McSTREAMY.COM (01/07/2015) – The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest theatrical organization in the United States, announces Golden Globe Award winning actress, comedian, producer, writer and best-selling author AMY POEHLER as the recipient of its 2015 Woman of the Year Award. The Pudding is proud to honor a talented and hilarious actress whose brand of comedy fits so well with the Pudding’s own tradition of satire and social commentary.
The Woman of the Year Award is the Hasty Pudding Theatricals oldest honor, bestowed annually on performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment. Established in 1951, the Woman of the Year Award has been given to many notable and talented entertainers, including Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, Elizabeth Taylor, Anne Hathaway, Claire Danes, and most recently, Marion Cotillard and Dame Helen Mirren.
The Woman of the Year festivities, presented by The Related Companies, will begin at 4:00 p.m. on January 29, 2015, when Poehler will lead a parade through the streets of Cambridge. Following the parade, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals will host a celebratory roast for the actress. At 4:30 p.m., Poehler will be presented with her Pudding Pot at Farkas Hall, the Hasty Pudding’s historic home in the heart of Harvard Square since 1888. A press conference will follow the presentation. Afterward, Hasty Pudding cast members will perform several musical numbers from the group’s 167th production, Oops!…Madrid It Again!
“We are extremely excited to announce Amy Poehler as our 2015 Woman of the Year, She is an accomplished performer, incredible comedian, and an inspiration to everyone in the Hasty Pudding,” said Jason Hellerstein, ’15, President of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
“We look forward to welcoming Ms. Poehler and celebrating and honoring her achievements in a truly unique and memorable way,” Hellerstein added.
AMY POEHLER is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and sought after talents. She currently stars on the Emmy-nominated Parks and Recreation as “Leslie Knope,” a role for which she has received much critical acclaim, including a 2014 Golden Globe win and five consecutive Emmy nominations. Poehler can also be seen as the host and producer of her award-winning online series Smart Girls at the Party and will be featured in a number of upcoming film projects, including Sisters alongside Tina Fey and as the voice of “Joy” in Pixar’s next animated film, Inside Out.
Poehler will also return for a third and final time as co-host of the 72nd Golden Globe Awards this January. Poehler spent seven seasons on Saturday Night Live and is a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. Her first book, Yes Please, debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals will announce their Man of the Year at a later date and the recipient will be honored on February 6, 2015.
To purchase tickets to the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 167th production, Oops!…Madrid It Again!, contact the HPT Box Office at 617.495.5205, or order online at the Pudding’s website, www.hastypudding.org.
The production will be performed at Harvard University’s historic Farkas Hall, located at 12 Holyoke Street, starting February 6th. The show continues in Cambridge until March 8th. The company then travels to New York to perform at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse on March 13th and 14th (call 212.772.4448 for tickets). The tour continues to the Hamilton City Hall in Bermuda for performances on March 18th-20th.
ABOUT THE HASTY PUDDING INSTITUTE OF 1770
The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770’s philanthropic mission is to provide educational and developmental support in all aspects of the performing arts for the underprivileged, to encourage satire and comedy, and to cultivate young talent around the world.
The Institute is comprised of The Hasty Pudding Club (the oldest social club in the United States), The Hasty Pudding Theatricals (the third oldest theater group in the world, after the Comedie Francaise and the Oberammergau Passion Players) and the Harvard Krokodiloes (the foremost collegiate a cappella group in the United States).
Over the last two centuries, it has grown into a premiere performing arts organization, a patron of the arts and comedy, and an advocate for satire and discourse as tools for change worldwide.
