VAN THE MAN
They tripped the light “van-tastic” at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre the other night as the U.S. Ireland Alliance celebrated Irish excellence, including the many contributions of a man named Van. It was all part of the organization’s second annual Oscar Wilde: Honoring Irish Writing in Film.
Roma Downey took a well-deserved night off from her acclaimed run in “A Picasso” at the Geffen Playhouse and served as the evening’s emcee.
“Tonight we celebrate everything Irish culture has brought to Hollywood,” she said, adding that it may have included the evening’s downpour.
The weather may have been wet, but even a monsoon couldn’t keep Roma from looking fresh as a spring flower. She arrived in a cheery black and white polka dot dress with a cherry red belt and fiancé Mark Burnett in tow.
Other locals in attendance included mega producer David Foster and blond beauty Charlize Theron. The guest list was stellar, but the biggest buzz was about Van Morrison, who would wow the crowd with a private serenade.
There was applause all around for writer William Monahan who was up for (and won) an Academy Award for “The Departed.” Brushing back an unruly mane of chestnut locks, he shared one of his favorite lines from the film saying, “The Irish are the only people impervious to psychoanalysis.”
“If we’d known that,” Roma quipped, “we could have saved ourselves a fortune!”
Also in line for Irish honors was Terry George who penned the Oscar nominated film “Hotel Rwanda” as well as “In the Name of the Father” and “The Boxer,” both starring Daniel Day-Lewis. The screenwriter shared credit for his many successes.
“Who has had better actors than I have?” he asked. “I’ve been blessed.”
But Terry kept the big picture in mind reminding the audience that “statues come and go, but when you can say you opened for Van Morrison, well … that’s something else.”
Even fellow luminaries were in awe of “Van the Man.” Al Pacino remembers seeing him with Bob Dylan. Roma spoke of first meeting him on a plane with her 2-year-old daughter.
“I am such a huge fan of Van Morrison. I love Van Morrison. I know all the words to his songs, I have all his albums,” she raved. “If there is a soundtrack to life, it’s Van Morrison.”
Prolific actor Al was equally impressed. “I love Van Morrison,” he said. “I love him and I don’t even know him.”
To get a better appreciation for the artist’s impressive contributions, movie clips and the songs that went with them rolled on the big screen. They included “Days like This,” “Bright Side of the Road,” “Gloria,” “Domino” and “Crazy Love.” Some made you smile, others gave you goose bumps. Over the past 35 years, Morrison’s tunes have been featured in more than 70 motion pictures, creating unforgettable movie magic.
Sporting a grey fedora and big black shades, the celebrated musician described himself as having “come a long way for a guy from East Belfast.” Of the honor he said, “I’m speechless.” Instead of words, he let his music do the talking.
A short time later we were all up at the stage bopping to classics like “Real, Real Gone,” “Wild Night” and “Stand by Me.”
Roma and Mark were clearly enjoying the intimate theater venue and Orlando Bloom held up his cell phone so a buddy could hear.
The set wrapped up with the crowd-pleasing, all-time favorite, “Brown Eyed Girl,” and a thunderous round of applause.
Revelers then retired to the patio where they enjoyed Oronoco Wilde Mojitos specially created for the occasion and a tasty spread of smoked salmon, baby back ribs and root veggies.
For dessert, we listened to a superb set of songs by Van’s daughter Shana. We had one more moon dance before it was time to go. By then the skies had cleared with nary a cloud in sight and we sailed into the mystic of one fantabulous night.