Good evening Felinity Assembled, I am Daddy Kiril, and I am your host for this Grand Entertainment!
Welcome to one of the Grand Dames of the Historic Downtown Theatre District of Los Angeles, Ca...The Orpheum Theatre, on Broadway, between 8th & 9th.
This venue was opened in 1926 as the 4th, & final House in the Orpheum vaudeville circuit in Los Angeles, and from Judy Garland in 1933, to Jack Benny, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, & TV & Film shoots, it saw it all.
Re-opened in 2001, it continues to be a happening place tht has even showcased American Idol.
(Coming in late? See the Introduction post, here, with a link to the Orpheum website.)
I arrived, after a Bus/Metro Train journey that began in Santa Ana, at 1130 am, and had a pitstop, for lunch, at 330pm, at venerable Philippe's by Union Sation. :-D
In recent years Downtown has seen a renaisance of sorts as restuarants, shops. and expensive residential lofts have made it possible for the hip to help begin to clean up what used to be a horror, in the historic heart of the city.
Skid Row is still a problem, but there are now parts of the Downtown that I feel, if not entirely safe, at least more comfy, in than a decade ago.
Broadway has been a beneficiary of all this new activity, and that includes The Orpheum, & its own Lofts.
When I arrived just before 5pm, I was the first attendee to do so!
They were still putting down the Red Carpet, for crying out loud! :-D
As I walked down the street, past The Tower, and The Rialto, theatres, whose fronts had long since been turned into shops, I mourned the loss of the once vibrant Theatre, & Film, life of Broadway.
The Orpheum was a welcome sign of life.
I chatted a bit with one of the staff, and suddenly a familiar face (From e-mail) came out the door, and walked right past me...
Kristen Dewey, better known to Felines, the world over, as Human Mom to Cokie the Cat, Hollywood Insider, and Boho Pets, & Editor-In-Chief of The Anipal Times!
She was absorbed in going to the parking lot, and didn't notice me, not even when she returned, and stood on the sidewalk across from me.
I looked at her, and we smiled at each other as I waited for it to eventually dawn on her that standing before her was the Daddy of Nikita, and Elvira Mistress of Felinity. :-D
The look on her face, when it finally dawned on her, was priceless! :-D
That's her in the Red Carpet photo above, on the left, and she was a volunteer handling the Press, along the Red Carpet, among other things.
We shook hands, hatted, and excahnged cards, and then she had to go about her duties.
Around 520pm I no longer found myself alone in line, as a very nice lady named Dee joined me.
With her dress covered in Cats, and my suspenders lined with paws, and my Cat-Themed name Badge, and Business Card (Close-ups of both), we stood out, all night long, as uniquely dressed for this special event. :-D
Dee does a great service to the community around her home by dealing with the local Ferals, and though she doesn't have a website, or blog, that may eventually change, because I later introduced her to Kristen.
The line behind us continued to grow, and we chatted with our new neighbors, and I passed out my card over 35 times throughout the whole night.
630pm came, and went, and we learned there was a computer glitch related to getting the tickets ready to pass out, and sell.
By this time the various Paparazzi had shown up, and begun to set up opposite the Red Carpet, and celebs, and performers, and people who already had their tickets, were putting in appearances, and Kristen, among others, had her hands full.
L.A. Weekly, Los Angeles Magazine, Globe Photos, entertainment Today, US Weekly, Dance Channel, Rich Girl Productions, London entertainment, Film Sofera, & Star Cam Celebrity Blog, jostled for position.
Suddenly Kristen came, and got me, and told me I was going on the Red carpet to be interviewed by Star Cam!
As Kristen, and Dee, took a few photos, I found myself being interviewd by a rather, um, exciteable lady weilding a microphone, as her associate filmed our breif encounter of a few minutes.
She was so excited you'd think I was the greatest thing since Justin Bieber! :-D
When she asked me who I was I managed to overcome my bemusement to smile, and happily, though nervously, mention my name, and discuss Nikita, Elvira Mistress of Felinity, and the blog name...and then, just like that, it was over. :-D
I didn't even have time to think to mention my sponsor, Hartz.
When I get photos I will share them, and Kristen promised to see if she could learn when, and where, the interview might appear, or if I will ever actually be able to see it, and share it. :-D
Once back in line a well dressed Lady in Black approached, and with a smile introduced herself as Salina Gannon, the Human Mom to Baby Patches of Nip & Bones store, and the blog Confessions of the Plume!
We chatted a while, and it was decided that, if Kristen could help her get an AfterPawty ticket I would have a ride home, and no need to hang out in LA until the wee hours of the morning, since she lives in La Verne, in the eastern end of LA County.
Around 730pm they finally started to pass out the Will Call Tickets, & I got my envelope (Show, & Red Carpet tickets, and AfterPawty Arm Band), and went to the Red Carpet to find out what I had to do to go prancing in front of the Photogs. :-D
NEXT: Daddy Kiril At Large: Cats For Cats - Red Carpet, Back Stage, Settling In
This looks like it was lots of fun!
Posted by: Sparkle | August 10, 2011 at 02:57 AM
Daddy Kiril at Large,
Thanks for including us in the festivities. It looks like it was a lot of fun, especially as you all had a chance to talk and meet each other!
Tom & Julie
Posted by: Tom the Church Cat | August 10, 2011 at 08:27 AM
Wow, that was a long wait standing outside.
But you met Baby Patches', and Cokie's, mom and some other nice folks, not to mention being interviewed.
So guess the time passed fairly quickly.
Posted by: jansfunnyfarm | August 10, 2011 at 05:32 PM