At the Oscars’ Governors Ball, that golden feeling
Just days before the Academy Awards, Jessica Contreras was busy misting 24-karat gold over an Oscar statuette. But on Sunday, that golden figurine isn’t going to be presented to a winner -- instead, it might be eaten by one.
On Wednesday morning, Contreras, a pastry cook, was readying miniature chocolate Oscars for the 52nd Governors Ball. The glittering party, which was launched by the academy in 1958 to fete nominees and winners, will be held again this year at the grand ballroom at the Hollywood & Highland Center, adjacent to the Kodak Theatre.
“We actually had the molds made before I started working this party, and the academy was very unhappy about it,” said Wolfgang Puck, who will be back to cater the event for the 16th year. “They’re so protective of their image, you know. But now everything is good and they take the molds back after the party and say, ‘OK, can we lock these up?’ ”
Earlier this week, a handful of cooks crowded the ballroom’s kitchen to get a head start on dicing and peeling vegetables -- including the 400 pounds of celery, 450 pounds of potatoes and 500 pounds of leeks that will be served Sunday night. This year, Puck’s menu will include a potato galette with smoked salmon followed by a chicken pot pie and topped off with a Baked Alaska for dessert.
Cheryl Cecchetto, who is producing the Governors Ball for the 21st year in a row, based her designs on the 1930s look of Paul R. Williams’ Saks Fifth Avenue store and the glamorous Earl Carroll club. She promises it will be a distinctive night.
Starting with the basics, Cecchetto knows to get a drink in guests’ hands right away because “they need to be doing something -- it makes them more comfortable.” There should be quiet music in the background because complete quiet makes people uncomfortable. And the food should be immediately available for the hungry hordes who’ve been sitting at the award show for at least three hours, and very likely four. The party planner has commissioned 30 banquettes for the evening at which the expected 1,500 guests can gather and get conversations flowing.
When they look up, they’ll see a triple-tiered drop ceiling, displaying a fiber optic and crystal bead chandelier with arcs meant to look like the curves of a woman. Not one to skimp on the details, Cecchetto has extended the female theme to the orchestra, which will be comprised of 19 women who will play on an elevated stage in the center of the room.
Adorning the tables will be Rothschild roses and orchids from local vendor Mark’s Garden. Moët Champagne will flow. And as party favors: custom-made boxes holding photos from the evening’s nominated films.
And this year, for the first time, Oscar winners won’t have to relinquish their treasured trophies to have their nameplates attached. A small workshop-like booth will be set up at the ball to personalize each winner’s statuette.
“How many times do you get to go to a ball?” asked Cecchetto. “When the guests walk in, I really want them to feel transformed by this space. I want them to all feel like they’re a star.
“For me, it’s about pulling all these people together and creating a piece of magic and somebody experiences it, and then it all goes away. And what do we have? Great photographs and fabulous memories.”
