RSVP : Dragged Into a ‘Birdcage’ of Farcical Fun

The Scene: Tuesday’s premiere of United Artists’ “The Birdcage” at the Village theater in Westwood. There was a wildly baroque party afterward. The cross-dressing farce that star Robin Williams called “an antidote for Pat, Bob and the caucuses” was a major hit. “When they give out the award for best actor and best actress,” said Martin Mull, “they’re going to have to rethink the categories.”

The Venue: What Taylor Negron described as “like something from the last season of ‘The Love Boat’ “--a hangar-sized tent done by Party Planners West in a South Beach/Miami-style riot of pink and turquoise. It featured an 1,800-square-foot beach with 5 tons of sand, a Caribbean salsa band, a small orchard of faux palm trees, parrots, fortunetellers, a black-walled nightclub with female impersonators performing, and, as the piece de resistance, a 40-by-60-foot swimming pool with bikini-clad drag queens dancing on submerged plexiglass platforms. Co-star Hank Azaria surveyed the scene and said, “It’s always strange what you get used to in Hollywood.”

What Amused the Masses: One journalist held up the flamingo-shaped drink stirrers embossed with the film’s title and said: “Now that’s the sign of a real party. Anyone can have custom-made napkins, but swizzle sticks--now, you’re talking party.”

Who Was There: Co-stars Williams, Azaria, Christine Baranski and Calista Flockhart; director-producer Mike Nichols, plus 1,500 guests including Steve Martin, Quincy Jones, Jennifer Tilly, Diane Sawyer, Helen Hunt, Candice Bergen, James Brooks, Meg Tilly, Eric Idle, Steve Garvey, Lou Pitt, Mike Menchel, Mark Johnson, Steve Tisch and MGM/UA execs Frank Mancuso, John Calley, Jeff Kleeman and Mike Marcus.

Overheard: MGM president Marcus approached Nichols and told him how much he loved the movie. He said he had seen it three times already. Nichols’ deadpan response was, “You should start paying.”

Hazards: There was a number of drag queens sporting a flawless “high gloss” look. It was the kind of party where a man meeting a statuesque, painstakingly lipsticked female could be in for a surprise. Williams said there should have been announcements every few minutes saying: “Beware the tall women! Everything is not what it seems!”

Random Mental State: One industry veteran said he felt “really nervous because I see all these people I’m sure I know, but I can’t remember their names or who they are. I feel like an Oliver Sacks patient.”