SCHMOOZE : YOW, THIS PARTY'S A REAL ZOO.What: The exotic Beastly beast·ly adj. beast·li·er, beast·li·est 1. Of or resembling a beast; bestial. 2. Very disagreeable; unpleasant. adv. Chiefly British To an extreme degree; very. Ball, which raised more than $300,000 to benefit the critters of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo founded in 1966, is a large zoo located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Zoo, located in Los Angeles' Griffith Park, is home to 1,200 animals from around the world. . Where: Under the stars at the zoo in Griffith Park. The scene: Guests entered an eerily quiet zoo via a winding path with rustling animals and the calls of peacocks. Another series of turns led to a zoo transformed by colored fairy lights strung through the trees. Billy Mitchell's Uptown band played in front of a neon backdrop depicting the Hollywood sign and L.A.'s silhouette. Mingling animal keepers held brightly colored birds to coo and cluck over. Celebrity look-alikes, including a jaw-droppingly realistic Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, circulated through the crowd of more than 800. The haps: Guests paid $250 each for a lavish buffet and the chance to rub elbows with celebs, politicos and philanthropists. Honored at the event were Jane Goodall, who pioneered studies of chimpanzees and has given her stamp of approval to the zoo's plans to renovate its chimp exhibit - she was in the wild and missed the event - and Betty White, actress and zoo association trustee. ``Betty knows the name of every snake in the zoo, but that doesn't surprise me because she knows the name of every agent and producer,'' joked producer Grant Tinker, who presented White's award. Many got into the spirit of the event with themed clothing, including City Council President John Ferraro, who looked dapper in a safari vest. One woman sported a black sweater with 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. lions, tigers and bears. (Oh my!) The eats: The spread was in keeping with the ``Zooray for Hollywood'' theme, with food donated by some of the city's best restaurants. At the ``Zorba the Greek Table'' guests were served lamb and mint chutney chut·ney n. A pungent relish made of fruits, spices, and herbs. [Hindi ca  n , couscous cous·cous n. 1. A pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina. 2. A North African dish consisting of pasta steamed with a meat and vegetable stew. and artichoke artichoke, name for two different plants of the family Asteraceae (aster family), both having edible parts. The French, or globe, artichoke (Cynara scolymus and feta fet·a n. A white semisoft cheese usually made of goat's or ewe's milk and often preserved in brine. [Modern Greek (turi) pheta, (cheese) slice, from Italian fetta, slice salad. The ``Lost Horizon'' table served up moo shu duck and marinated oranges. No one seemed to care that the dessert table - packed with chocolate-dipped strawberries, gooey See GUI. cakes and lemon tarts - didn't have a name. The green: A live auction, hosted by comedians Jo Anne Worley and Roberta Kent brought in hefty donations. One bidder bought the chance to become a fighter pilot for a day for $2,500. The buzz: Many people applauded improvements that have been made in the zoo's appearance since last year's ball. Many whispered about the absence of zoo board chairman Lloyd Levitin and former chairman Peter James. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: At the Greater Los Angeles Zoo's exotic Beastly Ball , zoo trustee and actress Betty White strolls with zoo director Manuel Mollinedo. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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