Ready for Their Close-Ups

By SUSAN HOWLETT

Nov. 12, 1998 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Even before his Italian lace-ups hit the red carpet, talent agent Keith Lewis was workin’ that Hollywood thing.

Armani suit. A 3-week-old goatee. A look that screamed “A List.”

But Lewis wasn’t the only one getting the star treatment at this glitzy gala. For this was Tinseltown Studios in Anaheim, a new entertainment concept that pushes the envelope of dinner theater by allowing VIP wannabes to play celeb for a night.

“I’ve been to a lot of star-studded events, and this definitely creates the scene,” said Lewis, president of the Costa Mesa-based Morgan Agency, dedicated to launching models, actors and child hopefuls into stardom.

The scene? Well, instead of the Hollywood sign, Tinseltown is illuminated by Klieg lights. And a 75-foot water tower on the grounds calls more attention to the $15-million facility near Edison International Field in Anaheim.

When it premieres Friday, it will accommodate as many as 700 visitors eager for the Hollywood experience--from mock celebrity arrivals to an elaborate awards dinner and show.

Each evening at Tinseltown Studios (founded by mythical film pioneer Cohnwarner Mayerwyn Selznuck), the gates of the lot open to an “invited” gathering of guests who attend to participate in the “Tinseltown Awards.” A cast of 17 performers plays roving Hollywood reporters. They also sing, dance and show film clips from major motion pictures in which some audience members are featured playing parts such as Kevin Costner’s role in “Field of Dreams” or John Belushi’s part in “Animal House.”

During the sneak preview last week, Lewis came along to provide an industry insider’s perspective of Tinseltown, a 40,000-square-foot facility on East Katella Avenue in Anaheim not too far from two other themed dinner theaters in Buena Park. Wild Bill’s has an Old West theme, and Medieval Times has a jousting arena, but the grand scale of Tinseltown Studios “puts it in a different league,” Lewis said.

“With all the lights, you can feel the energy. At the Academy Awards, it’s clear by the mob of fans that the average person really wants to be a part of the inside action. This allows them to do that for a night--it’s fun.”

The brainchild of Jim Garber and former Disneyland president Jack Lindquist, Tinseltown Studios is owned and operated by Ogden Entertainment, a division of Ogden Corp., a $2-billion company based in New York.

Ogden operates more than 130 entertainment facilities worldwide, including the nature-based Silver Springs theme park near Orlando, Fla., and the Top of the World observation attraction on the 107th floor of Manhattan’s World Trade Center. In Southern California, Ogden Entertainment operates the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim and the Great Western Forum in Inglewood.

Despite the $15-million start-up, promoters said Tinseltown already has the makings of a Hollywood success story. According to spokesman Jim Garber, $1.7 million in group business has been booked through January.

“So far things are looking great,” says Garber, president of Anaheim-based GarLin Productions, responsible for creating the Tinseltown concept along with Lindquist. “The feedback [at sneak previews] has been very positive,” Garber said.

After guests are greeted by paparazzi and autograph hounds straining the velvet ropes, they are led into a celebrity bar area with purple-draped curtains and cast members in elaborate evening wear who toss air kisses and chatter like self-aggrandizing stars. Famous clips from a century of movie making play continuously on four preshow monitors.

“It’s been ages, dahling,” one sequined starlet said to a guest sporting blue jeans and a white T-shirt. “Simply ages.”

“Famed legendary film mogul” Selznuck greets guests from a balcony above, a la Richard Attenborough as John Hammond in “Jurassic Park.” He welcomes his “closest friends,” making everyone feel like a star, if only for a moment.

Guests are then led into the grand ballroom, where a waitress or two may point and squeal at them.

“Look! it’s Mel Gibson!” shouted one server, pointing at a Tinseltown guest, who was confused for a second because he in no way resembles the hunky star. “I just looove you,” she gushed.

At the table, Tinseltown serves a three-course meal. Guests dine on green salad, choice of steak, salmon, chicken or vegetarian pasta. The signature dessert? A rich chocolate filmstrip with the Tinseltown logo in each frame.

