THERE’S NO OSCAR PARTY LIKE THE CENTER ON HALSTED’S!

The Center on Halsted’s annual Oscar Party was held at the Fairmont Hotel for the first time this year. Over 300 people packed the International Ballroom for food, fashion and fun and to applaud and cheer on their favorite Oscar nominees. Event co-chairs were Judi Gorman, Wayne Harth and Greg Hyder and as they and the glam partygoers entered the Ballroom, they were greeted by “Living Red Carpet Ladies” dressed in red feathered headdresses and matching red ball gowns that were actually attached to each end of the carpet! With its luscious red carpeting and gold and crystal chandeliers, the Ballroom was the perfect setting for the 2010 Oscar Ball. The event itself was televised on huge screens on either side of the stage which was flanked with oversized Oscar statues. There were also multiple screens throughout the room. MC Miss Foozie entertained the film lovers for the evening. The raffle tickets were sold by adorable and handsome local firemen including Sam Holloway and John Algas and the prizes included jewelry from David Yurman as well as tickets to the musical “Billy Elliot” presented by five colorful members of the cast. Guests – including Craig Hogan, Amy Wimer, Deborah Dickinson, Jon Tri Algas, Kristen Kara, David Hackett, Jim Smith, Jean and Andy Antoniou, Elizabeth Weldon, James Karagianes, Paul Ropski, Franco La Marca, Bonnie Schultz, John Regas, Sheryl Dyer, John Walcher, Brooke Skinner, David Brandt, Heinz Kern, Mary Ann Rose, Tom Sinkovic, Tiffani Kim and Brad Griffith – dined on delicious dim sum, noodles, flank steak, Mediterranean delights, pastas and desserts and raised $50,000 for the Center on Halsted’s outreach efforts on behalf of the gay and lesbian communities. (Check out more photos here…thanks, Steve Starr!)
 
The 17th Annual Women of Achievement Awards dinner was recently also held at the Fairmont. They were expecting 500 people but 900 people showed up to celebrate the lives of five amazing women. Honorees included Ilene Gordon (Chairman and CEO of Corn Products Intl.), Susan Levy (managing partner of Jenner & Block), Michele Coleman Mayes (Sr. VP, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for Allstate Insurance Co.) and Sheila Talton (VP for Cisco). I was there on this night, however, to honor my friend Barbara Levy Kipper for being the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. As Chairman of the Board of the Chas Levy Company, she oversees a $700 million corporation that distributes books to mass merchants and specialty accounts. She has received many awards over the years but said that in the last few months, with her dear husband David’s illness, she has come to realize her blessings are her legion of friends and her family. We are so proud of you, Barbara!
 
Old Town’s Triangle Center recently served as the venue for Shirley Baugher’s production of “The Teahouse of the August Moon.” It was a neighborhood affair and a real delight! Shirley commandeered her husband, Norman, to do the lighting and I was responsible for the geisha makeup on a number of giggling and adorable six year olds. The actors were all from the neighborhood and even the “goat” was portrayed by neighbor Michael Warnick’s dog Molly—to perfection I might add! The room was packed and the reading went off without a hitch. The cast included John Blick (Sakini), Charley Jordan (Colonel Purdy), Christopher Cordon (Captain Fisby), Amy Ewaldt (Miss Higa Jiga), Riley Loop (Sergeant Gregovich), Chloe Loop (Lotus Blossom), Alex Shibicky (Mr. Sumata), Roc Roney, Philip Wasik and Michael Warnick. The children of Tobiki village were portrayed by Sophia Boehm, Shelby and Jamieson Katz. The cast party was at Perrenial and even the owners showed up to pay homage to Shirley…it was a night to remember! I love Old Town and can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!!! See more photos from this fantastic evening here.
 
