Lights, Camera, Action!

Welcome to 2009, friends! I hope your year is off to a great start! We have some must-attend events coming up that I would like to share with you!

On Sunday, February 22nd, hold onto your hats or wigs for the annual Oscar party called “On the Red Carpet” which will benefit the Center on Halsted. This exciting event will be like being under the big top with performances during commercials and red carpet interviews starting at 6 p.m. The Oscar telecast will begin at 7 p.m. The Billie Jean King Recreational Hall will be transformed into a glamorous ballroom and an extensive and varied menu will be provided by The Entertaining Company. Bid on silent auction items and maybe even win one of the wonderful raffle prizes which will include a five-day trip for two to the home of the Oscars - Beverly Hills! Another wonderful raffle item is a set of Van Cleef and Arpels gold and mother-of-pearl Alhambra cufflinks. The raffle tickets are one for $10 and three for $25. Event tickets are $75 for general admission which includes a raffle ticket, four drink tickets and hors d’oeuvres. Premiere seating tickets are $125 and include all of the above plus premiere seating for the Oscar telecast and $1,500 table sponsors include all of the above plus a table with champagne service throughout the evening. Event co-chairs are Mike Demetria, Kenny Huang, Wayne Harth and Gregory Hyder. To order tickets, please visit www.centeronhalsted.org  or call Donna Williams at (773) 472—6469 ext. 176. We still need silent auction items so if you can help, please contact Donna at the number above. See you on the red carpet!! Photo: top right, "On the Red Carpet" poster; bottom left, the Center on Halsted.
 
And along these lines, did you see the Golden Globes this past Sunday? Hands down Eva Longoria Parker’s dramatic red Reem Acra dress stole the show! Next up was Drew Barrymore’s grey chiffon Galliano gown - fit for a Hollywood princess! I also loved Anna Paquin’s win for “Best Actress in a Drama” for the hot, sexy series “True Blood” and the most “Incredible Bling" award goes to Beyonce who had on the most fabulous diamond bib necklace! And my favorite line of the night came from “Best Actor” Mickey Rourke, who thanked his dogs “because when you’re alone, that’s all you got.” Photos: top right, Eva Longoria Parker in Reem Acra gown, Verdura earrings and Daniel Swarovski clutch; bottom left, Beyonce in Elie Saab Haute Couture gown and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.

Next up is an event for the Joffrey Ballet on Friday, February 20th called “Shelley Does Sinatra…Her Way.” Beautiful chanteuse Shelley MacArthur Farley will be performing in the Empire Room with the Bradley Williams Orchestra at the Palmer House Hilton. Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 8 p.m. and the performance at 9:30 p.m. The event is black tie and will offer three incredible live auction packages which will include VIP trips to the Masters and the Pointe (a former Roc Resort) plus a New York package with tickets to the David Letterman Show. NetJets, an event sponsor, will provide private transportation and first-class airfare will be provided by United Airlines. Tickets are $500 per person, $5,000 for tables of 10 and $10,000 for premier tables. There are many male entertainers who do Sinatra on a regular basis but I know Shelley will definitely be doing it “her way” and it should not be missed! For tickets and more information, please contact Julia Jankowski at (312) 386-8921 or visit www.Joffrey.org. Photo: top right, Shelley MacArthur Farley (photo by Manarchy Photography); bottom left, The Joffrey Ballet.  

Now, what are most of our New Year’s resolutions involve? You’re right: getting FIT!! A lot of my friends have asked me who I recommend and for me, there is only one place to go — the RIVER WEST FITNESS STUDIO! River West Fitness specializes in personalized fitness training with no membership fees. Take advantage of the private sessions with pilates, weight training, boxing and yoga at affordable prices as low as $65 a session. To top it off, River West offers all types of massage including deep tissue, soft tissue and sports massage for $70 an hour. Instructors personalize each workout to suit the individual and can include all sorts of twists and combinations on the numerous services offered. It is located in a cozy yet modern loft at 664 W. Hubbard with accessible parking and breathtaking views of Chicago. Owners Heidi Milby and Hector Lopez are dedicated to making sure that every guest gets exactly what they need for a complete workout. They train many high-profile clients and they and their staff are a delight to work with. Highly recommended from this blogger!! Give them a call at (312) 738-3334 or drop them an email at [email protected]. Photo: Heidi Milby and Hector Lopez.

Right about this time, we are thinking of a warm place to go for February - I know I am! - and one of my favorite locales is South Beach in Miami. The weather is usually perfect and there is so much to do! One of my favorite places to stay is the Sagamore (four stars!) at 1671 Collins Ave. It’s chic but a great mix of people and the pool and public areas are awesome. The owner, Marty Taplin, is from here originally and loves to have Chicagoans visit. He has been collecting art for over 15 years and has an extensive rotating gallery on display at all times. My favorite lunch spot there is La Piaggia; it is the closest you can get to the French Riviera in the United States! The owner, Robert Pascal, is one of the original creators of the world-famous beach club La Voile Rouge in St. Tropez and his restaurant here has a similar buzz. Tables are in the sand with views of Fisher Island, a lot of the menu items as well as the rose wine come straight from the South of France. It’s always a fashionable crowd with great music but don’t pay attention to the sign on the door marked “Private Club" because it’s the best party and the best food on the beach. Sundays there rock so sit back with a magnum of rose at sunset and watch the massive cruise ships travel up and down the Government Cut. Photos: top right: the Sagamore; top left, Chuck and me at the Sagamore; bottom right: La Piaggia.

That’s all folks...but have you ever wondered what happens when it snows too much and you have too much time to think? Well, here's an example: A friend from the NBC5 Street Team reminded me that this year will be the last time you can wear those funny New Year’s Eve glasses because the “1" in "2010" will cover one eye the next time!!! And if you haven’t voted for my blog yet and enjoy reading it, please go to this link below and vote for my blog. To vote, click on CBB Blog Suggestion and enter my URL - www.CandidCandace.com - and the blog title - Candid Candace! Thanks for your support!