2nd ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD RUSH: A TRUE SUCCESS!

George Kotsiopoulos & Lance Bass co-host a hilarious night of theatre that includes Emmanuelle Chriqui, Madeline Zima, Trevor Donovan, Yeardley Smith, Gillian Zinser, David Krumholtz, Matthew Lillard and more!

PHOTOS:
Arrivals: http://www.wireimage.com/search/#events?q=[139059646]&s=3
Inside: http://www.wireimage.com/search/#events?q=[139141331]&s=3
***Select handout photos available upon request
***Handout video clips available upon request

[Los Angeles, CA – February 20th, 2012] – On Sunday night, the second annual Hollywood Rush returned to the historic Wilshire Ebell Theater for an unpredictable night of performances. George Kotsiopoulos (E!’s Fashion Police) and Lance Bass co-hosted the one-night-only event, which played to a packed house. Proceeds from the occasion benefit The Baby Dragon Fund, which fuels the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s programs for youth, mental health, and crystal meth recovery and prevention.

The process began on Saturday evening with a group of writers who are given twelve hours to compose six 10-minute plays. At 8 a.m. on the date of the show, the scripts are passed off to teams of directors and actors who have only a matter of hours to stage and rehearse their performance. The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. before a live audience, following a technical rehearsal and red carpet. Being that 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, all of the plays had to include elements of this zodiac: fire, water, metal, wood and earth.

Just some of the many talented participants included Emmanuelle Chriqui, David Krumholtz, Madeline Zima, Gillian Zinser, Trevor Donovan, Jodie Sweetin, Michelle Borth, Matthew Lillard, Aimee Garcia, Yeardley Smith, Barrett Foa, Alan Ritchson, Molly Ephraim, Edi Gathegi, Dileep Rao, Abe Benrubi, Jayson Blair, Chris Redman, Greg Rikaart, Jeremy Glazer, Michael Bunin, Jonathan Bennett, Zibby Allen, Peter Porte, Brian Gattas, Connor Barrett, Kate Payne, Gloria Calderon, Lucian Piane, Chad Hodge, Dave Holstein, Peter Paige, Dan Harris and Paula Walker – just to name a few.

The fun and zany performances delivered constant laughs to the audience. Actresses Emmanuelle Chriqui and Michelle Borth joined their cast members in a play about a woman in labor who was impregnated by a ping-pong playing robot, with hopes of a useless dentist (Abe Benrubi) fixing the unusual situation. The final act was a musical performance starring Barrett Foa, Jonathan Bennett, Tom McGowan, Trevor Donovan and Molly Ephraim focusing on the untimely demise of an adult film performer. A group of actors also performed “live commercials” which gave laughs and brazen plugs to the evening’s generous sponsors. At one point during the show, Co-Executive Producer and Actress Zibby Allen shared a heartfelt message with the evening’s guests about her personal connection to The Baby Dragon Fund, which she helped start in honor and memory of her brother, Hunter Allen.

Following the show, VIP ticket holders joined the actors, directors and writers at the Wrap Party, sponsored in part by Marchez Vous, held at the Ebell Club just adjacent to the theater, to toast the success of the event. The party included beverages and delicious tray-passed hors d'oeuvres.

Additional funds were raised during the show with help from Mobile Cause, which allowed the audience to text-in donations, thanks to an informative ask from co-hosts Kotsiopoulos and Bass. In less than three minutes of texting, over $15,000 was raised with the help of Mobile Cause.

The second annual Hollywood Rush is helmed by nightKAP entertainment and executive producers Jason H Kennedy, Zibby Allen and Kate Payne. They produced the show last year in order to raise money for The Baby Dragon Fund, which was created in honor of Hunter, Zibby’s brother and Jason’s good friend.

Hollywood Rush is sponsored in part by Toyota Financial Services, Wells Fargo Foundation, Avaya and the City of West Hollywood. For more information please visit http://www.hollywoodrush.org.

