Forest Lawn dreams up a celebration for King

Gary Moskowitz

Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills will, for the first time, celebrate

the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week at a special event

that highlights the civil-rights leader’s famous “I Have a Dream”

speech.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be at 4

p.m. Sunday at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive.

“It will be a joyous occasion,” Community Relations Director Paula

Boger said. “We are celebrating his birthday, and the community

should come and observe this great man with us. This is the first

[Martin Luther King Jr.] event, and it will be special.”

The event will begin in the Hall of Liberty Auditorium with a

reading of the “I Have a Dream” speech by actor, comic, Producer and

Director Ken Sagoes, who appeared in the Coen brothers’ film

“Intolerable Cruelty.”

Tony Award-winner Virginia Capers, who has appeared in “A Raisin

in the Sun” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” will also make an

appearance. The emcee will be U.S. Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald,

the Democratic chairwoman of the Congressional Caucus on Women’s

Issues.

The Hollywood Mass Choir will provide music throughout the event.

The 70-member gospel choir is an interracial, interdeno-

minational, intergenerational group founded and directed by Los

Angeles County public defender Patrick Hare.

The International Children’s Choir of Long Beach will provide

additional music and dance during the celebration. The children in

the choir will wear costumes that represent their cultural heritage.

“It will be a very uplifting day,” Boger said. “[Martin Luther

King Jr.] was a true American hero. We want to honor his life and

legacy.”