SUPER HERO SHINDIG
BAM! Science buffs changed into their party-going gear and leapt into action at this year’s Discovery Ball. The California Science Center was the place to be for a fantastic fling that was anything but a routine rubber chicken dinner. Besides, when was the last time you sat down for cocktails with a collection of tarantulas and other creepy crawlers?
FLASH! We were greeted on the red carpet by Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk as faux paparazzi from the Daily Bugle called out questions like, “Who did your cape?”
Need a hero? They had plenty-all part of the current Marvel Super Heroes Science Exhibition.
WHOOSH! Inside, the colorful neon-lit foyer was all aglow with Tobey Maguire busy saving the world on a series of big screens.
Science supporters sipped sticky web martinis in glowing kryptonite cups and snacked on portobello mushroom quesadillas, spicy shrimp and sweet potato French fries.
ZOOM! Dr. Buzz Aldrin was the evening’s honoree. The Apollo 11 spaceman was presented with the Ambassador of Exploration Award as locals like L.A. Coliseum Commission prez Bill Chadwick looked on.
TZZZZIT! Next we sailed into the new exhibit, which mixes facts with fun. “Super heroes are a great way to segue into learning,” said Nicola Lisus, who helped organize the show. “Put the two together and the result is fantastic.” The interactive showcase demonstrates how spider silk is stronger than steel and uses a giant-sized likeness of the Iceman to show how water freezes, melts and refreezes.
Downstairs, the dining room was dressed up with a colorful image of the Gotham City skyline projected on the walls. The tables were done up in dramatic black with towering arrangements of white butterfly orchids and hydrangeas. Guests took their seats as a seven-piece orchestra played American standards under a canopy of twinkling starlights.
YUM! After an elegant dinner of lobster three ways, beef short ribs with root vegetables and hazelnut torte, it was time to check out a private screening of the IMAX film “Deep Sea 3D” and then head to the Loker Conference Center, which was transformed into a swanky nightclub called the “Villains Lounge.”
We left with Spiderman swag bags filled with goodies like superhero tees, “X-Men” DVDs and body wash to rinse off after a long, hard day saving the world.
The sensational soirée raised more than $900,000 for the center’s exhibits and education programs. KA-CHING!
The Marvel Super Heroes exhibit runs through Sept. 4 at the California Science Center in Exposition Park. WHEEE!