Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, MashCast and Rich & Tone Productions Partner Up To Honor Monty Python's 40th Anniversary by Presenting the First-Ever 'SillyWalks for Hunger'

Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, MashCast and Rich & Tone Productions Partner Up To Honor Monty Python's 40th Anniversary by Presenting the First-Ever 'SillyWalks for Hunger'

In a bid to set the world record for the most people ever to do 'silly walks' at one time in one place, on the evening of November 19, 2009, Universal CityWalk will be transformed into a scene right out of Monty Python, while benefiting hunger relief organizations Feeding America, the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank and the Global FoodBanking Network during this holiday season.

GLENDALE, Calif., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- October 2009 marked the beginning of the 40th Anniversary year for world renowned and beloved comedy troupe Monty Python, and the milestone has become an occasion for a celebration that "walks" off the beaten path. Comedian Jon Lovitz, the real-time Internet leaders at MashCast and acclaimed choreographers Rich & Tone have partnered to produce the world's first-ever SillyWalks for Hunger, a dynamic local event to be innovatively broadcasted worldwide online on the evening of Thursday, November 19, 2009.

Monty Python fans all over the world have enjoyed more than a few belly-aching laughs thanks to the famous Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch entitled "The Ministry of Silly Walks," wherein an entire government agency (headed by John Cleese) is dedicated to the development of ways to walk silly. 39 years after the first airing of the sketch, SillyWalks for Hunger will give fans and fun-seekers an opportunity to show off their own "silly walks" while participating in a world-class live production--and all for a good cause: hunger relief.

"I have been a Monty Python fan for years," said Jon Lovitz, who in May opened his own comedy club in the heart of Universal CityWalk, and who will act as the Minister of SillyWalks for the day. "We'll be doing good by behaving silly... what a great way to honor their work. It's perfect!"

The mission of SillyWalks for Hunger is to raise enough awareness, food and money for 1,000,000 meals to be provided to families, children and elderly in L.A. and across the nation this holiday season. Awareness and food will be raised by the event itself, while the online effort (leveraging traditional press, MashCast community building platforms and guerilla social media tactics) promises to drive money using emergent text-to-give technology. In the case of SillyWalks, whenever a supporter texts the word "FEED" to 90999 to make a $5 donation (which they will see in their phone bill), they will be donating the equivalent of approximately 20 meals towards meeting the goal.

"We'll be silly walking at Universal CityWalk in Hollywood, but online we'll be calling a worldwide audience to action," said MashCast CEO, Scott Page. "By leveraging social media networks like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and our own network, MashCast, which has the real-time ability to instantly call people to action with technologies like I.M., texting and especially Twitter, we will be able to reach millions of people all over the world in a single moment in history," Page states. "We are telling everyone to 'GO small NOW!'--if each person just does one small thing, collectively we can make a big impact on a problem."

It is that "GO small NOW!" idea which inspired Rich & Tone, whose one small thing happens to be an enormous mob-style performance piece that will engage a core of dance artists, celebrity participants and silly walkers from all around Los Angeles -- with a lot of surprise moments along the way.

Beneficiaries of SillyWalks for Hunger will be Feeding America for a national impact; the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank for on-the-ground, local relief; and Global FoodBanking Network, giving people around the world the opportunity to participate in the giving and receiving.

Los Angeles disc jockeys Mark and Brian as well as Cynthia Fox of KLOS 95.5 will promote SillyWalks for Hunger in the days leading up to it. Participants must preregister, as space will be limited. Everyone attending will be encouraged to: 1) develop their own silly walk and be ready to incorporate it into an enormous choreographed live piece (they don't have to be trained professionals, just ready to have fun for a great cause!); 2) bring a grocery bag full of non-perishable food to donate to the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank and their cell phones to make a $5 text donation and 3) feel free to dress in Monty Python-themed attire (though not required).

The event will be made possible by the generosity of Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, MashCast, A&E Home Entertainment (distributors of Monty Python Flying Circus on DVD), and Spam(R). Monty Python fans and anyone else interested in participating in SillyWalks for Hunger are encouraged to visit www.SillyWalksForHunger.com or www.955klos.com for details and to preregister.

About MashCast(R):MashCast(R) (a New Media Broadcasting company) is the first global media "mash-up" environment wherein members, partners and merchants engage in multi-channel entertainment, creative exchange and commerce. Within the MashCast(R) nexus, content producers and brand entities can centralize, control, distribute and grant access to their properties -- creating a custom network of their own where they define the online conversation and their fans become content collaborators. Mash it. Cast it. Welcome to real-time Internet. For more information, visit www.MashCast.com.

About Jon Lovitz Comedy Club:

The all-new Jon Lovitz Comedy Club is a tropical beach themed club located on the Universal CityWalk in Universal City, CA. The three-story, 400-seat club incorporates live music in addition to both famous and up-and-coming standup comics. The Hawaiian-style paradise includes strategically placed sand dunes, palm trees and waitresses that smell like tanning oil. For more information, visit www.thejonlovitzcomedyclub.com.

About Rich & Tone Productions:

Rich & Tone are two of the most in-demand choreography and creative direction professionals working in commercials, programming, live events, concert tours, recorded music and movies today. Some of the world's most prominent artists and brands, including Madonna, Pepsi, Jennifer Lopez, Black Eyed Peas and a host of others, have sought Rich & Tone for their special style of pop culture cool.

About Universal CityWalk

Universal CityWalk, part of Universal Studios Hollywood, features over 60 entertainment-themed restaurants, nightclubs, shops and dynamic entertainment options as well as Universal CityWalk Cinemas, offering the best movie-going experience in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.citywalkhollywood.com.

For more information, contact:

Betsy Sanz, R&B Vision Marketing, (949) 279-3093, Betsy@RandBVision.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: MashCast

CONTACT: Betsy Sanz, R&B Vision Marketing, +1-949-279-3093,
Betsy@RandBVision.com

Web Site: http://www.sillywalksforhunger.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment