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Whoopi Goldberg
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Hire Whoopi Goldberg for Your Event
We Help You Hire and Book Whoopi Goldberg
Celebrity Direct Inc. will help you select, book and hire Whoopi Goldberg to perform at your corporate event, nonprofit event or private performance.
We are always uniquely positioned as your advocate throughout the hiring process and we won’t let you overpay.
Contact us for availability, price and other production details at:
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Whoopi Goldberg Bio
Whoopi Goldberg began performing at age eight in New York with the Children’s Program at the Hudson guild and the Helena Rubinstein Children’s Theatre. In 1975, she moved to San Diego, where she appeared in the San Diego Repertory theatre’s productions of Bertold Brecht’s “Mother courage” and Marsha Norman’s “Getting Out,” and honed her comedic skills as part of an improvisational group called Spontaneous Combustion.
Later, she moved to the Bay Area and joined the Blake Street Hawkeyes Theatre in Berkeley, partnered
with David Schein. Moving shortly into solo performances, Goldberg created “The Spook Show,” which she performed in San Francisco and then toured throughout the United States and Europe. It was at 1983 performance of that show, performed at the Dance Theatre Workshop in New York, that Whoopi caught the attention of Mike Nichols, who offered to present her in her own Broadway show. An evening of original material, written and created by Whoopi, the show opened to the Lyceum Theatre to critical acclaim. She later taped the show for an HBO special, “Whoopi Goldberg: Direct From Broadway” and the record album of her Broadway show won a Grammy Award as Best Comedy Recording of the Year in 1985.
Her Broadway show also turned out to be an audition for Steven Spielberg, who was casting film version of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple.” Before making her auspicious motion picture debut in “The Color Purple,” Whoopi briefly returned to San Francisco to star as the legendary Moms Mabley in “Moms,” a one-person show which she co-wrote, based on the late comedienne’s original material.
“The Color Purple” launched Whoopi Goldberg’s film career and, in addition to an Oscar nomination, earned her the 1985 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Dramatic Motion Picture, as well as the NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. Since “The Color Purple,” Whoopi has starred in such motion pictures as “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Burglar,” “Fatal Beauty” (for which she won a second Image Award), “Clara’s Heart,” “Ghost,” “The Long Walk Home” (earning her a third Image Award), “Soapdish” and Robert Altman’s “The Player.”
Whoopi’s performance as Oda Mae Brown in “Ghost” — the highest-grossing movie of 1990 — earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the Golden Globe Award, the NAACP Image Award, the British Academy (BAFTA) Award, the Movie Award, an American Comedy Award and the Saturn Award
(presented by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films).
Whoopi starred in the 1992 box-office hit “Sister Act,” which to date has grossed over $300 million worldwide and garnered her yet another Golden Globe Award nomination and the NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, in addition to winning the Image Award for Motion Picture of the Year. Her film credits also include her Image Award-nominated performance in “Sarafina!,” “Made in America,” “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” and “Corrina, Corrina.”
In 1992, Whoopi made her debut as a talk show host with “The Whoopi Goldberg Show,” her own syndicated half-hour late-night talk show. She hosted the “34th Annual Grammy Awards” in 1992, as well as ABC’s “A Gala For the President at Ford’s Theatre” in 1993, 1994 and 1998. On March 21, 1994,
Whoopi hosted “The 66th Annual Academy Awards” — the highest rated special of the 1993-94 television season – for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award. Whoopi returned to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1996 to host “The 68th Annual Academy Awards’ telecast, for which she earned rave reviews and another Emmy nomination.
In 1987, Whoopi, Billy Crystal and Robin Williams co-hosted HBO’s now-historic “Comic Relief” benefit for the nation’s homeless. Following “Comic Relief II,” the trio has hosted “Comic Relief III-VIII,” raising a cumulative total of more than $40 million. Whoopi also took part in the televised “Hurricane Relief” benefit to aid victims of Hurricane Andrew.
Whoopi toured her one-woman show, “Living on the Edge of Chaos,” throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia and, in August, 1988, she performed a television special for HBO Comedy Hour, titled “Whoopi Goldberg’s Fontaine… Why Am I Straight?” her second comedy album, “Fontaine… Why
Am I Straight?,” was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 1990, prior to embarking on her SRO six-week tour of Australia and New Zealand, Whoopi hosted yet another special for HBO Comedy Hour, “Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Connolly in Performance,” followed by “Whoopi Goldberg: Chez Whoopi” in 1991.
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How do I hire Whoopi Goldberg for a private event, corporate event, nonprofit gala or convention?
To hire Whoopi Goldberg for a private or corporate performance, the event buyer must first determine whether the artist is available and interested in the proposed engagement and then submit an offer through the appropriate authorized representative. The offer typically includes the event date and location, type of event, proposed performance format and fee.
