Backstage at the Geffen Will Honor George Lucas, Mellody Hobson, Elton John and David Furnish | Playbill

News Backstage at the Geffen Will Honor George Lucas, Mellody Hobson, Elton John and David Furnish The annual fundraiser Backstage at the Geffen will recognize Mellody Hobson and George Lucas with the Distinction in Service Award and Sir Elton John and David Furnish with the Distinction in Theater Award.

The 13th annual fundraiser will be held March 22, 2015.

Here's how the event is billed: "The irreverent evening of laughter, music and stories featuring personal 'backstage' memories and songs by a cavalcade of stars precedes the award ceremony in the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse."

"Next year's honorees are two powerful couples … dynamic trailblazers whose accomplishments in the arenas of entertainment and business are no less impressive than their many philanthropic contributions," Board co-chairs Martha Henderson and Pamela Robinson said in a statement.

Four-time Academy Award-nominated writer and director Lucas serves on the board of The Film Foundation, the USC School of Cinematic Arts Advisory Board and will build the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, emphasizing American illustrative, digital, cinematic and animation art as an avenue for the exploration of the great storytelling history, populist works and artistic innovation of the past 150 years.

Hobson is president of Ariel Investments and serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Ariel Investment Trust. She is a regular contributor to CBS News and provides weekly money tips on the Tom Joyner Morning Show and pens a column for Black Enterprise magazine. John is a Tony Award winner for Billy Elliot, for which he wrote the score. He also wrote the music for The Lion King, Aida and Lestat and served as a producer for Next Fall.

Furnish directed the BAFTA-nominated documentary "Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras." He formed the film production company Rocket Pictures, producing the independent films "Women Talking Dirty" and "It's a Boy/Girl Thing" and the music television series "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…" In 2011, Rocket Pictures released its first major animated feature "Gnomeo & Juliet." Furnish served as a producer for Next Fall and Billy Elliott.

The event also launches the 20th anniversary of the founding of the not-for-profit theatre.

Previous honorees include Julie Andrews, Carol Burnett, Steve Martin, Kristin Chenoweth, Helen Mirren, Billy Crystal, Rita Wilson, Bruce Ramer, Jim Gianopulos, Creative Artists Agency, Alan Horn, Barry Meyer, Leslie Moonves, Herb Gelfand and Colin Callender.

Visit geffenplayhouse.com for more information.

 
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