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.