Partying, Emmy Style
ET had Cyndi Lauper at Vibiana. Fox had the Glee cast and creator/director/writer Ryan Murphy, eating and loving things at Cicada. Comedy Central had Colbert at The Colony. AMC had Mad Men, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul at Soho House. And HBO had designer Billy Butchkavitz, who continues to set the bar on sumptuous design by transforming the Pacific Design Center’s plaza into the winningest network’s pulsating afterparty.
This time he was inspired by the late August Emmy date to create a summer rhapsody in shades of tropical pink and green.
The big guns of “The Pacific,” EP Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, were caught up in the celebration, which also included Al Pacino, Claire Danes, Wanda Sykes, Larry David, Ricky Gervais, Susan Sarandon, Julia Ormond, Temple Grandin, Thomas Jane, Boris Kodjoe, Sofia Vergara, John Hodgman, Jim Parsons, Jon Voight, Matthew Morrison, Matthew Perry, Kathy Griffin, Anna Paquin and Steven Moyer—and most of the rest of the “True Blood” cast. The schmooze, dine, drink and dance fest was complete with an Oscar Blandi blowout station and a Laura Mercier makeup bar to keep guests looking pretty. Jerry Ferrara and a pal were having such a good time, they had to be told to leave at closing time.
Many guests first hit up the Governors Ball, put on by Sequoia Productions at the Convention Center immediately after the awards ceremony at the Nokia Theatre, where the libations were flowing along with the multi-course dinner created by Joachim Splichal. It’s the 15th year his Patina Catering has partnered with the Emmys. Beaulieu Vineyard provided the wines of choice for the fifth year running, and harder spirits were provided by Grey Goose. A great way to start the evening, especially with a designated driver.
NBC Universal has a time-honored tradition of feting its Primetime Emmy nominees the night before the show at Spago–wining and dining them Wolfgang Puck-style. That means a delectable raw bar, full dinner and dessert buffets, and waiters passing pizza of all varieties. The only damper on things is when the Beverly Hills fire marshal shuts things off when the place reaches capacity, which is about half hour after the party starts. This year, he was in an uncommonly good mood and the festivities were inordinately packed, a perfect situation for actually bumping into your favorite NBC, Bravo and Syfy stars, like Blair Underwood and the Tonight Show’s talented new band leader, Rickey Minor.
What daytime soiree honoring UK TV stars would be complete without a variety of scones? BAFTA/LA’s 8th annual Emmy tea party had that one covered for the revelers, which included Glenn Close, Julia Ormond, Steve Levitan, Nigel Lythgoe (BAFTA/LA’s chair), Cherry Jones, Shoreh Aghdashloo, Rose Byrne, Wendie Malick, Evan Handler and the man who’s more Tony Blair than the former prime minister himself, Michael Sheen. Most attendees had a special relationship with the perfectly proper and distinctly British crustless cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches that were piled in abundance on the tea tables.