Celebrity Direct represents event buyers throughout this process, including availability inquiries, offer strategy, negotiation, contracting, rider review and production coordination.
How much does it cost to hire Whoopi Goldberg for a private or corporate event?
There is no single published fee to hire Whoopi Goldberg for a private or corporate event. The performance fee is negotiated for the specific engagement and can vary based on the date, location, event type, performance format, travel requirements, current touring activity and other circumstances surrounding the event.
Celebrity Direct can obtain current availability and pricing from the appropriate artist representative for a specific event.
What total budget should I expect when hiring Whoopi Goldberg?
The total cost of presenting Whoopi Goldberg can be higher than the negotiated artist performance fee. Depending on the engagement, additional expenses can include airfare or private aviation, hotels, local transportation, sound, lighting, staging, backline, labor, hospitality and other requirements contained in the artist’s rider.
For this reason, event buyers should evaluate the all-in cost of the performance, not simply the artist fee, before making an offer.
How can I find out if Whoopi Goldberg is available for my event date?
Whoopi Goldberg’s availability for a private or corporate event must be confirmed through the appropriate authorized representative. Availability can depend on touring and recording commitments, personal scheduling, event location, travel requirements and whether the artist is interested in the particular engagement.
Celebrity Direct can submit the event details, check availability and determine whether an offer is appropriate.
How do I contact Whoopi Goldberg’s booking agent about a private performance?
A corporate, nonprofit or private-event buyer generally does not need to locate Whoopi Goldberg’s booking agent personally. An experienced talent buyer can identify the appropriate authorized representative, present the event professionally and manage the inquiry and offer process on the buyer’s behalf.
Celebrity Direct handles this process for its clients and represents the event buyer rather than the artist.
How do I contact Whoopi Goldberg’s manager about hiring them for an event?
Artist management is not necessarily the appropriate first contact for negotiating a private performance. Celebrity engagements are generally handled through the artist’s authorized booking representation, management or another designated representative depending on the circumstances.
Celebrity Direct determines the appropriate contact for the proposed engagement and handles the communication and negotiation for the event buyer.
Will Whoopi Goldberg perform at a corporate event, convention, nonprofit gala or private party?
Whether Whoopi Goldberg will consider a particular private or corporate performance depends on their availability, the nature and location of the event, the proposed performance, the financial offer and artist approval. Celebrity artists are not simply available for every event at a published price.
A legitimate inquiry should therefore include enough information about the event for the artist’s representatives to evaluate the opportunity.
What information do I need before asking about hiring Whoopi Goldberg?
Before requesting availability or pricing for Whoopi Goldberg, an event buyer should ideally know the event date, city and venue, type of event, expected attendance, desired performance format and approximate entertainment budget.
Providing these details allows the artist’s representatives to evaluate the engagement and allows an experienced talent buyer to recommend the most effective offer strategy.
Does the quoted artist fee include travel and production?
Usually, the artist’s performance fee should not be assumed to represent the complete cost of the engagement. Travel, hotels, ground transportation, production, equipment, labor and hospitality requirements may be additional obligations of the buyer depending on the negotiated contract and rider.
The contract and rider should be reviewed before the event buyer determines the final entertainment budget.
Can Celebrity Direct handle the complete Whoopi Goldberg booking and production process?
Celebrity Direct can represent the event buyer throughout a celebrity entertainment engagement, including determining availability, developing the offer, negotiating with the artist’s authorized representative, reviewing contracts and riders, coordinating production requirements and assisting with the performance through event day.
Unlike an artist’s agent or manager, Celebrity Direct works on the buyer’s side of the transaction, helping the event planner understand the financial, contractual and production obligations involved in presenting celebrity talent.
The Celebrity Booking Process
How Do I Hire a Celebrity for a Corporate or Private Event?
Submit a request
Submit our website form. We’ll ask you to provide a few key event details and budget goals
Consultation call
We’ll schedule a call to discuss your event goals, offering our expert guidance on expectations
Talent Curation
We Identify a shortlist of available talent, factoring in tour schedules, to ensure accurate recommendations
Narrow it Down
We’ll help you rank and narrow down your top 3 priority picks
The Firm Offer
We craft a formal offer and present it to the Artist
Contract + Deposit
If the offer is accepted, we issue your agreement. If declined, we move to your next preferred choice.
Why Work With Us
Not Just a Booking. A Full-Scale Production.
Booking a celebrity is only part of the equation. We build the entire experience around it.
We handle:
- Artist negotiation and contracting
- All production: staging, lighting, sound, technical riders
- Event logistics and show advancement
- VIP coordinators, security, and confidentiality
You get:
- A seasoned producer and booking advisor in one
- A direct line to the decision-makers behind the artist
- A one-stop solution from inquiry to showtime
- Peace of mind knowing every detail is managed