As dinner is served, many of the Tinseltown celebrities are able to see themselves on two enormous television screens on each side of the stage. This pre-award show telecast features interviews conducted by mock reporters with guests as they arrived for the evening.

The screens display a “fly over” shot of the Anaheim building while dessert and coffee are served.

“Live from Anaheim, California,” booms the announcer, “It’s the ‘Tinseltown Awards Show,’ honoring the finest in motion picture achievement.” Red carpet interviews acquired earlier by Tinseltown’s exclusive TV show, “Access Entertainment,” are shown to the awards audience.

The show features Academy Award-like production numbers, Hollywood song medleys and a series of repartee between acts that are frighteningly similar to the real thing.

“Oggie” statuettes are given for best actor and best actress, and this is when some of the guests will see themselves actually inserted into real motion picture film clips via the ulti-mat (green screen) process. (Studio technicians and editors digitally recompose the film, inserting the guest’s picture into the clip after the real actor’s image has been removed. The guest appears in the clip talking to the original co-star.)

Appearing in a Hollywood movie is voluntary. Not every guest would want so much attention, even during this evening of celebrity.

Lewis didn’t seize his 15 minutes of fame on screen. Still, returning to reality was a bit of a letdown. His Armani suit a touch wrinkled after the 2 1/2-hour Tinseltown experience, he headed out to his car and felt a tad deflated.

No limo. No driver. Just his Jeep in a self-parking space.

“It was fun while it lasted,” he said, sighing.

* Tinseltown is at 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. Show schedule: 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. Tickets: $44.50 for adults; $34.50 for children 11 and younger. (714) 712-2700.

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Hollywood in Anaheim

Tinseltown Studios brings the hoopla of a Hollywood awards show to Anaheim, with an audience-participation dinner theater. Here’s how the show goes on:

1. Guard shack: Guests present their invitations to “Pop,” the studio watchman.

2. Red-carpeted entry: Paparazzi and autograph seekers swarm guests, who are interviewed and videotaped by the studio’s television crew.

3. Composite still photo: Guests dress up in costumes to appear in a computer-generated photo showing them aboard the Titanic or in scenes from other films. Cost: $20 per 8 by 10

4. Sound-stage: While drinks are served, guests are schmoozed by film-star wannabes, eager to rub elbows with Hollywood elite.

4. Dining area: Guests enter as interview footage plays on overhead monitors. Eight guests are selected as best actor and actress nominees. They are taken upstairs to be filmed and their roles incorporated into actual film footage.

Dinner is served as Tinseltown entertainers perform a musical tribute to Hollywood. Best actor/actress footage is shown on monitors; winners are presented an Oggie award.

Now Auditioning

Tinseltown’s first lineup of roles and films:

Best Actor Nominees

*--*

Guests will play Film Opposite Kevin Costner “Field of Dreams Ray Liotta Richard Attenborough “Jurassic Park” Sam Neill Christopher Reeve “Somewhere in Time” Jane Seymour John Belushi “Animal House” Tim Matheson and Peter Riegert

*--*

Best Actress Nominees

*--*

Guests will play Film Opposite Carrie Fisher “The Blues Brothers” John Belushi Jessica Tandy “Fried Green Tomatoes” Kathy Bates Janet Leigh “Psycho” Anthony Perkins Genevieve Bujold “Anne of A Thousand Days” Richard Burton

*--*

Special Affects

At the sneak preview of Tinseltown Studios, talent agent Keith Lewis came up with a few things that could make the Hollywood experience more painfully genuine:

* More air kisses and no-contact hugs

* Cell phones at every ear

* Menu of free-range chicken and field greens

* Evian water bottles galore

* More shallow dialogue such as: “You look fabulous! Are you doing Pilates?” “The Hamptons were soooo crowded this year.”

* Seat fillers who pop into seats the instant a celebrity leaves his/her place

* More pushy publicists

* Silent, dark-suited security guys lurking with their earpieces

* Goody gift bags with extra-large event logo T-shirts and cosmetic samplers

* Hosted bar

* More late arrivals

* More people leaving before house lights come on