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ASSOCIATES ASSEMBLE
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VIP Awards*** |
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MOST DEBONAIR
Jonathan M. Woodward,
aka Knox, was dressed in a classy suit and bowtie. Fans fell in love with this cutie. It was his first time encountering Angel fans and he truly enjoyed every moment.
GLAMOUR GIRL
Mere Smith,
for the third year running puts it on again. This year she dazzled everyone with a silver strapless concoction with 20's do. A deep red smile topped off her ensemble.
ALMOST INCOGNITO
Mark Lutz,
turned up with sun kissed hair. Faithful fans couldn't be fooled and he was soon revealed hanging with his incognito bud, Andy Hallett.
LONGEST SPEECH
David Fury,
spent the evening entertaining fans and then gave the longest speech of the evening. He made us cry, he made us laugh, he made us cry; he made us laugh...
INSEPARABLE PAIR
Drew Goddard & Steven DeKnight,
were two mates who couldn't spend a moment apart from each other. They were twice the fun everywhere they went!
MOST SWEET
Sarah Thompson,
was the first to arrive for the fans and was immediately surrounded by eager autograph and photo seekers. Sarah was more than generous with her time.
BEAUTY OF THE NIGHT
Julie Benz,
again has this award in her pocket. Julie dressed casual in a black pant and jacket ensemble accessorized by a flowered purse. She looked as beautiful as ever!
MOST GENEROUS
Jymm, Cami & Steve of Darling Violetta,
not only did they sing a great set but they spent the entire evening after their performance signing CDs and taking photos with the fans.
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Every third weekend in February for the past seven years, Buffy fans (and for the more recent Angel fans) have traveled to Los Angeles to gather with friends they have met over the internet which began with a website for Joss Whedon's now world-wide classic, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the Slayer now homeless, as Sunnydale is a "hole in the world" and off in Italy - so we are told - fans are drawn back together via its spin-off series Angel and have not lost sight of what the weekend has always been about: charity, appreciation, love, and friendship. The tradition continues in light of the recent cancellation news of the sister series, which by no means damped the spirit of the event for those who attended and enjoyed themselves to their undead content. Saturday night, February 21st, 2004 - After the success of Friday night's events, the official Wolfram & Hart Review kicked off at 7pm downstairs in the Olympic Ballroom of the Westin Century Plaza Hotel. The partying habits of the Buffy and Angel faithful were not the only event the hotel played host to however as the respected Screen Writer's Guild Awards also took place in one of the hotel's other luxurious ballrooms. Not only were such names as 2004 Oscar winner Sofia Coppola, famed director Quentin Tarrantino, and actors Beau Bridges and James Woods in attendance but there was also a very welcome and very familiar face amongst Hollywood's elite: Elisabeth Rohm. Known to Angel fans as Detective Kate Lockley, from Seasons 1 and 2 of Angel had also made an appearance at the writer's awards and although she was unable to make a brief cameo at the Review, it was nice to know she was in the building at least!
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(l-r) Sava Markovic with CoA’s PR Rep Lilian Holden, Camdon Toy with John Wolf, and David Fury
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Both VIP and guest alike were welcomed into a very warm and inviting environment as the location of the event was essentially split across three ballrooms. The open spaces conjoining all areas proved to be a popular place for people to meet and chat. Access into the VIP Room was limited to organizers, staff and the guests of the VIP attending. It was a chance for the cast and crew to gather in an informal and comfortable surrounding, laden with sofas and tables, food and beverage bar before mingling with the fans. The Auction Room was situated right next door and held a multitude of treasures for fans to bid on. Two of its most distinguished items, (a leather jacket worn by David Boreanaz and the amulet worn by James Marsters in the Buffy Series finale), were actually displayed in a glass case outside of the room as if to tempt potential buyers into the auction's lair. All of the auction pieces were donated by the extraordinary people over at the Angel set, who took a great deal of time out of their busy schedules to make sure that they could give something back to the fans as a thank you for their support over five incredible years. Last but by no means least came the Westside Ballroom where most people hung out as the main fan gathering party area. It was tiered with table and chairs set out on each level facing a dance floor and stage area. With the prospect of witnessing the excellent Darling Violetta play a live set and the inclusion of a DJ with a penchant for belting out music that you couldn't help but dance to, it was clear that the plans for an evening of entertainment Angelverse style were well and truly set.
GOING, GOING, SOLD!
One of the amazing things about events such as these (including the Buffy Posting Board Parties before this) is the kind of people it attracts. Not only were there fans that couldn't attend due to busy schedules who purchased tickets for other fans that would have missed out due to financial difficulties; but taking charge of the auction tables were a couple who had gone to San Francisco to get married only to return to Los Angeles straight afterwards to help make the night run smoothly. While the Wolfram & Hart Annual Revue was one kickin' party, there was a serious purpose simmering under the surface of all the fun. One of the primary goals of the weekend event was to raise money for the Charity of Choice - The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center of Los Angeles. The Center, which includes Firefly actor Ron Glass as the Center's Chairperson, provides a "safe, nurturing environment committed to good citizenship and academic excellence" for the children in the community.
