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Paul Simon lending a hand to Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles

Paul Simon performs at the Academy Awards show on March 23, 2003.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Paul Simon will lend his distinctive voice and instrumental talent to the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles at a benefit reading of “As You Like It” that is scheduled for Sept. 22 at the Freud Playhouse at UCLA.

The one-night performance will be hosted by Rita Wilson, who is on the center’s board of directors, and her husband, Tom Hanks.

“As You Like It” will serve as a fundraiser for the center, which has staged productions of Shakespeare’s plays for nearly three decades and has spearheaded educational and veteran initiatives around L.A. The evening will also honor Lisa Paulsen and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a philanthropic organization for the Hollywood community. Tickets for the event begin at $750.

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Additional guest performers are to be announced later. In the past, the center has recruited big-name talent for its annual benefit stagings. Last year’s event featured Paul McCartney in a reading of “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.”

This summer, the center staged “Romeo and Juliet” at the Japanese Garden on the grounds of the VA West Los Angeles Healthcare Center.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT

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