Afternoon charity tea salutes BNI and Disney’s ‘Alice’ anniversaries
Denyse Buck, former owner of the quaint SereniTea Tea Room in Highland, is featured in a number of my published cookbooks and favorite name highlighted in my newspaper columns for the past two decades.
Denyse is also a graduate of Bishop Noll Institute, which devoted much of the month of September celebrating the Catholic school landmark’s 100th anniversary.
In celebration of
Bishop Noll Institute’s first century and recognizing its vision to thrive into a second century, the school’s “Forever Noll” Centennial celebration included events throughout September to highlight the school’s rich history, billing itself as “Lake County’s premier Catholic high school.”
September 16 is the date of the anniversary of the first day of classes at what was then called Catholic Central High School. The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ religious order started the school in two classrooms at St. Mary School in East Chicago in 1921.
BNI’s centennial committee and subcommittees are always interested in memories, stories and recollections and can be contacted by calling the school or sending an email to centennial@bishopnoll. org.
Buck organized an afternoon charity tea party hosted for 100 guests on Sept. 18, which was sold out. In addition to a gift basket drawing and sneak preview at the new documentary film about the history of Bishop Noll Institute, BNI President Paul Mullaney also provided details about the school’s state-of-the-art STREAM lab classroom where the tea was held. STREAM is the acronym for Science-Technology-Religion-Engineering-Arts-Math, all key areas of study emphasized at BNI.
My hosted table at the charity included my parents, along with BNI theology teacher Johan Castaneda, WJOB radio personality and 2008 BNI alum Tony Panek, fellow friendly rival newspaper columnist colleague and friend Eloise Valadez, along with her sister Eve, along with faithful reader and friend Diane Traher of Dyer.
Our tea table theme was a salute to “Alice in Wonderland” and the famed “mad tea party” featured in fun detail in author Lewis Carroll’s original classic storybook published in 1865, and reimagined again by Walt Disney for his animated feature film released in 1951, which is celebrating a 70th anniversary this year.
Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” marked the 13th release of his big screen animated feature films when it premiered in London on July 26,
1951, and in New York
City on July 28, 1951. The film includes the voices of Kathryn Beaumont as the title character, Sterling Holloway as the grinning Cheshire Cat, Verna Felton as the angry Queen of Hearts and comedians Ed Wynn and Jerry Colonna as the Mad Hatter and the silly March Hare, respectively.
Disney was not happy that the film did poorly at the box office. However, when he showed it on his new television series, it found a new popularity and young fans of all ages, which inspired Uncle Walt to include the now signature “spinning tea cups” amusement ride in his theme parks.
More than a decade later, Hanna-Barbera did their own animated telling of “Alice in Wonderland” as a 1966 TV special starring the voice of famed Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper in the role of “the mad hatter,” with a female spin to the character. The animated special also featured such signature vocal talents as Zsa Zsa Gabor as the Queen of Hearts, Sammy Davis Jr. as the Cheshire Cat and Bill Dana as the White Knight. This vocal role was Hedda Hopper’s last TV work before her passing in February 1966, with the TV show airing a month after her death.
Today’s recipe for Mickey’s Chocolate Chip Crumbcakes, comes direct from the BoardWalk Bakery at Walt Disney World in Orlando, and they are perfect for any tea party tray or a centennial celebration, or just any day celebration.