Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2008 > May > 05
Monday, May 5, 2008
Austin Star Map party in Great Hills
The Austin Star Map is a harmless bit of fan fun. Created by self-confessed gawker Ame Shillington, the snappy guide identifies more than 50 locations for famous movie scenes (“Slacker,” “Spy Kids,” etc.) as well as the homes, former homes, businesses and favorite night spots of the famous, mostly from the movie industry (Sandra Bullock, Dennis Quaid, etc.). A walking tour takes one through downtown sites, while another list points out prime stake-outs for celebrity spotting (Alamo Drafthouse, Uchi, etc.)
Meriah Garrett, Nick Wellinghoff
Some may find the whole idea invasive, but so far, almost nobody has complained, says Shillington. And Saturday, backers of the tourist map threw a launch party at the Great Hills Apartments Clubhouse (a clear indication of the map’s charmingly unpretentious origins).
Hannah Kimbro, Ian Mouton
Self-proclaimed D-Listers mixed with, well, whoever didn’t even make that low cut. We talked with musicians, models, technicians, early-career film actors, bloggers, radio personalities, all sorts of folks with whom we felt supremely comfortable.
At the party, Stephen Felix slipped me some MP3s of his orchestral band, Noise Revival, which is best described as soundtrack music, textured, imaginative, indicative of more creativity to come.
Stephen Felix, James Sommers, Nathan Felix
Which brings us around to artists sticking to their strengths. In three recent CDs, beloved belter Shirley Bassey smacked the wall with an ill-considered dance album (her voice is too round, dramatic, delineated for the collection entitled “Get the Party Started”); Maureen McGovern, whose cursive voice I also adore, unwisely strayed into wispy, melancholy Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and Judy Collins territory with “A Long and Winding Road”; but Natalie Dessay proved she’s the next soprano to beat with “Italian Opera Arias.” She knew exactly where to stick and where to stray.
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Flamingo-A-Go-Go for Planet Cancer
Planet Cancer is the kind of ambitious grass-roots effort I associate with the New Austin ridiculed by people who don’t bother to socialize with the folks populating downtown’s high rises and other newcomer nodes, like the dreaded East Austin lofts.
John Langford, Heidi Adams, Michael Moss
Founded by Heidi Adams and friends to galvanize young professionals around cancer awareness, the group grew swiftly from a few dozen well-meaners squeezed into a single residence to Saturday’s spectacular, sun-brushed party on the pool deck of AMLI on Second.
Joe Zawacki, Joe Keenan
Looking south, east and west over the apartment’s parking garage — the streamlined building is 70 percent leased — this deck reminds me of hotels in Los Angeles or South Beach.
Krisstina Wise, Courtney Clark
The party was suitably powered by trimly clad men and women, all splashed with shades of pink, including feather boas for those who forgot the key color. Drinks that resembled tropical flowers floated around the terrace.
Lisa Smith, Gina Lynd, Johanna Perez, Elsa Decker
We took a few minutes aside with co-chairwomen Krisstina Wise and Courtney Clark, finding that the event was sold out with 600 attendees and was expected to raise $75,000. I left early for subsequent commitments, but couldn’t help wondering how long it took for somebody to tumble into the inviting pool. 10 p.m.?
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First Zilker Summer Music birthday party
The Zilker Summer Musical turns 50 this year. And the celebratory socializing is already under way. Saturday, at the handsome but modest Westlake home of Pati and Bruce McCandless, children rolled on the steep lawn, youths nibbled on wholesome snacks and Zilker stalwarts recalled decades of show tunes shared by the institution, which traces its heritage back to the hootnannies staged by theater namesake Beverly Sheffield back during the Depression.
Molly Wissinger, Dustin Struhall
As Dustin Struhall tinkled the inevitable ivories, Zilker regular Laura Powell sang the title song to this year’s offering, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” which opens at Zilker Park in July.
Laura Powell, Zilker director Scott Schroeder, who’s worked on almost 25 musicals there
Then Molly Wissinger spun a silver spin on two numbers, including “A Change in Me,” which was added during the show’s long Broadway run at the request of then-star Toni Braxton. (Can’t you imagine Syesha Mercado from “American Idol” in a role like this? Pray that she ousts Jason Castro. Pray.)
Dan Sullivan (Beast), Blake Yelavich (Gaston)
The assembled party heard from board members concerned with funding for the show, which, during my nearly 25 years in Austin, has always suffered from a lack of financial firepower. After all, it’s a resolutely egalitarian, community affair, with local artists and local audiences participating for free (or close, if you discount the parking fee and artist stipends).
Hosts Pati McCandless, Bruce McCandless
Compare the social lambs assembled here, for instance, with the lions who gathered for the Wildflower Center event the night before. Would that the lions dwelled with the lambs for the greater good.
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