PARTY LINES : AT THE COPA, COPACABANA, THE HOTTEST SPOT NORTH OF HAVANA ...Byline: Barbara De Witt De Witt, uninc. town (1990 pop. 8,244), Onondaga co., central N.Y., a residential suburb of Syracuse. Daily News Fashion Editor Forget the food, it's the theme that's important on the social circuit, and the theme of the moment is a '50s nightclub. You know, with palm trees and bossa nova ensembles. One of the best examples I've seen this summer was the 10th annual ``Cool Comedy - Hot Cuisine'' gala to benefit the Scleroderma Research Foundation The Scleroderma Research Foundation ("SRF") is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Its mission is to find improved therapies and a cure for scleroderma by funding research and Scleroderma Centers of Excellence, which provide multi-specialty clinical care in dedicated facilities . It was held at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, where guests were led into the swanky swank·y adj. swank·i·er, swank·i·est Swank. swank  i·ly adv.swank ballroom by Brazilian dancing girls in feather headresses and sequined se·quin n. 1. A small shiny ornamental disk, often sewn on cloth; a spangle. 2. A gold coin of the Venetian Republic. Also called zecchino. tr.v. g-strings, and male bongo bongo (bŏng`gō), spiral-horned antelope, Boocercus eurycerus, found in jungles and thick bamboo forests of equatorial Africa. Shy, elusive animals, bongos never emerge into the open and are seldom seen; they browse singly or in small players. The room had Copacabana glamour, with silver lame tablecloths and black chairs, decorated by Burbank's Nights of Neon. The dress code was formal '50s attire, and most everyone obeyed. Among the best-dressed were guests Shannon Dean in her vintage peach chiffon chiffon (shĭfŏn`), plain-weave, lightweight, sheer, transparent fabric made of cotton, silk, or synthetic fiber; it is made of fine, highly twisted, strong yarn. gown, and her date Walter Neil, who wore a white dinner jacket a la Humphrey Bogart. The event raised $350,000, and drew a crowd of 500, including oodles of celebs such as ``Caroline in the City'' star Lea Thompson, who wore a racy rac·y adj. rac·i·er, rac·i·est 1. Having a distinctive and characteristic quality or taste. 2. Strong and sharp in flavor or odor; piquant or pungent. 3. Risqué; ribald. 4. red dress and told me she was there because her mother-in-law has scleroderma scleroderma or progressive systemic sclerosis Chronic disease that hardens the skin and fixes it to underlying structures. Swelling and collagen buildup lead to loss of elasticity. The cause is unknown. . Supermodel Carol Alt wore a clingy white gown designed for her by Linda Stokes, and Dana Delany was draped drape v. draped, drap·ing, drapes v.tr. 1. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds: draped the coffin with a flag; a robe that draped her figure. in an ultra-chic sheath and matching coat glittering with bronze sequins. Delany once played a scleroderma patient in a film, and ever since has been a major supporter of the foundation and its founder, Sharon Monsky. Other special guests included Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss, Tim Allen, Diane Keaton, Melissa Etheridge, Steve Gutenberg, Jeff Goldblum, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, and comedians Rodney Dangerfield (he was quite respectable in a suit), Bob Saget, Howie Mandel and Robin Williams (he should have worn a suit), who entertained the crowd with comedy acts until the midnight hour. For those who are wondering what scleroderma is, it's a recently recognized disease that has affected about 500,000 Americans (mostly young women) and causes a slow, painful death due to the over-production of collagen in the body's connective tissues. So far, there's no cure. For more information, call (805) 563-9133. Event sponsors were Border Grill, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel and the Daily News. More partying was going on at the Doubletree Hotel in Old Town Pasadena Built on the foundation of one of the oldest, most beautiful and most prosperous cities in California, Old Pasadena arose from the ashes of a decaying bowery that had a well deserved patina of homeless and hippie. , where 300 guests - mostly women with a few token guys - devoured grilled-chicken salads and chocolate ice cream bombes in support of breast cancer. Luncheon guests wore lots of pink to match their breast cancer awareness ribbons, and the ``Runway to Life'' fashion show included cancer survivors as well as professional models on the catwalk. Fashions were provided by numerous Pasadena boutiques, including Elisa B. and Lulu Brandt, but the hip hairstyles (lots of little braids and spiky 'dos) by Ravissant Salon stole the show. The event was sponsored by the hotel, Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena and American Airlines to benefit the Los Angles Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Huntington Cancer Center. Lori McCarthy contributed to this column. CAPTION(S): 4 Photos Photo: (1) Robin Williams, center, jokes with Border Grill chef Susan Feniger, left, and Sharon Monsky, chairman of the Scleroderma Research Foundation at the ``Cool Comedy - Hot Cuisine'' gala at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. (2) Rodney Dangerfield, left, and Bob Saget share a laugh at the Scleroderma Research Foundation benefit. (3) Supermodel Carol Alt plays with a macaw macaw: see parrot. macaw Any of about 18 species of large tropical New World parrots (subfamily Psittacinae) with very long tails and big sickle-shaped beaks. Macaws eat fruits and nuts. at the ``Cool Comedy - Hot Cuisine'' fund-raiser. Michael Owen Baker/Daily News (4) Mugging for the camera at the opening-night party for the Mark Taper Forum's ``The Cider House Rules'' are costume designer David Zinn, left, cast members Casey Lluberes, production stage manager Amy Fritz and cast member Tom Beyer. Craig Schwartz/Special to the Daily News |
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