Okay, don’t laugh but I am writing a play. I was approached by Dennis Zacek, the Artistic Director for Victory Gardens Theater, to participate in their 20th annual “Chicago Stories” fundraiser on Friday, April 16th. Each year, they ask three “celebrity (their word, NOT mine!) playwrights” to write a one-act play that will be performed at the Fairmont Hotel. My co-authors include Peter Sagal, who is the host of NPR and WBEZ’s “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me,” one of the most popular shows on public radio. Peter also was the recipient of a Peabody Award for broadcasting. (Yikes!  Am I in trouble or what??!!) And, as if this wasn’t bad enough, the third author is Bernie Sahlins, co-founder, producer and director of Second City!!! He has also directed numerous productions for Steppenwolf and Chicago Shakespeare Theater…what was I thinking??!!! Anyway, my little play is called “A Facebook Fairytale” and it’s a story about a romance in the world of social media. (My son Charley Jordan will have a part making the night a family affair for me.) Past participants in “Chicago Stories” include Roger Ebert, Sam Zell, Stedman Graham, Leslie Hindman, Bob Greene, Bill Zwecker, William Petersen, Rick Kogan, Les Coney, Bill Kurtis, Sugar Rautbord, Stanley Paul, John Mahoney, Bill Rancic, Rick Telander, Susan Pritzker, Stanley Tigerman, Father Andrew Greeley, Mike Royko, Rick Bayless and Aiden Quinn among others. To celebrate the naming of the Richard Christiansen Theater at Victory Gardens on March 1st, Mr. Christiansen will serve as the evening’s Celebrity Theater Critic. For tickets and more info, please call 773-328-2146 or e-mail Kaye Oberhausen at [email protected].
 
Southport Avenue’s Second Annual “Hop Around the Shops” event is taking place on Sunday, March 28th, from noon to 4 p.m. This fun-filled free family day is a unique community event that provides discounts and freebies to shoppers hidden in over 2,500 plastic Easter eggs throughout the neighborhood’s 40 participating businesses in Lakeview between Belmont and Irving Park. The best part is that along the way, participants will get to meet – and hopefully adopt – the adorable homeless doggies from the Chicago Canine Rescue Foundation. CCRF was founded in 2001 to help find permanent, loving homes for homeless dogs and cats – the most vulnerable pets who are slated for euthanasia because they’re too old, too young, too injured, have disabilities or simply have been overlooked for too long. I hope you can join in the fun and fulfill a homeless pet’s dream at the same time. For more information, please contact Candace Canty at 312-371-7827 or visit www.chicagocaninerescue.org .
 
Well, hopefully the warmer weather means spring is just around the corner and we all know what that means: We will be searching for the hottest summer gear and Carol Dahl can tell us just where to find it! While vacationing in South America last year, she came across a little resort town called Buzios just outside of Rio and in a quaint little shop were flip flops adorned with colorful beads. With a background in retail, she felt this idea could be improved upon. Soon she and her partner Monique Friedman found a talented woman to embellish the sandals to their satisfaction with one-of-a-kind crystals and unique designs. Lately, “Flops that Rock” have been seen on Jamie Gertz, Oprah and Chicago’s own Karyn Calabrese. Check out their newly launched web site and I’ll see you at the beach! Take a look at these other chic styles here!
 
Where do the big stars go AFTER the Oscars??!! Well, it seems that Dani Janssen’s apartment in Century City is still THE place to go! Dani is the vivacious widow of handsome actor David Janssen, who was best known for “The Fugitive” TV series. This year, according to my sources, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, John Travolta, Oprah, Barbra Streisand and Mariah Carey attended. All of Dani’s dishes are homemade comfort food and the Oscar crowd can’t wait to get there. I hear Whoopie Goldberg goes crazy over her monkey bread. My beautiful girlfriend, Tissy Eggleston – a huge Dani fan and friend – tells me she creates magic every year.

I want to thank Chicago Now radio and new host Alex Quigley for having me on the show Saturday morning! Alex, as you may remember, was also a host on Q101. I wish him all the best and am glad I was his “first” (interview, that is…). :)  
 
I hope you all survived St. Patrick’s Day weekend and that you have a wonderful week! See you next time!
 
Love,
Candace
[email protected]
 
P.S. Good luck and welcome to Cellular Intelligence at 100 E. Walton! According to friends Greg Hyder and Jean Antoniou, this is THE place to go for facials and skin care! They swear by Dr. Vesna Skull and her partner, Dara Levy. I haven’t tried it yet but the office space is the bee’s knees and the staff seemed very informed and friendly…can’t wait!

Comments

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The most vulnerable animals who have been convicted of euthanasia, because they are too old, too young, injured, disabled or have simply been too long neglected.

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you're right there's no place like THE CENTER ON HALSTED during the Oscars: they haves incredible foods and cheap prices.