Overview

• James Van Der Beek said two stomach viruses forced him to miss the Sept. 22 event, calling himself “gutted” in an Instagram post.
• He told fans he would be “beaming and receiving from afar” in a bed in Austin and thanked Lin‑Manuel Miranda for stepping up.
• His wife, Kimberly, said she and their children will attend in his place.
• Original cast members including Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson are set for a live reading of the pilot, directed by Jason Moore.
• The fundraiser was organized with producers such as Williams, Thomas Kail, Kevin Williamson and Greg Berlanti, following Van Der Beek’s public Stage 3 colorectal cancer disclosure in 2024.