Hey, Gang, Barbie’s Coming to Town in 2 Touring Collections
Barbie is coming. Paris-based designer Billy Boy is arriving May 1 with his two extraordinary Barbie collections--one of 300 Barbie dolls dressed by world-famous designers (Mary McFadden, Bill Blass, Sonia Rykiel, Guy Larouche, you-name-it), the other of 400 of his own dolls representing the history of Barbie, 1959 to au courant. The four-day Barbie and Billy display at the Glendale Galleria culminates a nationwide tour that itself culminates Billy’s idolization of Barbie, an attachment that began when the haute jewelry designer was 2 years old. But of course.
POLI-SIGHS--The primary is still two months away, but already the GOP is busy healing any wounds that the competition for the California Senate nomination might cause. Mrs. Republican, Margaret Brock, this week telegrammed heavy-hitter supporters, asking them to join White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan for a Monday Unity Fund lunch. The telegram makes it clear that President Reagan has directed Regan’s attendance at the meeting of the fund’s co-chairmen. Contributors to the Unity Fund give $1,000 (that’s the maximum for Senate races), but their checks are held in escrow until the day after the June 3 primary, when the escrow account then becomes the GOP Senate nominee’s campaign account. Some “head start,” huh? . . . Northern California Democrat Rep. Barbara Boxer gets hosted by the Business Executives for National Security at a cocktail reception at the Fremont Place home of Liz Snyder Thursday evening. . . . Morgan Mason, the former White House special assistant to the President for political affairs in 1981-82 (gosh, his title was almost longer than his stay) and now the president of the Mason Organization in Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.
BENEFIT CRUSH--Hardly a night goes by that L.A. doesn’t turn on the star power and turn out for a benefit (or two or three). It should be a star-studded scene April 22 when Alan Alda’s new film, “Sweet Liberty,” premieres, benefiting the Center Theatre Group Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre. Alda will be on hand as the crowds catch the film at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Bev Hills, then follow up with partying at the Beverly Wilshire. Putting together the details are Roz Wyman, exec v.p. of the CTG’s board of directors; Judith Beckmen, CTG-Volunteers president, and Roberta Haft (a CTG volunteer whose hubby, David Haft, is CTG board president). Still not known--will the film’s co-star Lillian Gish be on hand? . . . Roz Wyman also has been busy putting the finishing touches on the first annual Singers’ Salute to the Songwriter, the April 7 benefit for the Betty Clooney Foundation for the Brain Injured. Set to show up and sing (or at least “present”) are, of course, Rosemary Clooney, her daughter-in-law Debby Boone, Patti Page, Tony Bennett, Diahann Carroll, Jack Jones and the L.A. Jazz Choir. Lots of $25 tickets are still available at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
SALUTING SUCCESS--That landmark group, the Hispanic Women’s Council, this year honors three outstanding Latino women at the fifth annual “Women for Success” awards dinner, at the Bonaventure on April 10. It spotlights the contributions of actress-producer Carmen Zapata, singer-actress Julia Migenes-Johnson and muralist Judith Baca. Southern Cal Edison’s Howard Allen chairs the dinner for the HWC, a nonprofit volunteer organization. . . . My gosh, is our old friend Bob Hope getting another award? Yup. At Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, all part of the weeklong series of events opening its new Patient Tower. Hope gets the center’s “Heart of Hollywood” award April 15, at a black-tie dinner at the Sheraton Premiere. The theme of the week--”A New Star Is Born.”
VERY FASHIONABLE--The crowd, that is, expected at the annual Cedars-Sinai Women’s Guild luncheon April 16 at the Beverly Hilton. Among the known names and faces: Suzanne Pleshette, Marianne Rogers, Joanna Carson, Victoria McMahon, Judy Ovitz, Fran Stark, Sherry Lansing, Anne Jeffreys Sterling, Rhonda Fleming Mann, Louisa Moore and, of course, Guild president Carolyn Blywise. . . . Cuisine a Roulettes--supporting the outreach lunch and senior food programs at Good Samaritan Hospital--holds a fund-raising brunch and fashion show at Bullock’s Century City on April 3.
ARTSY AID--Not really. No, it’s “Art Aid,” tonight at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. The target: $500,000 for African Famine Relief. More than 60 contemporary works donated by the artists will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s, including works by L.A. notables, like Ed Ruscha, and amateur artists, like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. . . . Venice’s 72 Market Street hosts an all-morning breakfast April 9 as a preview to the Venice Art Walk ’86. This is the seventh annual Art Walk, which last year netted $212,000 for the Venice Family Clinic. The walk itself is set for June 1, and is a tour of more tha 40 homes and studios in Santa Monica and Venice.
SAVE THE DATE--OK. We give up. The “save the date” cards have become as thematic and clever as party decorations. “Neighbors of Watts invites you to save the date, Saturday , May 24,” comes on a large playing-card post card. That’s because the party honoring Ella Fitzgerald is a “speak-easy night, cabaret and casino.” . . . The most confident “save the date” mailing is the clever “save the week” card urging folks to keep free the week, starting Nov. 30, for the seven partying nights inaugurating the “landmark building” of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
