The late, great Robin Williams.
Nine years ago today, Mill Valley residents were devastated to learn of the death of Robin Williams, the legendary comedian and actor and longtime Mill Valley fixture.
Word of the tragic loss sparked tributes from around the world, as well as tributes close to home, including at the Mill Valley Film Festival, where some of Williams’ old friends and standup comedy veterans shared tales of their time with him, as well as outside the Throckmorton Theatre, where Williams often popped in for unannounced sets that left audiences delirious and exhausted and made surprise performances at Mark Pitta & Friends Tuesday Comedy Night and even Comedy in the Plaza. The Marin County Bicycle Coalition organized a “Robin’s Ride” around his treasured Paradise Loop, and Caltrans even named the much-loved Rainbow Tunnel after Williams in 2016.
But many have often wondered why there’s only a rainbow on the tunnel entry heading south. “I’ve driven through that tunnel literally thousands of times and I’ve always thought: Why isn’t there a rainbow on the other side?” Boe Hayward, a political strategist and San Francisco native told the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Peter Hartlaub last month. “Heading north you see the rainbow and love it. And as I head south I always think, ‘Did they run out of paint? What happened?’ ”
“Our Creative Inspiration Fund in honor of Robin Williams provides essential support for emerging and established talent,” Throckmorton Theatre founder Lucy Mercer says. “It allows us to offer artists the opportunity to take risks, to develop new material and think outside the box. It allows us to produce innovative craft that builds relationships and aims high. It allows us to provide our audiences with the rich experience of seeing artists honoring and carrying forward the tradition of offering a platform to emerging talent and letting them soar. On this, the 72nd anniversary of his birth, we honor Robin Williams with a celebration of joy, creativity and community.”
Michael’s sensational standup comedy billed him onstage with Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Dana Carvey and Whoopi Goldberg including a guest appearance on an Emmy Award winning episode of “Taxi.” He played venues such as Caesar’s, The Comedy Store, Universal Amphitheater and opening for such names as Diana Ross, the Grateful Dead, Kenny Rogers, Mike McDonald and Boz Scaggs. He’s done voice work for Star Wars Episodes and Sesame Street. But Michael rejected offers from Hollywood to focus on using his comic talents for inspiring youth and adults.
As a result of his work, Michael Pritchard has been featured on CNN, NBC’s “The Today Show”, “The Tonight Show”, CBS “Sunday Morning” with Charles Kuralt, “Time” magazine and “People” magazine. His seven educational series for PBS and distribution have been seen by millions and focuses on youth guidance in the areas of violence prevention. “The Power of Choice,” “You Can Choose”, and “Big Changes, Big Choices.”
For more information on Michael and his powerful work, please visit his website.
Tix are $95 for general admission, $125 for a reserved seat and $225 for VIP.
Can’t attend the party?
You can still celebrate with a tax deductible donation in support of the Creative Inspiration Fund in honor of Robin Williams.