Continued from previous page...
Of
course, the VIP list begins and ends with one person - the genius himself,
Joss Whedon. Sporting his now familiar beard and a loosened tie,
Whedon was in his element trading yarns with fans and taking time to
chat it up with his various cast and crew members. While
he looked slightly tired, Whedon still glowed like the proud papa he
is (both literally and figuratively now) as he worked the crowds both
downstairs and upstairs until he was called to the stage for the check
presentation.
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Make-A-Wish Check; Joss Whedon; Eliza Dushku |
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"All the people on this stage are incredibly talented, none
of them can take any of the credit for this so tonight we
get to be your fans! " ~ Joss
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The Buffy and Angel casts, crews, and demons, plus the PBP Committee members and CoA took to the stage while President of
the PBP, Bryan "Blade" Bonner announced that a staggering $30,000
had been raised for Make-A-Wish this year and presented it to MAW
Rep Shelley Ginsburg who was close to speechless. Joss thanked
the PBP and all the fans and left us with the heartening words, "All
the people on this stage are incredibly talented, none of them can
take any of the credit for this so tonight we get to be your fans!
Thank you for that! The only other thing I want to say is a lot of
people have asked me 'What does it feel like, you know? Is it over?'
It's not over...It's not even close! I will see you all again very
soon. Thank You!" The crowd erupted in appreciation and hysterical
applause.
ROCKIN THE NIGHT
AWAY
Always a much anticipated
and key part of the PBP entertainment are the live performances from
bands associated with the Whedon universe. PBP 2003 was no different
as Bronzer favorites Darling Violetta, Common Rotation
and Four Star Mary rocked the Hall. CoA's own Kristy "Swoop" Bratton introduced Darling Violetta, who took the stage at 7 p.m. and got the fans on their feet and pumped
for another tremendous DV performance. Their set lasted for 45 minutes,
the highlight being their surprise arrangement of their very own Angel
penned theme song. Four Star Mary was up next and they roared
through a searing set of band favorites. Jymm Thomas, DV's
guitarist could be seen mingling with fans all night and even found
his way to the after-party.
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Cami Elen and Jymm Thomas (Darling Violetta); Andy Hallett; Adam
Busch; Erika Amato and Jeff Stacy |
The bands rested for
the check presentation but the music couldn't be stopped. Karaoke
master, Andy Hallett took the stage right after the check presentation
with back-up singers and demons (yes dancing demons!) belting out
three sing along tunes which had fans dancing in the aisles. No one
could ever imagine seeing The Beast and the Uber Vamp bogeying down
to an R&B beat onstage. It was a sight to behold and it will surely
take a lot of drinks to wipe it from the memory. Even fans of Velvet
Chain were delighted to find Erika Amato and Jeff Stacy
mixing it up on the Hall floor catching up with their supporters.
Lastly, Adam Busch's Common Rotation were the last to take
the stage at the end of the night. As lead singer, Adam took the stage
and never looked back. The fans rocked out with them and were left
wanting for more (which could be found the next night at The Whisky
in L.A. when the band performed again.)
THE FAT LADY SINGS
With the music all
played out, the auctions and raffles complete and the fans basking
in the glow of collective bliss, the 2003 PBP came to a close around
midnight. The Hall managers gently nudged the crowds towards the door
and those infamous after-parties at the Ren. The VIPs said their good
byes to the fans and one another and the PBP staff and volunteers
collapsed onto chairs (many for the first time that night) for a brief
moment to rest and take in what had been accomplished for the last
time. Afterwards, some Bronzers shared with us their thoughts. Wanttoknow/
Bobbie said, "It was the best ever. The bands were outstanding!"
and cited, "Having the demons appear made the evening that much greater!
How outstanding to be able to take a picture with The Beast!" This
was Halfrek's first PBP experience and she had this to say
about the regular posting board people, "That was and is still the
best part of it all. That chance to meet people from literally all
over the world. I have made friends with these people that I forsee
being friends with in some aspect for years to come. Getting to meet
the writers, having a conversation with Jane Espenson concerning her
dialogue during the eppy "Earshot" now that was cool. Kitty
and Candy, they were great and each week they talk
about Buffy and Angel and upcoming news, now having
faces to go with the voices, yeah, cool."
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Joel Heyman, Heidi Strickler and Dan Kerns; Rob Kral; Tom Lenk
and Danny Strong |
PBP Coordinator Nancie
"Nikka" Shuman shared, "It was amazing to see this large group
of people from such different (and not so different) back grounds
come together and make everything work! I loved meeting everyone whom
I had been talking to for the last several years. Names and faces
and lots of hugs!" And Bronzer Clover eloquently wrapped it
up by adding, "This was the fourth party I have attended. I had a
great time this year. The bands were awesome (DV rocked!), and it's
great to party with friends that you may only see once a year. Each
year I see old friends, as well as make new ones. The PBP will be
missed." Yes, the PBP will be missed but the last six years of meeting
and connecting with new friends, sharing moments with the cast and
crew of these amazing shows and giving something back to those in
need will remain in our memories forever. PBP 2003 was a perfect ending
to an incredible run in fandom history. Looking back, who would have
ever thought that a TV show about a teenager from the Valley who kills
vampires for a living would change the way we think about TV, challenge
us to look at the world a little differently and become the bridge
to friendships that will last a lifetime? Well, a guy named Joss Whedon,
that's who. Thanks for a hell-of-a-ride Joss and many thanks to the
PBP!
Written
by CoA Staff Writers, Tara DiLullo and Rachel Barrera
This evening could not have been accomplished without the amazing dedication of many, many people! If we thanked each one separately it would take almost as much space as this feature itself, so please allow us the following Oscar Award Winner speech so that we may not forget anyone. (In no particular order)
For more information on the PBP2003 and previous events, visit the Official Website at: PBParty.com
For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater
Los Angeles, visit their Official Website at: WishLA.org
Special thanks to the VIPs who personally assisted or contributed
on our behalf to the auctions: Andy Modlin (Inkworks Cards),
Eric Wight, Jonathan Quesenberry and his crew (SCORE), Scott
Allie and Lee Dawson (Dark Horse Comics), Alex Jurkat
and his team (Eden Studios), Gary Pappani (M80), Roberta
Trahan and Vladimir Kulich, Darling Violetta, Maryelizabeth
Hart, Nancy Holder, Jeff Mariotte, Christopher Golden, Jack Passarella,
Sideshow Toys, Fox Music, Pocket Books, Titan, the Official Buffy Magazine, Dan Kerns, Elisabeth James,
Nikki Stafford. Natasha Billawala and Tracy Bellomo, plus
the entire casts and crews of Buffy and Angel! And bowing
deeply to Mr. Joss Whedon.
A very special "thank you" to the creators of the demons of the evening.
They put the "Monster" in the "Monster's Ball!" Thanks to Dayne
Johnson and Dalia Dokter and their "palettes", and Danny
Nero. And a huge "Thank You" to Rob Hall
and his entire crew of artists from Almost Human: Chris Burdett, Jason
Collins, Darnell Shephard, Allen Holt, Chris
Baer and Debbie Bocarde
for their time and donation of materials. Dr. Jonathan Gording
and his techs David Baur and Gary Huey.
Our utmost thanks to the PBP Committee for allowing us this
partnership: Bryan Bonner, Will York, Karri Phillips, Wendy Schapiro,
Peter Hueser, Nancie Shuman and Jamie Rudolph (Media Specialist).
Kitty and Candy (The Succubus Club)!
If you have any comments for CityofAngel.com regarding this 'Happenings' feature, we would love to hear from you. Just email us at: comments@CityofAngel.com
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