A starry night in Burbank

Jackson Bell

Actor Kevin Bacon and a host of other celebrities will usher in AMC’s

new 16-screen theater Wednesday night with a fund-raiser and grand

opening celebration that is expected to draw between 3,000 and 4,000

guests.

A film tribute to Bacon and block party will introduce the

4,200-seat megaplex at 125 E. Palm Ave. to those who pay $25 each for

the experience, Downtown Manager Gail Stewart said.

“This will be the place to be,” Stewart said. “The theater is a

great project, and [guests can be] a part of history with it opening

up and becoming a part of downtown Burbank.”

Bacon and his wife, actress Kyra Sedgwick, will arrive for the

inaugural ticket tear at 7:30 p.m., hosted by KTLA-TV’s Sam Rubin. At

8 p.m., the theater will screen 13 of Bacon’s movies simultaneously.

The movies that will be screened are: “A Few Good Men,” “Animal

House,” “Apollo 13,” “The Big Picture,” “Diner,” “Flatliners,”

“Footloose,” “Friday the 13th,” “JFK,” “Murder in the First,” “The

River Wild,” “Trapped,” and “Tremors.”

The block party, which begins at 6 p.m., features live music and

food from local restaurants.

Other celebrities expected to make appearances at the event

include actor Ed Harris, comedian Bill Maher, former astronaut Buzz

Aldrin and actor Christopher Guest. Mayor Stacey Murphy and other

city officials are also scheduled to attend.

The event, titled “6 Degrees: A Kevin Bacon Film Tribute and Block

Party,” will benefit the Earth Communications Office (ECO) as well as

the Burbank Boys and Girls Club. ECO is a nonprofit environmental

organization that sponsors “Climate Star,” a campaign that uses

celebrity activists to raise awareness of global warming.

ECO spokesman Paul Williams said the event’s title was a

“serendipitous” choice, since it alludes to the popular pop culture

game, “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” as well as an impeding

environmental crisis.

“Scientists predict that at the current rate, global temperatures

will increase by six degrees in the future,” Williams said. “So we

thought the title was appropriate.”

The megaplex, part of the new AMC Entertainment Village, will open

to the public Friday.

Tickets are $25, and $250 for the VIP party. They can be purchased

by calling (888) 663-3278 or by visiting the city’s Community

Redevelopment Department, Gordon Biersch Brewery or Golden Chicken.