— by Cara Russell —
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With an excuse to “dress to excess,” a reveling crowd came out to the first Sea View Theatre Gala on September 14. It was a retro-Hollywood bash, and a celebration of both cinema and the community who saved the local landmark.
From 5 – 8 p.m., party-goers walked the red carpet, ate, drank, and rubbed shoulders with Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe impersonators. Inside the theater, the popular new heroine Katniss, of The Hunger Games, served popcorn from the snack counter with a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. Many dressed for the occasion—some as a starlet from the 1930s, some as paparazzi, or some as their favorite Hollywood Star, while others just came as they were.
The warm late summer we are experiencing made for a lovely outdoor reception under a large white tent serving as an outdoor lounge, with old Hollywood music as the entertainment. Performers included Martin Lund, Gene Nery, Grace McCune, and other local musicians; Lund and Nery opened with “As Time Goes By.”
As gala-goers approached the theater entrance, they could have their picture taken with life-sized cutouts of old Hollywood legends. The African Queen, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn in the 1951 adventure film, was then screened for the rest of the evening’s entertainment.
All proceeds from this event will benefit the Sea View Restoration Fund.
Sorry I missed it, but was off island. As an old Bogart fan, “As Time Goes By” and “African Queen” are two of my all-time favorites.