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| The Smothers Brothers will perform at this year's Founders' Celebration on Feb. 29. |
Who says higher education is all work and no play? Cal Poly Pomona and the University Educational Trust will host a benefit gala that will feature a special performance by comedy duo the Smothers Brothers on Sunday, Feb. 29, at the Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry. Last year, the event netted $255,000 for student scholarships and academic enhancement.
The university?s premier social and support event, Founders? Celebration 2004: An Evening with the Smothers Brothers will honor the many involved in supporting the university?s educational mission and future vision. In addition, it will mark the inaugural year of J. Michael Ortiz, the university?s fifth president.
?Founders? Celebration is unique because it is the only all-university fund-raising event,? said Ron Simons, administrator in charge of University Advancement at Cal Poly Pomona. ?We?re proud to present the Smothers Brothers as the night?s entertainment as we recognize those who help Cal Poly Pomona continue its tradition of excellence.?
The evening will begin with a hosted reception at 5 p.m., followed by a dinner and a voice auction. The Smothers Brothers performance will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Marking more than four decades in show business, the Smothers Brothers are considered icons of classic American comedy. Tom and Dick Smothers entertain fans with an original blend of comedic and musical talents that include stand-up song and banter, dancing and even yo-yo tricks.
The twosome began as comic folk singers with their first national television appearance on ?The Jack Paar Show? in 1961. Since then, they have made guest appearances on television programs and talk shows including ?Jimmy Kimmel Live,? ?Late Show with David Letterman,? ?The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,? ?Saturday Night Live,? ?The Ed Sullivan Show? and ?What?s My Line?? Most recently, the brothers served as co-presenters on ABC?s 2003 ?American Music Awards? and guest-starred on the network?s ?Life With Bonnie? series starring Bonnie Hunt in October 2003.
From 1967-69, the Smothers Brothers hosted their own prime-time variety show on CBS, ?The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.? Laced with references to hot topics such as war and drugs, ?The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour? became one of the most controversial television shows of its time. While they attracted a large audience of hip, politically conscious youth, public battles over censorship eventually led to cancellation from the network. Today, the show is studied in universities and colleges across the country as an example of some of the political and social activism of the ?60s.
Founders? Celebration is the university's annual event to raise funds for student scholarships and academic enhancement. Tickets including both the dinner and the performance are available for $375 per person, with tables priced from $3,500 to $25,000. For more information, call (909) 869-4852 or (800) 722-5764.