Photo credit: Courtesy of KSF
It’s true. Two time Academy Award winner Jack Lemmon was born in an elevator, at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts to be exact. Kevin Spacey told us so at the Under The Lights: A Gala Night With Kevin Spacey and Cal Ripken, Jr. event at Arena Stage. Now it’s not that we didn’t believe Mr. Spacey, but considering his oft duplicitous acting roles (think House of Cards), we googled and verified.
The elevator became symbolic in both of their lives and goes like this: Spacey met Jack when he was a young teenager at a workshop and Lemmon subsequently became his mentor. Lemmon’s philosophy was that you should give back in life and would say that “If you’ve done well in the business you wanted to do well in, it is your obligation to spend a good portion of your time sending the elevator back down.” When the Kevin Spacey Foundation was created, the logo became the universal button you push to send the elevator back down. According to the mission statement of the KSF, Spacey is sending the elevator back down by enabling the creation of new work via KSF Grants, designing educational opportunities through KSF Learning, and offering subsidized university places via KSF Scholarships. “I’d love you to help me keep the elevator moving, and in good working order, so that we can bring along as many passengers as possible.” So send the elevator back down, a little bit of Lemmon goes along way.
Carl Ripken, Jr., Dana Bash and Kevin Spacey
The proceeds of the evening benefited the KSF as well as The Carl Ripken, Sr. Foundation. The latter “helps to build character and teach critical life lessons to disadvantaged young people residing in America’s most distressed communities through baseball and softball-themed programs.”
Together, the two superstars engaged in an evening of conversation moderated by CNN’s Dana Bash as they discussed their careers. Surprisingly – sports, acting and politics are like peas in a pod…..they have a great deal in common.
“I got a text from a friend who was helping organize this and said, ‘Hey would you like to participate?’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding me, of course,’ Dana told Hollywood on the Potomac at the after party. “When I talked about the event earlier it really meant a lot to me. Ripken was such a memorable part of my childhood, when he was a rookie that year, after that we moved out of the DC area. Going and watching him as a rookie and seeing his dad was amazing.” Bash wasn’t sure why she was asked to moderate, since the connection seemed awkward. “I was like, ‘Really? You know I cover politics, right?’ I’m not sure. I’m not sure why they did, but I’m so happy that they did. It was so much fun. It was out of my comfort zone though, that is for sure. And obviously, Kevin Spacey plays the President in House of Cards and we’re in Washington DC where everything is politics so it turned out to be a natural fit. He’s very effective and astute.”
Earlier in the evening Bash discussed Ripen’s remarkable career as one of the best shortstops and third basemen in baseball history holding the record for consecutive games played, 2,632, surpassing Lou Gehrig’s streak of 2,130 that had stood for 56 years and that many deemed unbreakable.“What everyone wants to know is, what was going on inside your head as you were approaching that record. Did you start to suspect that you could potentially break Lou Gehrig’s record?” “Once I got close to 1800-1900 games it seemed to be conceivable,” Ripken replied. “I only felt pressure when it got down to everybody making these plans to celebrate it at home, putting numbers on the board. Right at the end I felt like I needed to finish, but before that it was your job show up and play.”
Carl Ripken, Jr., Dana Bash and Kevin Spacey
“So, I heard you say that if you did not end up in acting, that you might have considered a career in politics, is that right?” Bash asked Spacey to which he suggested it was not too late. “What attracts me to politics is that I was very young when I started working in political campaigns on behalf of the Democratic Party for many years.” He later became friends with President Clinton. “But, to answer the question, I so believe in public service, and I think it is particularly hard now for young people to see and look at our political process, and be inspired by it. Anyone who runs for office should probably have three qualities – humility, compassion and the ability to inspire. I am fascinated by the world of politics.” As you may have guessed, there was no way that The Donald was going to be left out of this conversation. Bash asked if there was a debate between Donald Trump and Frank Underwood (fictitious President in House of Cards), who would win that debate? “I do not think that Donald would make it to a debate cause Frank would kill him.” We’re not really sure why Supreme Court Justice (the surprise guest) showed up, but maybe was on hand to make sure no one got killed during the conversation or taking the subway on the way home, like Frank Underwood did to a reporter in House of Cards. We called for an Uber.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Carl Ripken, Jr., Kevin Spacey and Dana Bash
Guests enjoyed an After Party on the rooftop where the stars mingled and chatted in between various dishes of pasta and pizza. We chowed down with comedian Chris Distefano who opened the show and is considered to be one of Comedy Centrals’ Comics to Watch. “My mom was working in the World Financial Center so she he was in the World Trade Center that day (9/11) for business, but everything was okay. I could see people upset and just tried to cheer them up through laughter, trying to do my bit. We were just talking. I was making them laugh and one of the teachers in the school, Brother [Regis?), told me the next week: ‘You know you have a gift. In that tragedy, you were just making everyone laugh and making them forget about their pain a little bit.’ He’s like ‘I think you should do something with comedy.’ And that’s when I first thought like ‘oh wow, maybe’ but then I actually didn’t get on stage as a stand-up comic until 2009, so 8 years later.” Distefano was an only child and lived with his mother after her divorce. “I think that if I had brothers and sisters, though, I don’t know if I would have pursued stand-up because being an only child I had to entertain myself, so I created all these personalities and all these ways to entertain myself that I think I’m capitalizing on.”
