The place to be after the Oscars was Spago, where blood-red rose petals covered the floor and floated in champagne glasses to celebrate the success of “American Beauty.”
The DreamWorks’ bash was a lavish celebration of “Beauty’s” five statuettes–including best picture–that drew the A-list of Hollywood celebrityhood.
Stomping on rose petals and mingling with “Beauty” cast members were Haley Joel Osment, Val Kilmer, Christopher Lloyd, Paula Abdul, Scott Bakula, Vin Diesel and Molly Shannon of “Saturday Night Live.”
But only the super-cool got invites to the reserved area in the back, where security guards almost locked arms to make sure nobody snatched the Oscars displayed there.
“American Beauty ” star Kevin Spacey, the night’s best actor winner, and Alan Ball (best original screenplay) took matters into their own hands, literally. The two preferred to drag their Oscars around the party with them.
You tell us
Post-Oscars e-mail from an Inc. reader Monday: “I think the photo of Haley Joel Osment in your article today looks like Hillary Clinton. What do you think?” After our night at Spago, Inc. can barely nod up and down. What do you think?
Out and about
While hanging out at Spago, Inc. came across Anastasia Soare, who declared, “I am living proof of the American dream.” And how. With only a few dollars, Soare came to Los Angeles from Romania just 10 years ago and now makes a very comfortable living in Beverly Hills shaping the eyebrows of the stars.
Soare told us she charges $1,000 and up per celebrity client. “They can afford it,” she said. Soare said even Oprah has flown her to Chicago for her services. So, which star has the best eyebrows? “Oh, Jennifer Lopez,” Soare said without hesitation. “Most people don’t notice it.” That’s probably because they’re looking at other things, we explained.
The question
Why was Gary Coleman, flanked by some statuesque blond, marching down the red carpet at the Academy Awards waving to people like he was up for an Oscar? We have no idea.
Say what?
We hear one of Los Angeles’ most interesting concepts, the oxygen bar, could be making inroads in Chicago. Eric Firestone, of Las Vegas-based breathe Inc. tells us his company’s oxygen booth at the auto show was such a hit, breathe wants to open an outpost in our town. The idea would be to set aside space in one of Chicago’s nightclubs on an experimental basis. “I think it would do great in Chicago,” Firestone said. “The nightclubs want it because it sobers people up.”
Firestone said oxygen sells for about $1 per minute in Hollywood, but for the maximum effect, customers need to be hooked up to the gadget at least 20 minutes.
Lights, camera, action
Jon Cryer, Soleil Moon “Punky Brewster” Frye, Adam Goldberg, Jerry O’Connell and Jennifer Tilley have lent their voices to UPN’s claymation comedy “Hormone High.” The show is brought to us from the folks who came up with MTV’s “Celebrity Deathmatch.”
Open forum
Thanks to the many sharp-eyed correspondents who called our attention to Inc.’s momentary Monday madness. We had Charlize Theron talking about her breasts when, of course, it was Cameron Diaz talking about her breasts. “I don’t know why I care,” wrote one Inc. e-mailer who wanted to alert us to the mixup. Be advised that Armour would never, confuse his starlets or their cleavage. It was Warren, dozing off, who was confused by the bosoms of the two women with Z’s in their names.
A follow-up
We told you last week about a politician we admired because his campaign ads were uniquely candid. Rosiclare (Ill.) funeral director Stephen T. “Bub” Hosick was running for Circuit Court clerk in Downstate Hardin County, he said, to pay daughter Kate’s college bills and to tap into the state’s munificent pension system.
Well, what do you know? Hosick won–unseating a 16-year veteran in the GOP primary. A key campaign worker, by the way, was his son, Seth who is a Chicago investigator for the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Good works department
Chicago firefighters at Engine Company 107 and the sheriff’s juvenile division passed the hat and donated $1,200 for the expense of burying two youngsters who died recently in an apartment fire on the West Side. The money helped the family of LaKisha Williams, 4, and her 1-year-old brother, Casanova Holloway, who perished in the blaze.
. . . but who’s counting?
Tuesday birthdays: Actor Ken Howard, 56; singer Reba McEntire, 45; actor Vince Vaughn, 30; actress Dianne Wiest, 52. And a special shout-out to General Iron Industries’ retired president Nate Rosenmutter, 85.
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