Actor, director, and musician Gary Sinise will help California State University, Stanislaus kick off a series of special 50th Anniversary celebrations on Saturday, October 25 with a benefit concert featuring his “Lieutenant Dan Band.”
Sinise, a noted actor probably best known for his role as “Lieutenant Dan” in the 1994 movie “Forrest Gump” and for his current starring role on the CBS television series “CSI:NY,” will be the featured guest of honor and performer on October 25 for the CSU Stanislaus 50th Anniversary Inaugural Gala. After the Gala dinner, Sinise will head to the University Amphitheatre for an 8:30 p.m. concert headlined by the “Lieutenant Dan Band.”
Tickets for the concert, available through TicketWeb.com listed under Gary Sinise, are priced at $35 general admission, $25 for University faculty, staff, and military veterans, and $20 for CSU Stanislaus students. For more information and a link to the Ticket.web ticket purchasing site, visit www.csustan.edu/50th, or contact the CSU Stanislaus Division of University Advancement at (209) 667-3131. Tickets are also available at the CSU Stanislaus campus bookstore.
Gala tickets, which include a reception, dinner, and concert tickets, are $250 per person. Table sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of levels. Contact University Advancement at (209) 667-3131 for information.
The Lt. Dan Band is named after the character Sinise portrayed in “Forrest Gump,” a role that earned him an Academy Award nomination. The band was co-founded by Sinise and Kimo Williams who first worked with him as composer for a Steppenwolf Theatre production of “Streetcar Named Desire.” Sinise and some high school friends in Highland Park, Illinois, founded the famous Steppenwolf Theatre Company that later moved to Chicago. One of Sinise’s high school classmates who performed in productions with him at that level was CSU Stanislaus Theatre Professor John Mayer, and both have continued as lifelong friends.
Sinise’s talents with the bass guitar and numerous jam sessions led to the formation of the band which has since completed five tours for the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO) and performs regularly for troops stationed around the world, including in Iraq, as well as for a number of charities. Sinise and the band have since committed themselves to supporting the USO and troops stationed overseas to show their support for members of the U.S. armed forces. The Lt. Dan Band plays a diversity of music ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Linkin Park, from Aretha Franklin to Jimi Hendrix.
Sinise’s credits are extensive, spanning over two decades as an actor and director on the big screen, television, and stage. He started his career on television in shows such as “General Hospital” and “Knot’s Landing” and has played the role of Detective Mac Taylor in “CSI:NY” since 2004. Sinise gained critical acclaim on the stage, directed and produced movies, and followed his hit performance in “Forrest Gump” with starring roles in movies such as “Apollo 13.” Married to actress Moira Harris since 1981 and father of three children, Sinise has provided his voice for a number of children’s animated shows.