Last night R and I attended the opening of Warhol Wild at Hamilton Selway Fine Art in West Hollywood. Warhol Wild is a collection of unique animal screen prints, drawings and collages by my favorite pop artist, Andy Warhol. The opening reception was hosted by Hollywood screen legend, Tippi Hedren (of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds) for the benefit of The Roar Foundation for the Shambala Preserve.

The Shambala Preserve is Ms. Hedren’s passion. A home for over 70 stray lions, tigers, cougars, leopards and other big cats, the Shambala Preserve provides a safe environment for these forgotten animals. Shambala’s non-profit, The Roar Foundation, provides education to the public about the dangers of private ownership of exotic animals.

The benefit was a smashing success. Money and awareness were raised for Ms. Hedren's foundation. And Andy Warhol’s spectacular screen prints of various animals (zebras, frogs, orangutan, tigers and more) were vibrating with life and color and were admired by all who attended.

Meeting Tippi Hedren (pictured above with R and me) was especially special for me as I am an avid Hitchcock fan and count many of his films among my all time favorites. Ms. Hedren is an absolute delight- as sophisticated as I imagined and completely passionate about her shelter for wild cats. We had a particularly interesting conversation about the importance of adopting animals. (B and I adopted Gatsby three years ago and have been delighted by his presence ever since).

For me it has been a fascinating week. Two Hollywood Legends (see The Daily Connoisseur meets Carol Channing), two great charities and a fabulous evening of art and friends…

The Warhol Wild exhibit will run through October 2nd, 2009. A portion of all proceeds to that date will benefit the Shambala Preserve.

For more information on Hamilton Selway Fine Art and the Warhol Wild collection, please visit: www.hamiltonselway.com

For more information on The Shambala Preserve, please visit: www.shambala.org

This past Thursday I had the good fortune to attend the West Coast Red Carpet premiere of Project Runway- one of my favorite reality TV shows. I love this show in particular because it is not just mindless "reality" fodder- but a brilliant way to showcase unknown designers. And based on some of my past posts- we all know how much I adore Tim Gunn- who acts as mentor to the designers on Project Runway. My good friend "R" (a young Hollywood starlet) was invited to walk the red carpet and I was thrilled to be her plus one.

The night was a hit- champagne, fashion and fabulous people go very well together and soon I was meeting a bevy of interesting sorts: up and coming designers, portrait photographers, writers and socialites. Of course the most important aspect of the evening was what (or more appropriately who) every one was wearing. R wore an adorable confection by English Clientele- a modern day party dress fit for Marie Antoinette- with a tight bodice and poofed tulle mini skirt attached. There were a lot of independent designers being showcased as well. I noticed a lot of floral print dresses and purple seemed the color du soir. I wore a fabulous dress by one of my favorite designers, Alexander McQueen. Black, with beige detail- my dress was Gothic, flapper and art deco all rolled in to one. It was the perfect dress for the occasion- a fashion-forward moment in my book- and I was grateful to have it!

Now as for the show itself? I will have to catch it on my DVR- the party was too loud and hopping to watch the premiere!

Project Runway airs on the Lifetime network Thursdays at 9 / 8 central.

Last night I attended the reopening of the newly renovated Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles to see a production of The House of Blue Leaves starring John Pankow (Mad About You) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle). This time the invitation did not say ‘business casual’ but suggested suits and colorful ties for the men; and gowns or cocktail attire for the women. How fun! I was really looking forward to people watching at this event- I love observing what people view as being dressed up- noting the time and effort they take to adorn themselves appropriately for the occasion.

The crowd did not disappoint. Men came in tuxes or well cut suits and the women shone- some in floor length gowns and some in fun cocktail attire. It seemed the theatregoers of Los Angeles turned out in their best to celebrate this reopening of one of our most beloved theatres. I went with three of my good friends N, M and J- who each, in turn, looked very well turned out indeed. I opted for an art deco inspired cocktail dress and heels.

The biggest showstopper of the night, however, was the Mark Taper Forum, which sits between the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Ahmanson Theatre in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. I had only attended a play there once before but that was enough for me to tell what a spectacular renovation had occurred. The entrance was lovely with mirrored paneled columns and deep rich curtains and carpet. The theatre itself was a wash of color with new velvety chartreuse seats and deep blue floors. The space felt fantastic and I was really impressed with the makeover at hand.

The play was very interesting- a farcical comedy that we later found out was a commentary about fame. (J and I admitted to each other at the after party that it was WAY over our heads). The seats surround the stage in a semi circle so I found myself at several points during the play looking at the faces of the people in the audience. I love observing other people’s reactions- I saw everything from the totally engaged to utterly confused!

This ends a wonderful week in theatre for me. I feel really grateful to have attended two thought-provoking shows and both in the company of good friends.

Can’t wait to see what next week brings!

Image courtesy of www.downtownla.com

Last night I had the good fortune of attending the Los Angeles premiere of A Bronx Tale, starring Chazz Palminteri at the Wadsworth Theatre. I was invited by one of my dear friends, R, who was asked to walk the red carpet before the show… she is an actress on a very prominent Disney show and has lots of devoted fans. The night was a glamorous affair, although I found it odd that it said “business casual” on the invitation. R and I were musing over this strange request. “Business Casual” evokes images of khakis and button down shirts…not quite what I think of wearing when attending an exciting premiere. I interpreted business casual, connoisseur-style, as buttery Ferragamo pumps, a simple black dress and for scent- Narciso Rodriguez For Her.

But enough about fashion- back to the play! Palminteri, of The Usual Suspects and A Bronx Tale (movie) fame, wrote and starred in this powerful one-person show. The play was inspired by an incident that Palminteri witnessed first-hand as a child- the shooting of an innocent man outside of the doorstep in his 1960’s Bronx neighborhood. The semi-autobiographical storyline that then ensues is enthralling.

The show runs for 95 minutes and Palmenteri is on stage the entire time. His storytelling is so engaging that you almost forget that this is a one-man show. The transitions he makes from him as a young boy, to his father, to the gangster, Sonny to the colorful characters of Sonny’s posse are flawless.

Touching on themes of lost childhood, love and the quandaries of a young “working” man, A Bronx Tale is an engaging and moving piece, definitely worth seeing.

Arriving home that evening I felt a sense of satisfaction that I always get after seeing a good play. I love the coming together of people- the ceremony beforehand, the party afterwards and the collective feeling of unity after witnessing a truly original work of art.

This Saturday- it's on to the opening gala at the Taper- such an exciting week in theatre!

A Bronx Tale is directed by Jerry Zaks and runs at the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles from September 10th through 21st. For tickets: www.ticketmaster.com

Image courtesy of: http://calendarlive.com