LOS ANGELES, CA March 31, 2004 --/World-Wire/-- Tom Hanks will serve as "Ringmaster" and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as keynote speaker at NRDC's (Natural Resources Defense Council) biennial fundraiser "Earth to L.A.!--The Greatest Show on the Earth," Thursday, May 6, 2004 at the Wadsworth Theatre in Brentwood, California. The irreverent evening of music, message and comedy is expected to raise $2 million to advance NRDC's mission to safeguard the Earth's natural resources. That would far surpass the event's two previous benchmarks.

The live show will include standup comedy, dynamic musical performances and sharp-edged commentary and appearances by Jack Black, Sheryl Crow, Larry David, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Ferrell, Ali G, Diane Keaton, Willie Nelson and Meg Ryan.

"This promises to be a great night for everyone else," said Larry David, a chair of the fundraiser with his wife, the evening's co-producer, Laurie David.

In addition to Laurie and Larry David, the event chairs for "Earth to L.A.!" are Cindy Horn, Jim Wiatt and NRDC trustees Alan Horn, Peter Morton and Elizabeth Wiatt, who is co-producing the evening. Emmy Award-winning producer Joel Gallen is overseeing production, and Academy Award-nominated designer Michael Riva will once again create the sets.

"We have a very ambitious financial goal of $2 million for 'Earth to LA' because the stakes have never been higher," said Elizabeth Wiatt, NRDC trustee and event co-chair. Wiatt co-founded NRDC's Action and Executive Forums, which lobby the government on environmental issues. "Today, our air, water and wild land are under siege, and NRDC is one of the last lines of defense."

Ralph Lauren Fragrances is the premier sponsor of the event. Underwriters include Warner Bros., MTV Networks, HBO and Village Roadshow Pictures.

"Earth to L.A.!" will raise awareness about a number of environmental problems, especially global warming. "It's time for us to demand a separation between oil and state," said Leonardo DiCaprio, an NRDC trustee. "The only way to slow global warming is to stop treating our atmosphere like a sewer, and that means breaking our destructive addiction to petroleum."

NRDC's lawyers, scientists and policy analysts are often described as the most effective environmental advocates in the nation. In 2002, NRDC went to federal court with other environmental groups and blocked the Bush administration from allowing oil exploration in thousands of acres of public wild lands next to Arches National Park in Utah.

In 2003, NRDC won a federal court case stopping the worldwide deployment of a Navy sonar system that would have blasted the oceans with noise so intense it could maim, deafen and kill whales.

In 2004, NRDC forced the Port of Los Angeles to create the "greenest" shipping terminal in the country, which will cut tons of air pollution from Southern California's skies and serve as a model for other ports to follow.

"We're not just going to raise a lot of money," said NRDC trustee Laurie David, who created "Earth to L.A.!" four years ago. "We're going to put more than 90 cents of every dollar raised straight into our environmental programs, and we are going to turn the evening's guests into activists to join NRDC in the battle to protect the planet."

NRDC's purpose is to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. In 1970, when there were few environmental laws on the books to protect our water, air and wilderness, several leading attorneys identified the need to create a law firm with one client--the Earth. For over 30 years, NRDC has helped craft and pass some of the nation's key environmental statutes, including the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

NRDC's strategy is to get results using the most effective tools available, whether it's working with the construction industry to promote wood-efficient building techniques, or mobilizing public opinion to force the Environmental Protection Agency to enact stricter guidelines to protect children from harmful chemicals. Today, NRDC has more than 1 million members and e-activists nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Santa Monica and San Francisco. For more information visit www.nrdc.org.

For ticket information to "Earth to L.A.!" please contact, Harvin Rogas (310) 559-9334, ext. 162 Ticket prices start at $500.

Media Contacts: (Event) Jason Padgitt, ROGERS & COWAN,(310) 201-8840 jpadgitt@rogersandcowan.com or Eileen Thompson, (310) 201-8837 eithompson@rogersandcowan.com