Comic superstar Robert Klein headlines “Late Night with Solomon Society,” which organizers describe as “the largest gathering of Jewish men in Orange County.” Orange County Jewish men are invited to an evening of cocktails, delicious cuisine and hilarious comedy and to honor the 2011 Mensch of the Year, Sam Wyman, on Thursday, September 22, at 6:30 p.m. at The Turnip Rose, 1901 Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa.
According to the Jewish Federation & Family Services website, “The Solomon Society is a fellowship of men — sons, fathers, brothers and friends — who inspire each other through their values and actions. It’s all about great camaraderie, exciting events and missions (to Israel and the Jewish world), meaningful volunteer projects and making an investment that matters — an investment in your Jewish community…Members of the Solomon Society build community through social networking, meaningful events and philanthropic investment. Each member makes a minimum philanthropic investment of $1,000 to Federation in his own name, as a statement of personal responsibility for Jews in need at home and abroad.”
This is the third “Late Night” program. Other Solomon Society events have included Guys Night Out, an evening with the consul general, a wine event, an evening with a policeman who tracks terrorists, tikkun olam projects and missions to Israel.
As a role model of leadership, Jewish values, philanthropy and community service, Sam Wyman has inspired countless families to become involved in innovative philanthropic and volunteer endeavors. By his example, Wyman has taught others to live a life of giving back, in which every good deed makes a difference. A founding member of Solomon Society, Wyman is also the visionary founder of the Family Philanthropy Venture Fund of Jewish Federation & Family Services. He is vice chair for venture philanthropy on the JFFS board and is immediate past chairman of the board of Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School, where he continues to serve as a trustee.
Wyman is a senior partner at Wolfe & Wyman LLP, a regional litigation firm with offices in Southern California, Northern California, Nevada and Virginia. His practice focuses on litigation and dispute resolution, primarily in insurance, construction and real estate matters. Wyman lives in Newport Beach with his wife Susan and their daughters Kyra and Reesa. They are members of Temple Bat Yahm.
For more than forty years, Robert Klein has entertained audiences, and he continues to have an acclaimed career in comedy, on Broadway, on television and in film. Born in the Bronx, he was a member of the famed “Second City” theatrical troupe in Chicago. He was nominated twice for Grammy Awards for “Best Comedy Album of the Year” for his albums “Child of the Fifties” and “Mind Over Matter.”
Klein received a Tony Award nomination for best actor, and won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his performance in the hit Neil Simon musical, They’re Playing Our Song. In 1993, Klein won an Obie and the Outer Critics Circle Award for outstanding performance by an actor in Wendy Wasserstein’s, The Sisters Rosensweig.
In 1975 Klein was the first comedian to appear in a live concert on Home Box Office. He has gone on to do nine one-man shows for HBO.
Klein released “Robert Klein: The HBO Specials 1975-2005,” a collector’s DVD box set to critical acclaim. His most recent special for HBO, “Robert Klein: Unfair and Unbalanced” aired on June 12, 2010, and is also available as a DVD.
Among dozens of starring and guest-starring roles on television, he co-starred in the hit NBC series, “Sisters,” and recently has a recurring guest-starring role on “Law and Order.” He regularly appears on talk-shows, making more than 100 appearances on “The Tonight Show” and “Late Show with David Letterman” alone.
Klein has also appeared in many notable films including, Hooper, The Owl and the Pussycat, Primary Colors, People I Know, Two Weeks Notice, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and The Back-Up Plan with Jennifer Lopez.
The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue, Klein’s first book for Simon & Schuster, is an affectionate coming-of-age memoir about growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s before embarking on a show business career. In it he recounts his journey from an apartment in the Bronx, developing his talent in Chicago and the beginning of his show business stardom. The book is pure Robert Klein: witty, honest, self-questioning and always contagiously funny. Publishers Weekly wrote: “…he unfurls an array of captivating anecdotes, writing with wry wit and honesty.” Klein, a lifelong New Yorker, makes his home in Westchester and New York City.
Event co-chairs are Kenny Beard, Gideon Bernstein and Peter Macdonald. General admission is $136, and VIP sponsor admission is $300. A special “All the King’s Mensches” private reception with Robert Klein will be held for VIP sponsors.
For more information, please e-mail SolomonSociety@jffs.org.