Behind the Scenes

Continued from previous page...

LET THE VIP PARADE BEGIN!

*** VIP Awards***

BELLE OF THE BALL Julie Benz
Julie was the most stunning beauty in the party hall.
Dressed in basic jeans and tan leather jacket, she was
a sight to behold. 18th Century Darla had nothin' on
her.

FAN FAVORITE
James Marsters
A long line formed for autographs and photos and James was more than patient! He was a trooper and deep down inside he was loving every fan-adoring minute of it.

DRESSED TO SLAY
Mere Smith
Mere wore a long black sheath with a compi-
mentary
shawl and blue hair! Classic Greenwich Village with Glitz.

BIGGEST VIP SURPRISE
Eliza Dushku
Eliza worked herself throughout the VIP crowd and
enjoyed much attention from the fans. Battleing a sore throat, she gave great attention to special fans.
Bring It On, girl!

SWEETEST VIP
Alexis Denisof
Alexis was more than happy to chat with fans and VIPs alike being sincere and down to earth just like he is
every year. And, very sweet! Although amiss of Alyson he boasted his charming smile.

STYLE & SOUL
J. August Richard
There is smooth and then there is smooth and very few who can pull it off. With class and charm to sweep any gorgeous girl off her feet, there can be only one.

Some of the early VIP guests to arrive included Buffy scribe and fan-favorite Jane Espenson who talked with fans about her next episode "Storyteller" featuring Tom Lenk (Andrew). Speaking of whom, Lenk arrived and quickly touched base with his fellow Troika members, Adam Busch (Warren) and Danny Strong (Jonathan). Shortly after, The Beast's alter ego, Vladimir Kulich made his first appearance at the PBP and was quickly swarmed by fans the minute he ventured upstairs. Then arguably the most swarmed and patient man of the event, James Marsters (Spike on Buffy) first made the rounds of the VIP area then spent a good percentage of the night upstairs posing for pictures, signing autographs and enjoying the never dwindling crowd of fans. The Watcher's Council was represented by none other than Jeff Ricketts (Weatherby) as he sauntered through the throng of fans with a smile for everyone.

(l-r) Jane Espenson; Steve DeKnight and Mere Smith; Drew Goddard; Doug Petrie

A woman who always knows how to dress for the occasion, Mere Smith appeared stunning as usual with a spaghetti-strapped blue shift dress and blue hair to match! In her trademark wit, she talked about the perils of errant cleavage and trying to accessorize correctly for her blue hair. Fans soon had her cornered showering her with praise for her work on the last Angel episode before the break "Calvary." Former Angel executive producer turned Firefly executive, Tim Minear snuck into the rooms and was tough to find all night as he merged in with the ebbing crowds but was found chatting it up with James and Joss. Former Buffy writer and now full-time Angel scribe, Steve DeKnight was indeed wearing pants in public and more importantly talking about making his directorial debut on episode 17 of the series.

(l-r) Chris Baer (Uber Vamp) and Camden Toy; Vladimir Kulich and Chris Burdett (The Beast); Dalia Dokter with John Wolf (Tragedy Demon)

There were a lot of double takes from fans when it came to the demons mingling, as there were many of their actor counterparts who showed up as well. Besides Kulich and The Beast, actor Camden Toy (Gnarl, The Uber Vamp, and a Gentleman from "Hush") chatted up his alter ego for the night. Nearby, David Denman worked the room while his character, Skip wandered the floor frightening unsuspecting fans. "Hey! That traffic on the 405 was a killer huh?" But the demons were not the only representatives from Angel who had an abundance of crewmembers. Composer Rob Kral, one never to miss the party was eager to talk about his involvement with David Greenwalt's (who was MIA) Miracles, but Elisabeth James was on hand to take David's place and his spot at the buffet. Also from the crew were Gaffer Dan Kerns, Heidi Strickler and Joel Heyman: stand-ins for Amy Acker (who was home in Dallas) and David Boreanaz.

