KIDS STUFF
Hair guru John Paul DeJoria showed off his playful side as he joined fellow VIPs, celebs and community leaders for this year’s Starbright Foundation fundraiser. It was a lively little gathering at the House of Blues and there was plenty of music in the air. Grown-ups mingled with the kids, gobbling up that great HOB southern grub. The sizzling soirée had a carnival atmosphere with pinball wizards, face painters and magicians. Kids got to kick back and enjoy a little pampering. Some got complete make-overs. Others enjoyed relaxing facials, manicures and massages.
House of Blues GM Jim Uhl says the funky, down-home venue provided the perfect atmosphere. “Its great to see these kids get the royal treatment and not have to worry about anything but having fun.”
The organization has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to a helping hand by some high-profile players, including Chairman Emeritus Steven Spielberg and Trustee General “Stormin” Norman Schwarzkopf. It helps thousands of seriously ill children lead better lives through fun and creative educational and enrichment programs.
SPACE CASE
Warning, alien approaching! Danger, Danger Will Robinson! If being without a “Lost in Space” fix for more than almost 40 years has had you moaning Ohhhhh, the pain, the pain, relief is on the way. The ultimate ’60s sci-fi camp show is now available on DVD. Who could forget lovely June Lockhart as Maureen Robinson, Guy Williams as Dr. John, Billy Mumy as Wil, Jonathan Harris as Dr. Zarchary Smith and of course the Bubble-Headed Booby as himself. If your memory is a little hazy, here’s a refresher. The year is 1997…far, far into the future, and the Robinson family has been packed off to Alpha Centauri to set up a space colony. Their off-beat encounters feature an endless string of bug-eyed monsters, so hokey it puts the “Stars Wars” bar scene to shame.
RING A DING DING
It was a ring-a-ding-ding blast from the past as Frank and the boys came swaggering back to town. Direct from Las Vegas, The Rat Pack delighted hipsters at the Kodak Theater, which was transformed into the famed Copa Room at the Sands Hotel circa 1950. The Rat Pack Show began when the gang was filming the original “Ocean’s Eleven.” From Jan. 26 to Feb. 16, 1960, they filmed during the day and spent their nights delighting fans at the Copa Room, doing two shows per night. They crooned, they joked and they rolled out broad-and-booze-filled humor accompanied by an on-stage liquor cart. My how times have changed!
The Kodak show featured Steve Apple as Dean Martin, Lonnie Parlor as Sammy Davis Jr. and Gary Corsello as ‘Ol Blue Eyes himself. The trio mixed the Rat Pack’s tough-talking, hard-drinking, loud-laughing hijinx with musical favorites like “Luck Be a Lady,” “New York, New York,” “The Candy Man” and “Come Fly with Me.”