Carousel of stars rides toward hope
Unless they’re going to a major gala or awards show such as the Oscars or Emmys, Angelenos in general tend to dress down most days, more often than not.
But they dressed up for the 30th Carousel of Hope Ball, an Oct. 8 benefit for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes — where there were plenty of long gowns, jewels, suits, tuxedos and Hollywood royalty.
“We love to show up for Barbara,” said Oscar winner Anjelica Huston, sparkling with twin diamond brooches and speaking of Davis, the event chairman who founded the gala in 1978 with her husband, Marvin.
“It’s like a reunion,” Motown founder Berry Gordy said at the reception. “I see all my friends that I haven’t seen since the last one.”
Comedian Jay Leno was the host for the affair at the Beverly Hilton, which featured Sharon Stone as auctioneer. The event also included performances by Idina Menzel and Jamie Foxx; a quartet of Tinseltown legends as honorees, Sidney Poitier, Jane Fonda, Sherry Lansing and David Foster; and a luminous lineup of presenters such as Denzel Washington, Quincy Jones, Carole Bayer Sager and Huston.
A silent auction stretched across several ballrooms, where those mingling included Kathy Griffin, Regina King, Carmen Electra, Garcelle Beauvais, Jane Seymour, Yara Shahidi, Francesca Capaldi, Jillian Rose Reed, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, LaTanya Richardson and Samuel L. Jackson, Linda and Jerry Bruckheimer, Lori and Michael Milken, and former Laker and Clipper Brian Cook.
Next came dinner, entertainment and an awards ceremony. We learned these things:
Washington considers Poitier his mentor. In accepting the award, Hollywood icon Poitier allowed that he’s had a wonderful life yet took time to acknowledge the event chair’s accomplishments.
Jones and Fonda are third cousins. “I’m sure it’s obvious to everyone,” Jones quipped before noting that he and the two-time Oscar winner are not only longtime friends but that they learned that they are genetically linked to a slave owner in Mississippi as well.
“You’re my favorite cousin,” said Fonda, as she stepped to the podium.
Menzel won’t repeat her Tony Award-winning role in the upcoming movie “Wicked.” After belting out Elphaba’s signature tune, “Defying Gravity,” she said, “I’m told I’m too old to play the role.”
Quinton Aaron, as known as “Big Mike” from “The Blind Side,” can sing as well as act. Foster proved this by bringing Aaron onstage to sing “Let’s Get It On.”
In presenting Foster’s award, Bayer Sager ascribed a quality to each letter of his name. Starting with “D is for divorce,” she added that’s “a subject that David knows far too much about.” For the rest of the letters, she chronicled the 16time Grammy winner’s achievements, ending with R for “remarkable.”
With this much star power, it’s no wonder the Carousel of Hope has raised more than $100 million over the years.