(l-r) Dayne Johnson and Julie Benz; Maryelizabeth Hart (with daughter Holly) and Jeff Mariotte; J. August Richards

Authors of books covering the Whedon-verse were also out in force. Nikki Stafford whose newly revised Buffy's Guide "Bite Me" on store shelves finally met many of the Bronzers with whom she talked with while researching her books. Maryelizabeth Hart, Jeff Mariotte and Nancy Holder, authors of the various official companion books for Buffy and Angel were also having a great time talking to fans, signing books and getting the scoop from various VIPs. As the night progressed, the cast from Angel was representing in force. Mark Lutz (The Grooselugg) was partying with buddy Andy Hallett (Lorne) while J. August Richards, a PBP vet, shepherded beautiful newcomer, Alexa Davalos (Gwen) around the party with a protective eye. She spent a few minutes chatting with us expressing how much fun she was having on Angel this season playing "Electra-girl." Shy but charming, Alexa coyly let us know that we may expect a return visit from the mysterious thief later in the season. "I love that there are so many supporters out there, it's totally overwhelming!" she confessed.

"I came here tonight a posting board party virgin and I leave a changed woman. " ~ Julie Benz

Alexa wasn't the only gorgeous face from Angel to make her first appearance. The stunning sire of Angel himself, Julie Benz (Darla) made her debut at the 2003 PBP - albeit a timid one. The crush of fans was overwhelming but she was so impressed by the fan support and the money that was raised over the night. She eventually braved the crowds upstairs and the fans were in turn ecstatic to meet her in person and left in awe of her beautiful presence. "I came here tonight a posting board party virgin and I leave a changed woman," she teased. "I mean that's how amazing it is! It's really great to be a part of something and come out to an event like this and give back to a wonderful charity and raise $30,000 for it. It really is a gift to us. It just raises the wonderful feelings we have about the work anyway." She concluded by reflecting on her time with the series, "It's probably one of the high points of my life. It's been such a great experience and I'm so glad I came out tonight!"

Another veteran of the event, Alexis Denisoff showed up later in the evening sans his new fiancée, Alyson Hannigan (who was shooting her new film American Wedding). Regardless, he was relaxed and warm with all the fans that bestowed many compliments for his performance as the much-conflicted Wesley this season. Alexis lit up in excitement when his recent co-star and the biggest surprise guest of the night, Eliza Dushku (Faith) came up behind him in an autograph line in the VIP room. Despite a case of bronchitis, Dushku (who wore a protective scarf around her throat) was an enthusiastic participant in the fun. With her best friend, Roman , they worked the crowds (which were huge!) and fielded questions from hungry fans about a possible Faith spin-off. Fans of Joss' now cancelled space western Firefly were delighted to find former cast members, Ron Glass (Preacher) and Summer Glau (River) who was also the prima ballerina in "Waiting in the Wings" working the crowds expressing their gratitude for the fan support of their show. The cast mates and Joss mentioned that they are hoping for the "Serenity" to fly again in a possible TV movie being pitched by Mutant Enemy to Fox.

(l-r) Alexis Denisof; Summer Glau and Joss Whedon; George Hertzberg; Sarah Hagan

Buffy fans were treated to a lot of returning old friends and plenty of new faces. Some SIT's were in the house including Sarah Hagan (Missy) and Willow's new girlfriend, Kennedy played by the charming Iyari Lymon. Both were amazed by the positive fan feedback and were equally stunned by the huge crowds approaching them for autographs and pictures. Season 4's "Big Bad," Adam was there in the much more handsome and natural visage of George Hertzberg who learned: you may be gone from Buffy but you are never forgotten by the fans. Another welcome addition to the evening was Jonathan M. Woodward who played the memorable vampire Holden with whom Buffy confided her fears in the standout season seven episode "Conversations with Dead People."

Writers of both shows were also getting their share of "the love" from the fans. Besides Jane, Doug Petrie was there, prepping for his episode "Get It Done" which aired on February 18. He both wrote and directed the episode - a first for the Buffy writer. New addition to the staff, Drew Goddard made a big impression with posters on the Bronze board this past season gaining throngs of fans or "minions" as he lovingly calls them. Led by Bronzer, Dachelle, Goddard held court with his minions and shared with them some "secret" inside-minion only information. The other Buffy Drew, Drew Z. Greenberg also graciously answered questions on his craft for the attentive fans. And the irrepressible David Fury, Buffy and Angel writer extraordinary snuck up on the CoA staff and asked to do one of our "infamous" CoA VIP tags. Listen for his "special" message on our home page.

Go to Next Page