, host, and director Jason Alexander headlining its annual Brilliance at the Bankhead fundraising gala on Saturday, September 9, 2023. Best known for his nine-year stint as George Costanza in the television series Seinfeld, Alexander is also an acclaimed stage actor who will bring comedy and a whimsical salute to Broadway musicals to the Tri-Valley. The Livermore-Amador Symphony will accompany him at what is the largest fundraising event of the year for Livermore Valley Arts. Proceeds support activities at both the Bankhead Theater and the Bothwell Arts Center, as well as the independent non-profit organization’s broad educational and cultural arts outreach activities.
This glamorous fundraising evening will have many exciting ways to support Livermore Valley Arts. A 14K white gold diamond bracelet courtesy of Lance Cavalieri Jewelers, valued at over $17,000, is a dazzling raffle prize for the event, with individual raffle tickets starting at $50 each, three (3) tickets at $125, fourteen (14) tickets at $500, and thirty (30) tickets at $1,000. To purchase raffle tickets call the Bankhead Box Office at 925.373.6800; the winner does not need to be present to win. Additionally, Brilliance at the Bankhead’s live and silent auction items will feature an array of thrilling and one-of-a-kind experiences and items. As of press time, patrons can expect to see Live Auction items and special experiences donated by Wente Vineyards, Peg Folta, Denise Watkins, Foster Goldstrom, Chris Carter, On The Vine Catering, Cuda Ridge Wines, San Jose Sharks, Livermore Valley Arts, and Jason Alexander up for the bidding in the Live Auction, while the Premier Silent Auction will be showcasing donations from Wood Family Vineyards, Page Mill Winery, Nella Terra Cellars, Bent Creek Winery, Arroyo Cellars, Rose Hotel, Tri-Valley Conservancy, Denise Watkins, Sabio on Main, San Jose Jazz Festival, Diablo Magazine, Uncle Yu’s at the Vineyard, Wente Family Estates, Huff Family, Hap’s Original, and Livermore Valley Arts. In the rest of the Silent Auction, featured donors include Alameda County Fair Association, Almost Famous Wine, American Conservatory Theater, Andrew Kracht, Arroyo Cellars, Autopia, Balanced Livermore Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, Barry’s Bootcamp, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Bent Creek Winery, Big White House Winery, Bill’s Cafe, Blackhawk Museum, Bob and Patricia Zollars, BroadwaySF, Bruno’s Italian Cuisine, California Academy of Sciences, Callippe Golf Course, Chris Carter, City of Pleasanton / Firehouse Arts Center, Clementine’s / Country Waffles, Dan Good Cookies, De La Torre’s Restaurant, Demitri’s Taverna, Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl, Fenestra Winery, Filoli Historic House & Garden, First Street Ale House, Freight & Salvage, Gallo Center for the Arts, Georgie Saucedo, Gerald and Paulette Beemiller, Hap’s Original Steakhouse, Hayward Area Historical Society, Henry and Valarie Huff, Hobnob Tours, In-N-Out Burger, Jim’s Country Style Restaurant, Lance Cavalieri Jewelers, Lawrence Hall of Science, Livermore Valley Opera, Livermore Valley Wine Trolley, Locanda Wine Bar, Mitchell Katz Winery, MontereyBaySeaglass, Museum on Main, Neil and Brittany Mulgrew, The NOW Massage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Page Mill Winery, Patxi’s Pizza, Piatti’s, The Press, The Purple Orchid Wine Country Resort & Spa, Raines Ironworks, Rodrigue Molyneaux Winery, The Rose Hotel, The Ruth Bancroft Garden, San Francisco Giants, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Performances, San Jose Jazz, SFMOMA, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Sons of Liberty Alehouse, SPARC, Star Anise,The Steven Kent & La Rochelle Winery, Steven Powell, Strizzi’s, Sultan’s Kebab Mediterranean Cuisine, Ta’Con Todo, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Tri-Valley Conservancy, USS Hornet Museum, Vine Cinema & Alehouse, The Walt Disney Family Museum, Wente Family Estates, Wood Family Vineyards, and Zephyr Grill & Bar.
Though best known for his award-winning run as the now iconic George Costanza of television’s Seinfeld, Jason Alexander has achieved international recognition for a career noted for its extraordinary diversity. For his work on Seinfeld, Jason garnered an impressive six Emmy nominations, four Golden Globe nominations, an American Television Award, and two American Comedy Awards. He also won the first-ever Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series in 1994 (despite playing a supporting role). In 2012, he was honored to receive the “Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement” from the Actors Fund. Aside from his performances on stage, screen, and television, he has worked extensively as a writer, composer, director, producer, and acting teacher. In between all this, he has also become an award-winning magician, a notorious poker player, and a respected advocate on social and political issues.
This upcoming season marks Livermore Valley Arts’ 17th season, and the organization is thrilled to start the party and the season with this impressive comedy and acting icon. Brilliance at the Bankhead includes gourmet dinner provided by On The Vine, coffee provided by Story Coffee, and live music provided by Matt Finders and Friends and East Bay Jazz before the show, as well as the plethora of aforementioned raffle and live and silent auction items. Photography will be provided by both Robert Suguitan Photography and East Bay Photo Booth. Multiple sponsorships make the event LVA’s biggest fundraising event of the year. About two weeks in advance of the event, sponsors for the 2023 Season Gala presently include Jean King, Denise Watkins, Lynn & Joan Seppala, Jean Shuler, Phillip & Muriel Dean, David Haubert, Alameda County Supervisor, First District, Sensiba, Fremont Bank, UNCLE Credit Union, Lance Cavalieri Jewelers, Visit Tri-Valley, Shea Homes, The Independent, Pleasanton Weekly, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Chestnut Hill Farm, Amos Productions, AMAEAB, TopCon, and KKIQ. Livermore Valley Arts still welcomes sponsorships for this fabulous night of entertainment from corporations, media, and individuals. To sponsor this evening, please note the Development Department at development@lvpac.org.
Livermore Valley Arts offers wide-ranging programs that provide access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. Located in the heart of downtown Livermore, the Bankhead Theater welcomes artists from diverse musical genres, as well as theater, dance, comedy, and other entertainment to suit all ages. The Bothwell Arts Center at 2466 Eighth Street is an arts incubator offering affordable studio, classroom, rehearsal, performance, and event space. Art exhibits curated by the Bothwell are on display year-round in the UNCLE Credit Union Art Gallery at the Bankhead. Together, The Bankhead and Bothwell are home to eight resident performing arts companies and over 40 studio artists and cultural arts instructors for more information, visit livermorearts.org.
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Livermore Valley Arts is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit offering wide-ranging programs that provide access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. The Bankhead Theater and Bothwell Arts Center are home to eight resident performing arts companies and over 40 studio artists and cultural arts instructors. LivermoreArts.org
Show: Brilliance at the Bankhead starring Jason Alexander
Date/Time: Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 5:30pm
Tickets: Starting at $195, Sponsorships, VIP, & Regular Tickets available
Raffle: 14K white gold diamond bracelet courtesy of Lance Cavalieri Jewelers valued at $17,258
Announced: Saturday, September 9, 2023 at approximately 8:30pm
Tickets: $50 each, three (3) tickets at $125, fourteen (14) tickets at $500, and thirty (30) tickets at $1,000. Call 925.373.6800 Noon – 6pm Wednesday through Saturday.
Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events available at www.LivermoreArts.org
