George Clooney is leading a $5,000 per ticket play reading this Sunday on Broadway.
The first time ever play is written by actor Clark Gregg, who is currently filming a movie with Clooney. “Smear,” is described as “a razor-sharp political comedy that follows a pair of jaded campaign operatives (and former lovers) locked in a vicious battle over a North Carolina congressional seat that may hold the key to a hotly contested midterm election.”Â
The Broadway theater location is not known, they say, for security reasons. The rest of the cast includes Betty Gilpin, Laverne Cox, Adam Scott, Glenn Fleshler and Shane Paul McGhie. They’ll tell you where the reading is five minutes before showtime if you stand in Shubert Alley with a knowing grin on your face.
The idea here is raise to money for the midterm elections, even though they’re just two days later. The funds are being raised for something called Future Now, a 501c3 that has $10.5 million in assets, and a salary list of $4.7 million in 2024-25, up by $600K from the previous tax filing.
The $5,000 ticket is for VIP seating and an afterparty with the cast and wealthy patrons. A $1,000 ticket is also available, but you have to go to Junior’s for matzoh ball soup on your own.
I’m very skeptical about these things until you realize Trump has dinners for $10 mil a plate at Mar-a-Lago, where his own restaurant is charging the PAC involved and Trump is pocketing the valet tips. So this Clooney thing is small potatoes.
Why didn’t they do this a month ago when it would have helped Democratic candidates? I don’t know.
As they say in the trades, Good night, and good luck.
PS The next night, November 2nd, you can see The 24 Hour Plays, which I always recommend. The top VIP ticket is $535, they range down to $161, and you get a lot of great theater people honoring “Hamilton” director Thomas Kail. (PS You also know Lin Manuel Miranda and Michelle Williams will be in the audience.)
