Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Unforgettable Evening

Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I get to go to parties and schmooze with stars for a living. Tonight I was over at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for a truly fabulous benefit dinner for the Entertainment Industry Foundation's Women's Cancer Research Fund. Not only were there stars galore (Gwyneth Paltrow, Jay-Z, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Courteney Cox, Sheryl Crow, Lisa Kudrow, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Meyer, Angie Harmon and Kate Capshaw, just to name a few!), but the whole evening was very moving and elegantly done.

Some tidbits: Tom Hanks is truly one of the nicest, funniest, most endearing and talented guys in Hollywood and he was, of course, a hilarious host on stage. Rita is his perfect match in every way, as she was equally sincere, friendly and all-around positive to anyone and everyone. I've talked to them before years ago, and they never cease to amaze me how well they complement each other as a couple.

Lisa Kudrow, on the other hand, was somber, for the most part, and gave short answers to the press, and certainly wasn't the friendliest.

Jennifer Meyer was adorable in a sequined Stella McCartney babydoll dress--perfectly accomodating for her belly bump. When asked if she had any Valentine's Day plans, she shrugged and said, "Ruby [her daughter] in the day, Tobey [Maguire] at night!?"


And last but not least, Beyonce brought the house down with a sensational performance to end the evening. She sang 'At Last', 'Crazy in Love' and 'Single Ladies' and wowed the crowd so much that everyone was on their feet in no time, and the energy level was through the roof.

Jay-Z showed up after dinner had been cleared away, just minutes before her performance, looking dapper in a tux and plaid bow tie (note: he was the only guy in a tux...everyone else opted for a suit.) Nevertheless, he looked great, was totally gracious and best of all? Showed up to support his girl. Aww.

One last nugget: At one point, Tom joked, 'I liked it, and I did put a ring on it!" pointing to Rita at the table. Rita twirled her napkin in the air and did a little shimmy while everyone laughed. See? Couple cuteness all around.

Alright, enough story telling!

On to the candid pictures:






















For the full write-up, click here.

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