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The Cast of That Thing You Do is Reuniting for a COVID-19 Fundraiser

The spread of COVID-19 has been devastating in ways big and small, yet it has also brought out the best in people. While the virus has physically separated most of us, it has brought us together in appreciation (and, in some cities, nightly applause) for the astonishing courage and commitment of our healthcare professionals. COVID-19 has also managed to remind us that there are heroes all around us; the folks who work at our grocery stores, clean up our hospitals and clinics and deliver our food. For parents, this pandemic has been yet another reminder of the central importance of teachers in the lives of our children and our society.

This outpouring of appreciation and support has included the entertainment industry. Now we can add The Wonders to this growing list, the fictional band at the center of Tom Hanks 1996 film That Thing You Do. The cast will be gathering virtually this Friday, April 17, for a community watch party to benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. The money raised through the watch party will go to musicians and touring professionals currently out of work due to the coronavirus.

You can join Johnathon Schaech (he plays Jimmy, the lead singer), Steve Zahn (Lenny, guitarist), Tom Everett Scott (Guy Patterson, drummer), and Ethan Embry (T.B. Player, bass) and some other special guests in this virtual conversation to discuss the film. What’s more, this reunion will also pay tribute to a key contributor to the movie, the late, great Adam Schlesinger, who passed away on April 1 from COVID-19. Schlesinger, a bassist for the group Fountains of Wayne, was also a prolific songwriter for film and TV, and the man who penned the title song for That Thing You Do, the one that rocketed The Wonders to the top of the charts in 1964.

You can tune into the livestream of the conversation on YouTube here. If you want to subscribe to the channel early, click here. The conversation begins at 4:00 p.m. PST/7:00 p.m. EST this Friday. You’ll be able to submit your questions in advance or during the conversation. You can also check out who the special guests will be, and other important information, by following the casts’ social media accounts.

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Friday April 17th. 4 pm PST 7 EST on our YouTube channel. Link in bio.

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Featured image: 1996 (l to r) Tom Hanks, Johnathon Schaech, Liv Tyler, Ethan Embry, Tom Everett Scott and Steve Zahn star in the new movie written and directed by Tom Hanks. Photo: 20th Century Fox

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bryan Abrams

Bryan Abrams is the Editor-in-chief of The Credits. He's run the site since its launch in 2012. He lives in New York.

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