A U. S. Dept. of Peace? Cast and Crew of 'In Your Dreams' Casts Its Vote With Joaquin Phoenix, Flea and 73 Members of Congress in Support
Underdog competitor to Disney Channel’s “High School Musical” additionally lauds Susan Sarandon, Dick Gregory and Sean Penn for July 4th Hunger Strike for Peace.
New York, NY (PRWEB) July 6, 2006
The cast and crew of the hot new teen musical “In Your Dreams,” the underdog challenger to Disney Channel’s “High School Musical,” has issued a statement joining Joaquin Phoenix, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and others in the Broadway and Hollywood entertainment communities, in support of the creation of a Cabinet level U. S. Dept. of Peace in the federal government.
Messages of support for the creation of a U. S. Dept. of Peace from Joaquin Phoenix and "In Your Dreams" creator Zeke Farrow can be heard at this link: http://inyourdreamsonline. com/ (http://inyourdreamsonline. com/)
The text of the "In Your Dreams" announcement is as follows:
“Today, on the birthday of our great nation, the cast and crew of ‘In Your Dreams,’ including myself personally, urges the Broadway entertainment community, and the entertainment community nationwide, to speak up on behalf of this proposal for the creation of a Department of Peace -– a proposal that currently has the support of 73 members of the U. S. House of Representatives, and two members of the U. S. Senate, and has additionally been supported by resolutions of the city councils of Atlanta and San Jose, among others.
“The Department of Peace legislation -- House Resolution 3760, Senate Resolution 1756, the 'Department of Peace and Nonviolence Act' -- would allocate $10 billion, the equivalent of just 2 percent of the national defense budget, to establish a Department of Peace. It would include a cabinet level adviser to the president and a Peace Academy similar to West Point, where students could learn conflict resolution techniques to deal with issues ranging from war to prison rehabilitation and bullying in schools.
“This effort is part of an international effort to establish departments of peace in other countries has caught on in Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and Costa Rica.
"Surveys conducted in other countries of the world -- such as France, Denmark and England -- show that people in those countries believe that America is currently the Number One threat to the future stability of the globe -- putting us even ahead of Iran as a threat to peace. The creation of a Department of Peace would serve to reassure people in other countries of America’s true desire for peace.
"In conclusion, the cast and crew of 'In Your Dreams' wishes you all a happy, healthy and safe Fourth of July holiday -- and we hope to hear you all speaking out in support of this important issue this coming July Fourth, our nation’s latest birthday.”
Farrow urges some of the leading lights of the American entertainment community -- respected and vocal entertainers such as Susan Sarandon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rosie O’Donnell, Bette Midler, Ashley Olsen, Michael Eisner, Morgan Fairchild, Star Jones, Lindsay Lohan, Idina Menzel, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Zac Posen, Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Barbra Streisand, Nathan Lane, Matthew Perry, Roseanne Barr, Hilary Duff, Matthew Broderick, Joan Rivers, Beyonce Knowles, Diane von Furstenberg, Lenny Kravitz, Cher, and others -- to consider taking a moment today to speak out on this issue to raise its public profile.
Farrow believes that vocal support from other Young Hollywood stars like Andrew Seeley, Lucas Grabeel, Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Zac Efron and Monique Coleman would also help raise the visibility of this important legislation. "Imagine the impact that an endorsement of a U. S. Dept. of Peace by respected Young Hollywood stars such as these could have on America's youth," says Farrow. "Free speech is one of the most effective tools we can use to make positive change occur. Don't ever underestimate it."
Despite its support by 73 members of Congress, the creation of a U. S. Dept. of Peace is an issue that the mainstream media has failed to adequately cover. "In some countries, even in Europe, over half of the population perceive America to be a warmonger and a threat to peace," Farrow says. "Let's show them we can be peacemongers as well. Let's show the world we know how to make peace break out -- and not just war."
Farrow says he also supports the presidential ambitions of well-known actress Amy Sedaris, who is expected to throw her hat into the race for U. S. president shortly. "Although she is an admitted flag-burner, she claims she never inhaled, and I for one believe her," Farrow says. "And an off-year presidential candidacy is just the ticket for Amy -- the field is much less cluttered then." (But Farrow is a big fan of his own political creation, Congresswoman Sherri Davis, as well. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=lJ1GTXO0U14 (http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=lJ1GTXO0U14) http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=0KcHkLtqry0 (http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=0KcHkLtqry0)
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Farrow's "In Your Dreams” is a large-scale, splashy, teen musical with just a dash of political satire. The stage version of “In Your Dreams” will see a showcase production at Ars Nova, the famed Manhattan performance incubator, in early October. http://broadwayworld. com/viewcolumn. cfm? colid=9263 (http://broadwayworld. com/viewcolumn. cfm? colid=9263)
What is helping to fuel the “In Your Dreams Express” are its 13 ingeniously lyrical songs, performed by a number of top Broadway singers, including “Trailer Park’s” Drama Desk-nominated Leslie Kritzer, “Wicked’s” Laura Bell Bundy, “Les Miserable’s” Jodie Langel, “Little Shop of Horror’s” Kerry Butler, “Thoroughly Modern Millie’s” Gavin Creel, “Hairspray’s” Jackie Hoffman, “The Full Monty’s” Sloan Just, and Anika Larsen, Danny Rocket and Anthony Rapp from “Rent.” Rhythm and blues artist Shayna Steele is also a contributor. http://myspace. com/inyourdreamsthemusical (http://myspace. com/inyourdreamsthemusical)
Among those in the entertainment industry with a growing awareness of the significant market value that a theater-distributed rival to Disney’s cable-based “High School Musical” has to offer are Paul Bricault, Johnny Levin, Jerry Della Femina, Ken Lombard, Steve Tihanyi, Tricia Bouzigard, Mark Dowley, Brian Goldner, Lori Sale, Lisa Jacobson, Shepardson Stein & Kaminsky, Sarah Warda, Tim Mades, Lenny Stern, Peter Benedek, Darren Star, Philip Anshutz; Mark Platt; Michael Patrick King, Daniel Battsek, Elizabeth McCann; Adam Shankman, Matt McQueen, Arc Worldwide, Suzanne Kyba, Susan Wayne, Euro RSCG, Steve Wax, McKinney & Silver, Hank Wasiak, The Concept Farm, Gregg Wasiak, Chelsea Films, Gardner Nelson Partners, Kevin Roddy, Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Wunderman Interactive, David Sable, Tina Miletich, Andy Rutberg, Jason Kuperman, Jeremy Pagden, Tequila, Matt Freeman, Tribal DDB, RMG Connect, Philip Greenfield, Kevin Wassong, Ken Hamm, Bob Greenberg, R/GA, Carla Hendra, Bill Gray, Jan Leth, Chris Wall, David Apicella, OgilvyInteractive, OgilvyOne, Penny Marshall, Garry Marshall, Rosie O’Donnell, Bette Midler, General Mills, Nick Pahade, Nathan Lane, Gary Kagawa, Michael Emerson, Pam Larrick, FCBI, Jack Nolan, Junichiro Koizumi, Graham Mills, Laura Lang, George Tannenbaun, Thomas Tull and Scott Mednick of Legendary Pictures; and Vanessa Taylor and Sarah Jessica Parker at Pretty Matches Productions, which is currently producing “The Washingtonienne,” an HBO sit-com about a beautiful Senatorial intern employee who helps constituents stand tall.
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