(Info from press release)
The December 14 radio play-focused fundraiser benefitted Los Angeles-based non-profit
Ed Asner Family Center
SpongeBob himself – Tom Kenny – headlined the cast that also boasted Joey King (THE ACT, BULLET TRAIN), Mark Hamill, Tom Bergeron (DANCING WITH THE STARS, AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS), Phil Lamarr (MAD TV, PULP FICTION), Bill Fagerbakke (COACH, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS) and breakout neurodivergent actors Atticus Baldwin (GOD’S GANG, GENIUS REVISITED), Chelsea Darnell (ONE PIECE, GENIUS REVISITED), and Spencer Harte (ATYPICAL, PARENTHOOD)
Thanks to The Ed Asner Family Center (TEAFC), Hollywood’s iconic IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE film script was reanimated! TEAFC - a stalwart LA resource for special needs folks - baked the razzle dazzle inside its crisp, 4th annual theatrical fundraising benefit on Saturday, December 14. Top billed ‘LIFE performers were Tom Kenny (as George Bailey) and a handful of his fellow SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS series regulars, plus Tom Bergeron (DANCING WITH THE STARS), Mark Hamill, Phil LaMarr (MAD TV, PULP FICTION), and Joey King (THE ACT, THE KISSING BOOTH film franchise). Fun fact: previous event iterations counted luminaries Jason Sudeikis, Rosario Dawson, Brendan Fraser, Christina Applegate, and Pete Davidson as performers lending talent to the festivities.
The latest screenplay live staged reading manifested at the Garry Marshall Theatre and streamed on TrillerTV. A most robust cast and the clever crew delivered under the guidance of Asner Center Founders Matthew Asner and Navah Paskowitz-Asner; event director/producer Victor Nelli (ATYPICAL, THE OFFICE, THE BERNIE MAC SHOW); live producer David Marquez; and producers Luisa Romero, Cellin Gluck, Karin Beck, and Tom McAndrew.
True to the tale’s mythology, angel second-class Clarence (a hilariously bumbling Bill Fagerbakke of COACHand SPONGEBOB fame) accepted his new wings among earthly and heavenly characters alike and amidst the climactic ringing of bells. Speaking of chimes, Saturday night’s performance had extra bells and whistles. The most noteworthy of these were the supporting neurodivergent actors Atticus Baldwin (GOD’S GANG, GENIUS REVISITED), Chelsea Darnell (GENIUS REVISITED), and Spencer Harte (ATYPICAL, PARENTHOOD).
Billed as a ‘table read,’ IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: TEAFC Edition was more of an extravaganza than a quaint family affair. Highlights were the immersive White Christmas-esque set design featuring life-sized, blanched faux trees and a starlight-studded, concave scrim; live musical accompaniment from keyboardist Jonathan Green; and the unflappable onstage Foley artistry of Ele Matelan.
Pre-intermission entertainment revealed a surprise mini-documentary film about the unique neurodivergent employment-readiness program born from a Funko toy company and Asner Family Center partnership. Funkoalso rewarded each real-life theatre-goer with a SWAG bag containing a SPONGEBOB 25th Anniversary POP! figure, plus goods from additional event benefactors (Guess Foundation, The Trebek Family Foundation, Paramount Pictures, Dolby, Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation, and Bristol Circle Entertainment).
Pre-showtime, Asner Center Fouder and CEO Matthew Asner extended acknowledgements: “I am eternally grateful to the cast of SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS and our special guests, including Mark Hamill and Tom Bergeron, for coming in and making sure ‘fun’ is the word for the evening. I also thank the family of Philip Van Doren Stern for allowing us once again to present this incredible story. This film meant so much to my father and me, and I feel that each time we take part in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, we honor his spirit.”
Indeed, the whole evening gushed goodwill, jocularity, and tears, with the most prolific waterworks emanating on the dais from leading man Tom Kenny. The night’s biggest laugh, however, came from facile utility player Chelsea Darnell. Darnell stole the scene (and possibly the show) with this uncanny gem: ‘I was saving up this money for my divorce . . . if I ever get married!’
Continue to ring them bells, Chelsea and TEAFC!
The performance video recording remains available via Triller TV in the United States for unlimited replays until midnight on January 1, 2025. The cost is $19.99. Please visit
trillertv.com/watch/its-a-wonderful-life/2pg3r/
ABOUT THE ED ASNER FAMILY CENTER:
The Ed Asner Family Center (TEAFC) is a non-profit, all-encompassing mental health and educational resource dedicated to elevating the lives of special needs individuals and their families. It is an official educational partner of Autism in Entertainment (AIE), host organization of the first official AIE Conference in Los Angeles on April 5, 2024 and devoted facilitator of neurodivergent hiring. TEAFC itself proudly employs autistic self-advocates as camp counselors, educators, and assistants. For a closer look at TEAFC programs and community, visit TEAFC.org.
ABOUT TRILLERTV:
TrillerTV is a premium digital streaming platform for live sports and entertainment with more than 7 registered million users who engage across devices, time zones, and locations.
