Life has been pretty darned exciting recently for two Denver-area families after star-studded adventures took them to Broadway and Washington, D.C., respectively.
The Broadway experience belongs to Max Farnsworth Murray and Jim Murray. Max’s daughter, Cathryn Farnsworth of Los Angeles, has had an 11-year friendship with Dan Lauria. When Lauria, the actor best known for his role as the father on TV’s “The Wonder Years,” landed the title role in “Lombardi,” the Murrays spent a few days in New York for preview performances at Circle in the Square Theatre. The biodrama based on the life of football’s legendary Vince Lombardi opened Oct. 21 to mixed reviews.
A highlight of their trip was a pre-show dinner that the Murrays and their daughter enjoyed with her young son, Julian Farnsworth, and Lauria at Joe Allen Restaurant on West 46th Street.
Lauria is Julian Farnsworth’s godfather; Wendie Malick, currently starring in TV’s “Hot in Cleveland,” is his godmother.
Judith Light, who plays Lombardi’s wife, also joined them for dinner.
In addition to a friendship with the Murrays, Lauria’s ties to Denver also include frequent visits to lead workshops for up-and-coming actors.
Bren and Tim Wolfe, meanwhile, traveled to Washington, D.C., so that Bren, founder of , could be recognized as one of the 2010 Angels in Adoption at a gala at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The 800-plus guests included such celebrities as Danny DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman, and Kristin Chenoweth. Chenoweth, who has appeared in the television show “Pushing Daisies” and in such movies as “Running with Scissors” and “Four Christmases,” is adopted.
Wolfe and her husband, general manager of the Sheraton West Hotel, adopted their daughter, Zoe, from an orphanage in rural China.
U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman nominated Bren Wolfe for the honor given by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. Recipients are those whose contributions have made a national impact. is a post-adoption support website that reaches nearly 50,000 adoptive families a month, providing a comprehensive network of resources that helps adoptive parents with issues ranging from trauma, attachment and bonding to multicultural integration.
Wolfe also will be recognized at a reception that begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Strings. Sign up at .
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, davidson and GetItWrite on Twitter
