Overview
- A staged reading of the show's 1998 pilot was held on September 22 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York to benefit F Cancer.
- James Van Der Beek appeared in a pre-recorded message explaining that recent stomach viruses prevented his attendance after revealing stage 3 colorectal cancer in November 2024.
- Lin-Manuel Miranda took the stage to read Dawson Leery’s role at Van Der Beek’s request.
- Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and other returning cast members participated, while Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, and their six children attended and joined a closing performance of the theme song.
- Coverage highlighted concern about Van Der Beek’s appearance in the video, and no additional treatment details were disclosed.