Have you ever wondered where the rest of the Hollywood stars are when they are not at the Dolby Theatre celebrating the Oscars? Unless they are nominated or associated in some way with a nominated film, chances are you won’t find them there.
A few years ago, I found the hot spot in Beverly Hills where at least 100 to 150 celebs gather together for a friendly night of networking and dining while watching the Oscars on large screens. Where else but the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel would you find such a gathering of Hollywood celebrities and industry giants on Oscar Night?
Although the guest list changes each year, the party atmosphere is still the same at the NIGHT OF 100 STARS Gala.
There was no shortage of screen power at this gala hosted by producer and dinner chairman Norby Walters, veteran music agent extraordinaire. Numerous former Academy Award winners and nominees alongside a host of movie and television greats paraded through the Beverly Hills Hotel where they were greeted by selected media prior to heading for the pre-show reception and a $1000 a plate dinner in The Crystal Ballroom.
Although the main event in Hollywood was touting the mega-stars, it was just as exciting to see the stars of yesteryear being recognized in Beverly Hills. After all, many of these have their own statue sitting on their mantels at home. Nevertheless, the atmosphere at this gala was more relaxed with a sense of calm, as opposed to the media buzz being generated at the other end of the city. It sometimes felt surreal to see stars watching the large hi def screens applauding and cheering for their colleagues while dining and mingling about the ballrooms.
This year I had the opportunity to meet up with many of the celeb guests I grew up watching. These included Lee Majors (Six Million Dollar Man), Shirley Jones (Partridge Family), Louis Gosset Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman), Gordon Clapp (NYPD Blue), Lou Ferrigno (Incredible Hulk), comedian Marty Ingels, Sharon Gless (Cagney and Lacey/Burn Notice), Mary Wilson (Supremes), Sofia Milos (CSI Miami), Bernie Kopell (Love Boat), Ken Davitian (Borat), Marion Ross (Happy Days), JoAnne Worley (Laugh In), Mark Steines (Entertainment Tonight), Linda Purl (Matlock/Happy Days), Lorraine Toussaint (Body of Proof), astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Charline Tilton (Dallas), Martin Landau (Mission Impossible), Lisa Rinna (Melrose Place) Marilu Henner (Taxi), Seymour Cassel, comedian Shelley Berman, Neal McDonough (Desperate Housewives), Jason Ritter (Parenthood), John Savage (Gemini Rising), Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond), Kevin Dobson (Knotts Landing), Lainie Kazan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Harry Hamlin, Bruce Davidson (The Practice), James Avery (The Closer), Joanna Cassidy and Steve Webber (Wings/Brothers and Sisters) … just to name a few.
The 23rd Annual NIGHT OF 100 STARS AWARDS GALA was streamed live worldwide by The Fashion TV Network.
Review and Photos by Joey Cee
