Linda Perry’s ‘Heaven’ Gala honors Ali Larter, Hayes MacArthur
The event: Saturday’s Art of Elysium “Heaven” Gala brought together a galaxy of stars on the eve of the Golden Globe Awards. Designed by songwriter Linda Perry, according to her vision of heaven, the black-tie gala benefited Elysium organization and honored comedian Hayes MacArthur and actress Ali Larter of “Heroes” and “Final Destination.”
The crowd: Art of Elysium, which brings the creative arts to hospitalized children, is a favorite charity of young Hollywood, so A-listers filled the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Guests included Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Anna Kendrick, David Arquette, Elijah Wood, Kate Bosworth, Michael Polish, Kelly Osbourne, Amy Smart, Carter Oosterhouse, Camilla Belle, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Busy Philipps, Ashley Madekwe, Rose McGowan, Topher Grace, Dave Annable, soon-to-be mom Teresa Palmer, Amanda and Shepard Fairey and many more.
The scene: Having prerecorded a variety of voices chanting “om,” Perry -- who has written hit songs for Christina Aguilera, Pink, Gwen Stefani, Adam Lambert, Celine Dion and others -- started the party by instructing guests to drop the needle onto the turntable centerpieces on their tables and listen to the sounds. Unvarnished wooden tables, chairs and plates conveyed a natural spirit. Where a typical high-ticket gala might have been lit by ornate chandeliers, here a sleek white horn spanned the ceiling.
Also in the mode of purity, guests were served a vegan dinner that ended with a trio of desserts, which -- according to chef Jay Perry -- reflected the importance of the number three, in concepts such as “body, mind and spirit” and “past, present and future.”
Quote of note: Following charity founder Jennifer Howell’s presentation of the “Spirit of Elysium” Award to MacArthur and Larter, MacArthur thanked the audience and gave a special shout-out to the celebrities who took time to come on a hectic Golden Globes weekend.
“We’re just so thankful for your presence at such a busy time and to see you all dressed in your second best outfits for the weekend,” MacArthur quipped.
The numbers: Tickets sold for $5,000 each and as of this writing, the total from ticket sales, sponsorships and the night’s auction hadn’t been tabulated. The event was sponsored by Mercedes Benz, with Perrier Jouet Champagne hosting the cocktail hour.
Ellen Olivier is founder of the online magazine Society News LA.
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