Some of the Auction items up for bid
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The money raised over the weekend will be used to buy new computers, books and materials for they're after school and mentoring programs. Over three months, Mutant Enemy employees including Tracy Bellomo (Jeff Bell's assistant), Matt Partney (Kelly Manners' assistant), Jenny Lynn, (Chris Buchanan's assistant) and Michael Boretz (Joss Whedon's assistant) all worked tirelessly to collect signed props, scripts and pictures from the writers and crew to be raffled or auctioned during the Revue weekend. Elsewhere, vendors like Inkworks Trading Cards, Eden Studios and Fox Home Video also provided their exclusive products to the event helping to create a plethora of worthy goodies for fans to drool and bid over. The highly coveted swag was divided over two nights. The Soulless Social Friday night mixer featured an evening long raffle, while the Saturday night Revue bash hosted the more exclusive donations for the evening-long silent auction.
Saturday night's guests not only brought out their dancing shoes, but their wallets too for the amazing array of items lined up for the silent auction. There were more signed scripts, a "Numero Cinco" prop poster used in the episode, another J. August Richards signed stuffed-panther, signed actor glossies, a Variety ad for Firefly signed by the cast and crew of the late-series, and a Joss Whedon signed copy of "Fray." Fans mingled and set strategies in the auction room all night keeping an eye on their favorite items and bidding competitively throughout the event. When the auction closed at 10 p.m., the biggest items of the night ended up being the "You're Welcome" script signed by David Fury as well as the entire cast for $850 dollars, Angel's leather jacket worn by David Boreanaz went for $1600 dollars and the mega-bid of the night went to the proud recipient of Spike's amulet used in the finale of Buffy and the season premiere of Angel. The bidding started at a mere $50 at the opening of the auction and not long after, an ambitious and dedicated fan plunked down a $7500 bid, which smashed any possible competition for the night making them the clear winner of the pretty and now legendary bauble. With that monster bid, the tally for the auction came to an astounding $14,000 dollars. Coupled with the raffle tally and generous independent donations from more fans, cast and crewmembers, The Wolfram and Hart Annual Review raised an impressive contribution for the Wooten Center again proving that the Whedon-verse fans are not only a fun group, but a truly unique community of bighearted people!
DV RAWKS THE WESTSIDE
As fans wondered between the main ballrooms and Westwood auditorium, Darling Violetta took to the stage to bring their own special brand of music to the evening in spectacular style. You can't have a party without music and you can't have an Angel party without Darling Violetta! CoA is continually being emailed as to who performs the Angel theme, what it is called and where can fans get their hands on a copy of it - unfortunately the only answer CoA can always come up with is that it is performed by Darling Violetta and the amazing musicians who bring the haunting piece to life! The Westwood ballroom hosted the perfect venue for a more intimate setting to see and hear the Los Angeles rock band perform. For fans who have never seen them before, they were treated with an amazing array of songs including some more recent fan favorites and a few new tunes, some not even titled as yet, to - of course - the Angel theme song! The core of DV consists of drummer Steve McManus, guitarist Jymm Thompson, and vocalist Cami Elen - but tonight fans got a treat as the band was rounded out with bass guitarist Michael Renninger and with a stellar performance by guest cellist, Jen Kuhn, who kicked the theme like she'd been playing it since episode one, season one.
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(l-r) James Leary, Darling Violetta on stage, Jymm, Cami, & Steve off stage, and Jeff Bell
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The complete set list even offered a few acoustic additions as with the opener, "Over You" which allowed Jymm to show off his guitar talents as well as Cami's softer vocal side. "Jessamine" followed, also keeping an acoustic feel, before they launched into an as-yet untitled new song. "Matador" was another newly inspired offering which the fans seems to love. Cami even joined the crowd on the dance floor, getting into that DV groove which led into "Candy Jones", "Cocoon" and "Blue Sun". But then the lights dimmed ever so much more and the mood shifted slightly with the help from a little Kansas and Rush intro, and the Angel theme took off, hitting the rafters of the Hyperion with the wailing of the Jen' cello as the familiar bass line cut across the strings and the fans went wild. The closing number was only too fitting with, "Beautiful" as this band never seizes to amaze and satisfy their fans. DV's blend of unique stylistic arrangements and standout talent assures devoted fans that one day an intimate setting such as this event offered will be hard to come by. One thing is certain, that the people behind the talent are just as passionate about their fans and as gracious as ever as Jymm, Steve and Cami spent the entire evening chatting and signing autographs, as if their performance was not enough.
