On The Town

by Linda Matlow/Pix International
http://www.pixintl.com/

Celebrity Sightings & Appearances

ON THE TOWN with Linda Matlow

by Linda Matlow

 “GLAMORAMA” BRINGS OUT THE CELEBS!

 The annual “have to be there event” – Marshall Field’s GLAMORAMA – featured exciting fall fashions by today’s best designers.

 The B52’s performed and sounded great. An interesting duo, East Village Opera, performed as did Girlicious, a red hot group who will probably be getting a lot of media attention in the coming months.

 This year, the fashion show took on a different type of look as the staging and choreography gave such exciting panoramic views of how much was going on, that even those in the back rows could feel the excitement of the event.  Clever lighting and multi-media added to  the performances and fashion all at once.  Great eye candy for this event!

After the performances and fashion show, it was onto the big “after party” at Marshall Field’s. 

Stars in attendance this year included...actress Lauren Holly; Jen Scheft of “The Bachelor” television show arrived with restaurateur Billy Dec; stylist to the stars, Phillip Bloch; Mark Moses from the hit series, “Desperate Housewives”; Seth Meyers of “Saturday Night Live”; Tony Okungbowa form the “Ellen” show; along with a pair of Chicago Cubs National All-Stars, Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee.

Ryan Seacrest was one of the stars at Glamorama and also returned to Marshall Field’s the following day to launch his line of “R” wear shirts.

SHIRLEY MacLAINE Gets Gold Hugo Award

The Governing Board of the Chicago International Film Festival honored Shirley MacLaine with the festival’s highest award, The Gold Hugo Career Achievement Award, at a special gala celebration last month held at The Sheraton,  

Hosted by Bill Kurtis, the evening benefitted the diverse outreach programs sponsored and developed by Cinema/Chicago, the organization that also presents the annual “Chicago International Film Festival”.

The evening featured a film retrospective chronicling Ms. MacLaine’s career as an actor and showcasing the depth of her talents.    

“A beloved actress of great distinction and dignity, Shirley MacLaine has secured her place as screen legend during her career of almost 50 films, captivating us with her diverse and remarkable performances,” said Chicago International Film Festival Founder and Artistic Director, Michael Kutza.

“Along with her many onscreen successes, MacLaine has also garnered accolades as an author of nine best-selling books and numerous stage performances that have taken her to both Broadway and international tours.  Her immeasurable contributions to the arts and that of cinema in particular are worthy of the highest award the 41st Chicago International Film Festival can bestow – The Career Achievement Award,” he continued.

Proceeds from this annual gala fund Cinema/Chicago’s year-round community programs. 

Their Educational Outreach program offers Chicago Public High School students the opportunity to gain insight into the world around them by viewing documentaries, foreign films and classics that relate directly to issues in their lives, or expose them to other cultures, languages and ideas.  Directors, cast members or other film professionals host discussions with the students to offer further insight. 

The Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing conducts film workshops with deaf students in Chicago Public Schools, and provides individuals in these communities with access to subtitled films and sign language interpretations of film discussions.

The Black Perspectives Program celebrates the work of outstanding African-American filmmakers, and has honored such luminaries as Spike Lee and Halle Berry.

FRUIT Served UP

The Australian folk and roots trio, Fruit, performed at the Border’s Books & Music State Street store last month. 

Following the performance, the ladies graciously stayed around chatting with fans and signing copies of their new CD, Burn.

Like fellow troubadours The Waifs, John Butler and Ani DiFranco, Adelaide-based Fruit have taken the road less traveled, covering millions of miles and playing thousands of shows since 1996, raising roofs and winning converts across 7 countries.

In 2003, they won the “Best Live Album” trophy at the Australian Live Music Awards. Internationally deemed as “one of the greatest unsigned acts,” Fruit have shared stages with Jewel, Chris Isaak and Savage Garden.

Fruit’s music is powered by the distinctive vocal harmonies of its three frontline women. Fruit’s music has been described as “sensitive . . . embracing and disarming”. 

FOLK DIVA JUDY COLLINS MET FANS

Singer Judy Collins thrilled her Chicago fans when she an in-store performance at the State Street location of Border’s Books & Music, followed by a discussion and signing for her latest release, Portrait of an American Girl .

With her song selection, stately piano accompaniment, and even the soft-focus cover photo, Judy Collins channels the spirit of her 1960s artistry on her first studio album in eight years.

Over the decades, her alto vocals have neither lost any of their warmth nor gained much in the way of expressive range. Much of what results is predictably pretty, as Collins’ reading of Joni Mitchell’s “That Song About the Midway” could pass as a follow-up to her signature rendition of “Both Sides Now,” while her revival of “Sally Go ‘Round the Roses” evokes similar feelings of folk-era nostalgia.

On her own composition, “Singing Lessons”, and the a cappella “Wedding Song (Song for Louis),” she delves into New Age spirituality (“I thanked the gods and goddesses for bringing you to me,” she sings on the latter) before building to the seven-minute, orchestrated, spoken-word recitation of Aaron Copeland’s “Lincoln Portrait.”

For those who loved Collins’ early LPs, this represents a return to form.

O’CONNELL FOR ELLIS…

Film and television star, Jerry O’Connell, was in town recently on behalf of Perry Ellis, to celebrate the company’s 25th Anniversary at Chicago’s Marshall Field’s State Street store.    

O’Connell, who rose to fame as a child actor in the hit film, “Stand By Me,” later went on to star in the 1990s sci-fi television series, “Sliders”, and currently stars as affable and cuddly Detective Woody Hoit on the A&E forensics drama, “Crossing Jordan”.

Fans lined up early to meet him and the ever smiling O’Connell hung out and made sure that no one who came to see him left disappointed.

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