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ABOUT THE BABY DRAGON FUND
The Baby Dragon Fund fuels an array of essential recovery programs developed for the youth of Los Angeles to live fully and courageously in the face of addiction, depression and issues of sexual identity. The Fund was established in the memory and name sake of Hunter Allen—whose nickname was ‘Baby Dragon’—a deeply loved young man who made the choice to end his life because he lost hope in his own recovery from crystal meth addiction. If love alone could have saved him, Hunter would be here today. But it takes more than love to survive the brutal grip of addiction and mental health issues... it takes cutting-edge programs that provide support, counseling and education. The money raised for The Baby Dragon Fund is earmarked specifically for Crystal Meth Recovery, Youth Services and Mental Health Services at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. For more information visit http://www.thebabydragonfund.org

ABOUT THE L.A. GAY & LESBIAN CENTER
Since 1971 the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center has been building the health, advocating for the rights and enriching the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Our wide array of services and programs includes: free HIV/AIDS care and medications for those most in need; housing, food, clothing and support for homeless LGBT youth; low-cost counseling and addiction-recovery services; essential services for LGBT-parented families and seniors; legal services; health education and HIV prevention programs; transgender services; cultural arts and much more. Visit us on the Web at: www.lagaycenter.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Andrew Oldershaw / Joey Monroe
Fifteen Minutes PR / 323.556.9700
andrew@fifteenminutes.com
joey@fifteenminutes.com\

Brett Ruttenberg
B|W|R Public Relations / 310.550.7776
bruttenberg@bwr-la.com

Ok! Magazine (March 12th, 2012)

ET Online

Star Sightings: Hollywood Rush

George Kotsiopoulous and Lance Bass pose as they co-host the 2nd Annual Hollywood Rush, a hilarious night of theatre.

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Theater Mania

PHOTO FLASH: Lance Bass, George Kotsiopoulos, Peter Paige at Hollywood Rush

Pop star and Broadway veteran Lance Bass and George Kotsiopoulos of E!'s Fashion Police co-hosted the second annual Hollywood Rush at the historic Wilshire Ebell Theater on Sunday, February 19.

The evening featured six 10-minute plays created within a 24-hour period. As 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, all of the plays had to include elements of this zodiac: fire, water, metal, wood and earth.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

JustJared.com

Emmanuelle Chriqui & Lance Bass: Hollywood Rush!

We see London, we see France, we see Lance Bass' boxer briefs! The former boy band singer has some fun while cohosting the second annual benefit for the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's crystal meth addiction recovery services for young people. George Kotsiopoulos of E!'s Fashion Police cohosted the event, which took place at the Wilshire Ebell Theater.

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E! Online

Party Pics: Hollywood

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Wonderwall.com

Week In Photos

Jodie Sweetin and Lance Bass attend the second annual Hollywood Rush event benefiting The Baby Dragon Fund in Los Angeles on Feb. 19, 2012.

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Access Hollywood

The Latest Star Sightings

Matthew Lillard, Christopher Redman, Zibby Allen, Gloria Calderon Kellett, Michael Bunin, Yeardley Smith and Alan Ritchson attend 2nd Annual Hollywood Rush benefiting the Baby Dragon fund at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on February 19, 2012 in Los Angeles.

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JustJared.com

LANCE BASS AND GEORGE KOTSIOPOULOS HOST SECOND ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD RUSH

Entourage‘s Emmanuelle Chriqui meets up with actor Jayson Blair at the 2nd Annual Hollywood Rush event held inside LA’s Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Sunday (February 19).

Hollywood Rush is a theater event wherein 40 celebrities (5 writers, 5 directors, 30 actors) come together to write, rehearse and ultimately perform in a series of 10-minute plays before a live audience, all within the same day!

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Young Hollywood

LANCE BASS AND GEORGE KOTSIOPOULOS HOST SECOND ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD RUSH

A group of writers composed six 10-minute plays within twelve hours. A group of directors broke down the scripts and guided actors who only had hours before they performed a live show. And because it’s the year of the Dragon, all the plays had to include some elements of the Zodiac, so Water, Fire, Metal, Wood or Earth. It was quite a rush -- a Hollywood Rush.

The second annual Hollywood Rush produced performances that were presented to a live audience all within the course of a day; in this case, on Sunday night at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. With hosts George Kotsiopoulos and Lance Bass (pictured above), the group of talented professionals pulled off the time crunch. (George was recently seen spilling fashion advice to us, so we know all the actors at the performances were at least on-point with their costumes!) There was a play about a woman pregnant by a robot and trying to get a dentist to help the situation. There was a musical chronicling the fall of an adult performer. Participants included Jodie Sweetin, Gillian Zinser, Chris Redman, Peter Page, Jayson Blair, and Dan Harris, just to name a few.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Hollywood Rush 2012

FORTY OF HOLLYWOOD’S MOST TALENTED WRITERS, DIRECTORS AND ACTORS JOIN FORCES TO BENEFIT THE BABY DRAGON FUND

George Kotsiopoulos Hosts An Evening Of Fast-Paced And Exciting Theater

[Los Angeles, CA – February 1, 2012] – On February 19th, the second annual Hollywood Rush returns to the historic Wilshire Ebell Theater for an unpredictable night of performances. George Kotsiopoulos (E!’s Fashion Police) is back to host the one-night-only event, which played to a packed house last year. Proceeds from the occasion benefit the The Baby Dragon Fund, which funds vital programs at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center for youth and mental health services, with emphasis on crystal meth addiction recovery.

