San Jose, CA June 20, 2023—Tabard Theatre announces a 27-Hour Telethon Extravaganza on Saturday, June 24 at 6pm through Sunday, June 25 at 9pm.
Audiences are invited to join hosts Jonathan Williams, Mighty Mike McGee, Ato Walker and more as Tabard gathers singers, musicians, comedians, poets and entertainers of all sorts from the company’s wonderful community of artists to go live for an incredible twenty seven hours straight to raise money for the downtown venue. There is no cover for in-person guests wanting to attend as part of the studio audience. Audiences are invited to drop by Tabard to watch in person anytime during the event, or they can tune in online via Vimeo, Youtube or Facebook.. The bar will be open for the entirety of the event, with service limited to soft drinks and coffee only (no alcohol) from 1am to 6am.
A non-profit 501(c)3 company, the Tabard Theatre sits at the heart of a community of local performers who love having a beautiful space to share their art, and at the heart of a community of patrons who love supporting them while enjoying incredible music, comedy and more in their gorgeous, historic San Pedro Square venue. Tabard theatre is gathering this powerhouse lineup of local creatives to ask for help in keeping this iconic, local, performance space thriving into the future.
Said Executive Artistic Director Jonathan Williams, “Tabard Theatre is redefining itself as San Jose’s premier downtown location for live, local performing arts events. This 27-hour long telethon is designed to celebrate that new vision and help us raise the much-needed funds to kick off this new chapter in Tabard’s history. We continue to operate as a non-profit organization, with a new mission centered around creating a safe and supportive space for artists to share their work with the community. We are looking forward to bringing these artists together and discovering what surprises they have in store for us over the course of this 27 hour long event.”
Jonathan Rhys Williams brings over 30 years of professional theatre management and production experience to his position as Executive Artistic Director of The Tabard Theatre Company, which he officially began in July 2020. Executive Artistic Director Cathy Spielberger Cassetta, who founded the company in 2001, retired from Tabard in June 2020. A Bay Area native, Williams returned to the San Francisco Bay Area after graduating from California Institute of the Arts in 1994, and began his career as a professional actor and director for a wide range of local theatre companies, including TheatreWorks, San Jose Stage Company, Aurora Theatre Company, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, American Musical Theatre, Theatre on San Pedro Square, and American Conservatory Theatre. In 2002, Williams relocated to Sacramento where he co-founded Capital Stage Company, serving in various capacities from Director of Production to Producing Artistic Director. In significant part to Jonathan’s leadership, Capital Stage Company is now one of the leading arts organizations in California. Williams’ directorial credits include Spamalot (American Stage Company), Guards at the Taj (Capital Stage), Good People and A Christmas Carol (Northside Theatre Company) and The Toxic Avenger (San Jose Stage), which won Best Musical from Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle in 2017.
Mighty Mike McGee is a well-traveled “stand-up poet” and storyteller from San José, California. In the world of poetry slam, he is the first to win both the 2003 National Poetry Slam Individual Grand Championship and the 2006 Individual World Poetry Slam Grand Championship. He has toured very extensively throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Since 2002, he’s covered several hundred thousand miles performing his brand of poetry and humor. McGee has been featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, CBC Radio and Television, and NPR’s Snap Judgment. He was one of the first Americans to perform spoken word at the University of Paris, la Sorbonne in 2005. McGee was appointed Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County for 2018 & 2019 and serves on the Poetry Center San José Board of Directors. McGee’s first collection of humor and poetry, In Search of Midnight, is available through Write Bloody Publishing. Mighty Mike also co-host Off Nite San Jose at Tabard Theatre Monday nights since 2022. He is also very comfortable with the pronoun they. Visit mightymikemcgee.com for poetry and more.
Mr. Ato Walker Comic, emcee, event producer, and activist. He established himself in comedy in 2008. He was San Jose’s Music in the Park emcee for five years. This annual concert series attracted over 10,000 people every summer. He has ten + years of experience booking comics and hosting them at weekly South Bay Area shows: “Comedy Night at the Brit” and “The Caravan Lounge Comedy Show”. Mr. Ato Walker hosts the San Jose Improv Open Mic and co-hosts Off Nite San Jose at Tabard Theatre. He describes himself as bashful, with a slight tendency to be loud and loquacious.
Tabard Theatre (formerly Theatre on San Pedro Square) — San Jose’s “Hidden Gem” venue for the performing arts— is located in the heart of historic San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose amid a bustling restaurant district. This intimate and unique venue brings a touch of Manhattan to the South Bay with its rustic yet edgy feel. Old brick walls, plush leather seats, antique wood plank floors, sweeping red velvet drapes and a 35-foot mahogany bar create a casual cabaret atmosphere. The three-quarter round cabaret stage— described by artists as “a room that feels big and small at the same time” — is the perfect setting for live music and comedy.
What: Tabard’s 27-Hour Telethon Extravaganza
When: Saturday, June 24 6pm through Sunday, June 25 9pm.
In-Person & Livestreamed
Who: All ages
Where: Tabard Theatre (formerly Theatre on San Pedro Square) – Tabard Theatre in the heart of San Jose’s historic San Pedro Square, 29 N. San Pedro Street, San Jose, CA 95110 Parking at the San Pedro Garage directly across the street. The first 90 minutes are free. The following hour is $2.
Tickets: Free, no advance reservation required.
