‘Twas all good and merry and a fine time was had by all as local power couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson brushed up on their Shakespeare at UCLA’s Royce Hall.
The lauded thespians gave it their all during a first class presentation of “The Tempest.”
The low key but high talent affair holds court each year to support the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles.
“The great thing about Shakespeare is you can see it anywhere in the world,” said Tom. “But the productions are always different.”
Rita is just as passionate, saying, “Shakespeare takes kids off the street and puts them in the theater.”
The goal of this 27th annual event is to establish a permanent Shakespeare company in Los Angeles.
A little theater reading was a nice break for the couple, who have been working back-to-back on various projects.
In addition to “Simply Shakespeare” with hubby Tom, Rita’s just wrapped up her production of “Liner Notes” at the Geffen Playhouse. Rita returned to the Skirball Kenis Theater for the third time. The series featured Rita and guest songwriters including Jeff Barry and Kristian Bush in a cabaret setting.
In addition to her previous “Liner Notes” performances, she starred in the theater’s production of Donald Margulies’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Dinner with Friends” and Nora and Delia Ephron’s critically acclaimed “Love, Loss and What I Wore.”
In 2009, she was presented with the Distinction in Theater Award at the annual Backstage at the Geffen event.
Well-known as an actress in roles like “It’s Complicated,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “The Good Wife,” and “Girls,” Wilson’s first love is music.
In May 2012, she realized a lifelong dream with the debut of her solo album AM/FM. The album, released by Decca/Verve Records, is an intimate, elegant and beautifully sung collection of covers of her favorite songs from the 1960s and 1970s.
Since the release of AM/FM, Wilson has been focusing on a new component of her musical career as a songwriter. In March 2016, she released her self-titled second album, showcasing her skill for creating insightful, eloquent singer-songwriter pop music that is etched with stunning honesty. For two years prior to the release, she worked with a host of the finest award-winning and best-selling songwriters and producers in both Los Angeles and Nashville. This new material was prominently featured in her sold-out, two-week residency at the famed Café Carlyle in New York City.
So pip-pip and look for a jolly good show or soothing sounds at a theater near you.