The process begins the evening before the show with a group of writers who are given twelve hours to compose six 10-minute plays. At 8 a.m. on the date of the show, the scripts are passed off to teams of directors and actors who have only a matter of hours to stage and rehearse their performance. The show goes live at 7 p.m. before an audience, following a technical rehearsal and red carpet.

Many of the last year’s talented participants will be returning, as well as some new heavy hitters. The line-up already includes Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Emmanuelle Chriqui, David Krumholtz, Madeline Zima, Eddie Kay Thomas, Jodie Sweetin, Michelle Borth, Marguerite Moreau, Aimee Garcia, Yeardley Smith, Barrett Foa, Edi Gathegi, Dileep Rao, Abe Benrubi, Brit Morgan, Jayson Blair, Chris Redman, Greg Rikaart, Jeremy Glazer, Michael Bunin, Jonathan Bennett, Zibby Allen, Peter Porte, Brian Gattas, Connor Barrett, Kate Payne, Gloria Calderon, Chad Hodge, Dave Holstein, Matthew Lillard, Peter Paige, Dan Harris and Paula Walker. More exciting names are expected to be added by show date.

Following the show, VIP ticket holders will join the actors, directors and writers at the Wrap Party, sponsored in part by Marchez Vous, held at the Ebell Club just adjacent to the theater, to toast the success of the event. The party includes beverages and delicious tray-passed hors d'oeuvres. VIP ticket holders also enjoy complimentary valet parking.

An exciting array of entertainment experiences are being auctioned off at Charity Buzz to benefit the event:
http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/hollywoodrush

Hollywood Rush is sponsored in part by Toyota Financial Services, Wells Fargo Foundation, Avaya and the City of West Hollywood. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.hollywoodrush.org. Come and watch Hollywood rush to save lives!

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Andrew Oldershaw / Joey Monroe
Fifteen Minutes PR / 323.556.9700
andrew@fifteenminutes.com
joey@fifteenminutes.com\

Brett Ruttenberg
B|W|R Public Relations / 310.550.7776
bruttenberg@bwr-la.com

CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF VERSION

FitPerez.com

Lance Bass Is Co-Hosting The Second Annual Hollywood Rush!

A bunch of Hollywood's most talented directors, writers, and actors are getting together to benefit the Baby Dragon Fund, and will be hosted by Lance Bass!

The one-night-only event is at the historic Wilshire Ebell Theater this Sunday, February 19th. Proceeds benefit the The Baby Dragon Fund, which fuels the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s programs for youth, mental health, and crystal meth recovery and prevention!

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

After Elton

On February 19th, Lance Bass and George Kotsiopoulos are hosting Hollywood Rush, to benefit the Dragon Fund of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, which funds youth programs with a focus on crystal meth dependence. Writing teams (like Chad Hodge) begin the day before the show and have 12 hours to produce six 10-minute plays, which are handed off to directors (like Peter Paige) and actors (Barrett Foa and Yeardly Smith) hours before going live in front of a packed house. Our own Louis Virtel is going to be covering the red carpet for AfterElton.com

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Instinct Magazine

Hollywood Rushes To The Stage To Support The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center

They’re noted for their brave screen performances, but if you’re clamoring to see some of Hollywood’s hottest stars show their chops without the gift of editing here’s your chance!

On Sunday, Feb.19, Lance Bass and George Kotsiopoulos are co-hosting the 2nd annual “Hollywood Rush,” a guerilla theater extravaganza in which 40 celebrities will write, rehearse, and perform 10-minute, one-act plays in front of a live audience. Did we mention that this creative process all occurs within 24 hours?

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Advocate.com

Op-ed: Why We Are Fighting Meth

The executive producers for the Hollywood Rush witnessed a friend’s struggle with the drug and are trying to do something about it.

The year of the Dragon is 2012. While considered by most to be a fire-breathing monster, in traditional Eastern philosophy it’s actually a creature of intense power that delivers great fortune. For my friends and business partners, as we produce this year’s Hollywood Rush, the year’s significance only deepens the already intense emotions and sacred memories of our loving brother and dear friend Hunter Allen, who’s nickname was Baby Dragon.

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Frontiers magazine

Click on the image below for full version:

CLICK HERE FOR THE ONLINE VERSION

Hollywood Rush 2011 Press

JustJared.com: Shiri Appleby: 24 Hour Hollywood Rush!