Five hundred and fifty COPE Lite supporters attended a political fundraiser for the yet-to-be named municipal party that hopes to field a full slate of candidates, headed by Larry Campbell, for the November civic election. COPE Lites Larry Campbell, Jim Green and Raymond Louie greeted friends and supporters (including arts groups, small businesses and NPA-ish developers) at a $150-a-plate dinner at the decked-out-in-red Floata Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown. Friends of Larry Campbell founder and co-chair, Leonard Schein, hoped to raise $50,000 for the new party.
The stars of British Columbia's restaurant and food industry came out to the Sheraton Wall Centre for the 16th Annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards Gala hosted by Vicki Gabereau. A-list foodies gathered at the red carpet affair in anticipation of the medal winners in over 30 categories. Lumiere topped this year's list with four nominations but it was the South Granville eatery West that went home with Restaurant and Chef of the Year (David Hawksworth) honours. C Restaurant won Best Seafood with Belgian bistro Chambar taking Best New Fine Dining accolades. A Lifetime Culinary Achievement Award was handed out to Rubina Tandoori and Tamarind's Krishna Jamal.
Several hundred jet-set folks attended the second annual L'Amour Take Off fashion benefit at The Roundhouse Community Centre. A nostalgic glance backward to the era of white-gloved stewardesses, propeller planes and champagne trans-Atlantic flights, the 1940s themed air travel and fashion fete was a benefit for the Dr. Peter Centre. Producer Michel Chicoine choreographed the evening's affair, complete with runway fashions by Anna Kosturova, Betsey Johnson and Manuel Mendoza.
Hoping to be the Hollywood Theatre for the Kits crowd, Planet Theatre presented its inaugural movie opening Wrap Yourself In Our Shorts film festival at the HR Macmillan Space Centre. Eighteen short films were screened ranging from Oscar and Genie Award-winner Ryan to the $25 budget, short film, Cell Phone by Kryshan Randel. Planet Theatre hopes to program high quality films and related events including film/speaker series and festivals at the Space Centre.
On the small theatre stage, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Equity Co-op presented Daniel MacIvor's drama You Are Here at Performance Works while Ruby Slippers Theatre and Studio 58 presented the men-are-pigs, women-are-oppressed Lisa Loomer play, The Waiting Room, at Langara College.