Local music man David Foster and friends had a blast this summer while planning for pal Nicolas Cage to receive the “Andrea Bocelli Humanitarian Award” at the third annual “Celebrity Fight Night in Italy.”
A few weeks back, celebrity guests — including Dave, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Peter Cetera, Evander Holyfield, Colbie Caillat, Melissa Peterman, Brian McKnight and Lonnie Ali — joined Andrea Bocelli for the starry event benefitting The Andrea Bocelli Foundation and The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.
The seven-day excursion took philanthropic donors and special guests everywhere from Florence to Venice where they were treated to the very best arts, entertainment and culture in the region. Funds raised benefit both the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. Celebrity Fight Night, a star-studded annual charity event, has raised $123 million for many charities throughout its 22-year history, most significantly for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz.
The Italian adventure concluded with a special evening in the heart of Florence, starting at the Palazzo Spini Feroni, home to the Global Flagship Headquarters of Salvatore Ferragamo and the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo. The Ferragamo family was even on hand to welcome guests with a sparkling Bellini-infused cocktail party and a visit to the spectacular museum and the glitzy shop. From there, it was off to the nearby Palazzo Corsini for a night of dining, dancing and more. Fantastico!
BLAZING SALUTE
Congrats to local laugh master Mel Brooks who rode his blazing saddle into the hallowed halls of the White House. The 90-year-old funny man and genius behind that outrageously fun 1970s Western spoof, as well as classics like “The Producers,” “Young Frankenstein,” “High Anxiety” and “Spaceballs,” received the National Medal of Arts from none other than President Obama at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The POTUS said, “We are here to honor the very best.” He thanked Malibu Mel for “making the world laugh for a lifetime.”
The honor was bestowed upon him for pioneering the art of musical comedy in his “hilarious and thought-provoking work on film and in theater, which have earned him the rare distinction of winning Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy awards.” The president tried to have his own punch line borrowed from Brooks, who allegedly told his writers on “Blazing Saddles” to “write whatever you want because we will all be arrested for this movie.”
Well, raise my rent!