Dyan Cannon came in sexy black, suede chaps, others sported ten-gallon hats and Drew Baldwin rode into the elegant Beverly Hilton on a horse. The Western-themed event can only mean one thing — SHARE’S annual boomtown party is here.
It was quite a culture clash seeing that the event was themed “An Evening at Studio 53,” but there was no shortage on fun. Malibu party animals Erika Aronson, Nick Franklin, Rennee Weitzer and Jeff Witjas all made the highfalutin’ duded-up do. There was no shortage of hijinks on stage as gussied-up guests kicked up their cowboy boots and settled in for a show.
The always star-filled event included pilgrims in “dressy Western attire” and featured dinner and an evening of entertainment starring Grammy Award-winning vocalist Hazel Payne of A Taste of Honey; comedian Yakov Smirnoff; and American disco and soul band, The Trammps featuring Earl Young. A highlight each year is a series of dance numbers featuring the ladies of SHARE and choreographed by the award-winning Anita Mann. For a tad of whacky, DJ Rick Dees served as master of ceremonies and performed “Disco Duck.”
Both a silent and live auction incorporated unique trips and one-of-a-kind collectables. SHARE President Ellen Feder presented the Member of the Year Award to Diane Forrester.
So here’s to another successful year of yeeha!
JOHN JOINS THE LOCALS AT AFI
You might not know his face but his music is instantly recognizable the world over. Composer John Williams just picked up a long-overdue award from the American Film institute.
When you hear the heart thumping beat to “Jaws,” you hear Williams; when you hear the swashbuckling bravado of “Indiana Jones,” you hear Williams; in the full orchestration of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and the heartbreak of “Shildler’s List,” you hear Williams; and of course, when it comes to the out-of-this-world outer space fantasy “Star Wars,” it can only mean the creative hand of John Williams.
John joins a long list of AFI local honorees including Mel Brooks, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Shirley MacLaine and Steven Spielberg, as well Al Pacino, Sean Connery, George Lucas and Robert De Niro.
Among one of the great orchestral composers of the modern age, John Williams is the winner of five Academy Awards, 17 Grammys, three Golden Globes, two Emmys and five BAFTA Awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Williams has composed the music and served as music director for nearly 80 films, including “Saving Private Ryan,” “Amistad,” “Seven Years in Tibet,” “The Lost World,” Rosewood,” “Sleepers,” “Nixon,” “Sabrina,” “Schindler’s List,” “Jurassic Park,” “Far and Away,” “JFK,” “Hook,” “Presumed Innocent,” “Always,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” the “Indiana Jones” trilogy, “The Accidental Tourist,” “Empire of the Sun,” “The Witches of Eastwick,”
the “Star Wars” trilogy, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Superman,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Jaws” and “Goodbye Mr. Chips.” And, as you can imagine, there’s more.
John has been awarded several gold and platinum records, and his score for “Schindler’s List” earned him both an Oscar and a Grammy. In 2000, at the ShoWest Convention USA, the National Association of Theater Owners honored him as Maestro of the Year.
On June 23, 2000, he became the first inductee into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. Bravo!