BRING ON THE SENIOR PARTNERS
As Darling Violetta closed their set, right on schedule the VIP guests began to arrive. First on the scene was Season 5 newcomer Sarah Thompson who as the devious Eve has certainly made her presence felt amongst Team Angel. "I've loved working on the show," she confessed, "it's funny because every episode keeps me guessing about the character and you learn more from week to week. I'm having fun showing different sides to the character now also because I know more about her. It's been a wonderful year." She adds with a smile that working with Christian Kane (Lindsey) has been a perk too. "I love working with Christian, I knew him prior to working on the show and our scenes have been fun." Sarah also seemed to be enjoying her time with the Angel faithful at the party. "I am having a great time tonight," she continues, "It's the first time I have met so many fans at once and it's really amazing. I appreciate their support so much and everyone is so pretty and really, really nice people." If playing Tracey in Firefly's "The Message" and Holden Webster in Buffy's "Conversations with Dead People" wasn't enough, actor Jonathan Woodward made it a hat trick of Whedonverse appearances when he signed up to play scientist Knox in Angel. "Knox is great," he says looking very fetching in his bow tie and tweed jacket. "He is a complete indulgence in all of the parts of myself that I am most shy about." Not that Jonathan comes off as shy; in fact he comes off as anything but! He is deliciously enthusiastic and happily joked with fans while braving the crowd to pose for photos in the corridor of people pooling outside the VIP room. He even confessed his admiration for our very own CityofAngel website! "I went to CityofAngel, I got everything I needed to know. It was awesome."
As to his string of characters on the various Joss shows, Jonathan was just as astounded about his being asked back. "The whole thing was a complete surprise. I don't really have any favorite [episodes], what I have is the favorite people I got to keep seeing on the shows, which I think is really sort of rare." He continues, "All of the people who work on all of these shows have been really enormously talented and I thought it would really be on singular shows that I would see them again someday but I got to see all of the people again and I was so thrilled. Gina Torres was on Angel. I did a show with Marti Noxon [Still Life] who was a producer on Buffy and I believe brought me to Joss. Marti did her show in Vancouver with Morena Baccarin who was in Firefly." As Knox, Jonathan gets to work alongside the stunning Amy Acker playing his boss Fred and of course the possibility of romance between Fred and Knox was one of the will they/won't they questions of the season. "I remember picking up the script where Fred dissed him and being very sad but I think it was nice, because it took Knox from all of the ways you thought Knox would be. All of the ways that the predictions came down: he'll be evil, he'll be good, they will fall in love; they won't fall in love. All of the avenues I thought they would go down, they didn't go down and they picked the one I couldn't even think of. You know something is going happen but they pick the thing you know nobody had been able to figure out."
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(l-r) Steven DeKnight, Julie Benz, Drew Goddard & Mark Lutz and Mere Smith
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Someone who has an eternity of time for fans and who has turned up at events all across the world is the gracious and ever more beautiful, Julie Benz. After the success of her 'virgin' visit at the 2003 Monster's Ball, Julie truly glowed as she happily posed for pictures, signed autographs and chatted with fans in The Auction Room all under the watchful eye of her husband, John Kassir, who was attracting some attention of his own. He and Julie had the chance to recently work together on George of the Jungle 2. "I'm Armando!" John offered, as if cued. "Well I get to hypnotize my wife which I wish I could do in real life," he joked, "but we had a blast. First of all we spent close to 3-months in Australia shooting. I also did the voice of the kangaroo, Rocky, so I had a lot of time off to play golf and enjoy Australia while my wife was working," he laughed. "Really I should have been back here in Los Angeles working but you can't pass up those opportunities. But we had many days off where we could go take a four-day weekend up on the Great Barrier Reef. We had a great time! We always have fun working together. When we're working on a project, [they help each other] to run lines or to help stretch out characters." John did just that to help Julie through her singing scene on Angel. He laughs but admits, "She was very nervous about it. I come from the musical theatre, I did a lot of musical theatre professionally in New York and off-Broadway so she was intimidated to sing in front of me, and I was like, 'You have a good voice,' and she has a very good voice. It only took a little bit of coaching on my part before she felt comfortable enough, because she's a good actress."
It was also nice for fans to finally meet the faces behind a couple of the creepiest creatures ever to appear on Buffy. As one of The Gentlemen, the Übervamp Turok-Han, and Gnarl, Camden Toy has sent chills up many a person's spine, but thankfully his pleasant nature shone through as he spoke about those roles as well as his recent appearance on Angel as The Prince of Lies in episode 13, Why We Fight. "It was a feeling of family and in some ways the cast and crew seem closer knit maybe because it's a newer show. We were shooting on this teeny little set and there was never any drama. It was so much fun and instead of people going, 'Ewww' people were laughing their pants off. So nobody was scared of the Prince of Lies! It's a peculiar anonymity. It's a weird sensation being at one of these events. I don't get any recognition because of the makeup," he explained. "Television is funny in that you don't get the immediate recognition you get in theater where I grew up. You don't get that in TV plus I'm one more step removed because of the make-up. An event like this shows me the mark my characters have made on people." James Leary is another person who would pass as completely unrecognizable from the character he played on Buffy. Instead of the floppy ears and loose skin of kitten eating demon Clem, James is a handsome and amiable man who happily spent his evening talking to everyone. Although James may have chosen to attend in the guise of his human form, there were definitely some demons circulating amongst the fray causing the odd head to turn now and again.
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