Comedian Chris Distefano Photo credit: Janet Donovan
We asked him how he thought he did tonight…..”I’m not sure how I did. They were both hilarious. They’re both such great speakers and Kevin Spacey was very inspirational because it was just like … all the stories he was talking about … he just went out and went after his dream and became a huge success. I hope to do so one day. He’s an amazing guy. It was an honor to be a part of it all and to get to talk to him and hopefully get a chance to say goodbye to him. I’m going back to New York tonight. From here I have a show coming out on Thursday. It’s called “Benders”. It’s my first acting work. It’s about a Brooklyn Heights hockey team. I’m on shows on MTV. The shows are called “Guy Code” and “Girl Code.” I do stand-up. I have a website, chrisdcomedy.com. November 7th I’ll be performing at the Boston Garden for Comics Come Home. It’s Dennis Leary, Jimmy Fallon, Louis CK, Ray Romano and then they have a guy at my level do the show so I’m honored to be a part of that.” We think he is doing just fine! You see, someone sent the elevator back down.
Senator Susan Collins with Lynly Boor and Tommy Quinn Photo credit: Janet Donovan
We couldn’t help but notice how cheery Senator Susan Collins (D. Maine) was so we asked her how any one could be that happy after just coming off the ‘floor’ in Congress. “I am very happy,” she told us. “It has been a big fight but this Bill will fund Government until the middle of December and that means no Government shut down as long as the House follows the Senates example. What I am happy about is it passed overwhelmingly. It passed 75 to 17, so that is a very good sign for avoiding a shut down, which I think would be a disaster.” The Bill passed yesterday. We also asked her if Speaker Boehner should get some credit for that. “He does indeed. I worried that he may have sacrificed his career.” We’re thinking maybe the Pope’s address to Congress had something to do with it…..you know, the ‘can’t we just all be friends’ kind of thing……..a kinder, gentler kind of nation thing.
Melissa Maxfield chaired the event. “I met Kevin a year ago and I got involved about six months before that as a co-chair of the Spacey Foundation. Then they asked me if I would be willing to be the chair for the Spacey side for this year, so that is how I got involved. I grew up in Louisiana and then Florida and my mother used to take me to New York and here to Washington to The Kennedy Center, to the theater, a lot Broadway. I think it is a great idea to help others once you get to a certain place, no matter what career you have, to always reach down and leave the ladder down or send the elevator back up. I always find it interesting when you mix sports, entertainment and maybe a little bit of politics. And you think that they have nothing to do with each other, but then you realize when you are listening that they are similar in their own ways. I just love hearing how dedicated each of them, Cal and Kevin, are to their causes but also in supporting each other while one is theatrical in the arts and the other is sports.”
Jennie and Mark Shriver Photo credit: Janet Donovan
“I would love to know what your thoughts are about this sort of idea that once you become so super famous, like you both are, that you become isolated,” Dana asked the guests of honor. “I was trying to figure that out because we’re part of a team all the time,” answered Ripken. “There are a lot of individual responsibilities that you have and no one can help you when you’re carrying your own plate. No one can help you when the ground ball comes to you. But that’s how you make it all work together and how you reach out.”
So how did this evening come about? “Well, we started working together last year,” Kevin Spacey told Hollywood on the Potomac. “We did an event together, a workshop with young kids called Home Grown. He uses sports and baseball in particular as a way to reach out to young people; and I use the arts and theater as a way to reach out to young people. We thought that coming together and doing something like last year would was very valuable. So we decided again that this year, rather than doing something separate for each for our individual charities, we would come together.”
We had our nightcap at home, thanks to Wine and Spirits Wholesalers. And thank you KSF for the two engraved glasses!
The Kevin Spacey Foundation
The Carl Ripken, Sr. Foundation
