Month: May 2010

April 16th was a very busy night as both the William Penn Awards and the Donors are Heroes party was going on, luckily for me one was on the mezzanine floor the Donor’s party was on the XIX floor. Even luckier is I ran into my friend Justin Pizzi outside the Bellevue and he brought me right up to the VIP party where I met his mom and family. His mom’s a big fan getting to know me when Justin did the Be a 10 in 10 Weeks for NBC10 as I worked out last summer at Fusion Cross Training, which I just started doing again yesterday. So on with the show….

Charles Pizzi, president and chief executive officer of Tasty Baking Co., received the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce‘s highest honor, The William Penn Award, at its annual black-tie gala held April 16 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue.
Leci Valdes, Elise Frank, Sherrin Thomas, Lindsey Kaskowitz. Originally Pizzi just wanted to serve Tastykakes as the desert, yes it’s true. But Pastry Chef Elise Frank said that she would whip up something better. Using the ingredients to created some of the popular cakes, she created her own desserts and had Charles Pizzi taste them side by side with their inspirations, the Krimpet, the peanut butter one and the chocolate cupcake. He chose her desserts instead.
Max’s parents
NBC10’s Justin Pizzi, FoxSports.com’s Slice of Pizzi host Chris Pizzi and Wharton student Keith Pizzi. Those Pizzis are a successful bunch.
Rounding out the family was mom Elyse, brother Gabe and aunt Marie Bonner in the VIP room. (Missing was dad at the moment of my visit.) Also enjoying the festivities were past William Penn Award winners…
The lobby of the Grand Ballroom, below Mark Focht, Director of Fairmount Park, and Kate Wilhelm, Director of the Fairmount Park Conservatory
Pizzi’s passion for Philadelphia sports teams inspired the dinner’s theme, “Get in the Game,” which featured Eagles cheerleaders, Sixers mascot Hip-Hop, and table centerpieces of sports memorabilia donated by the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers.
The evening for nearly 720 guests was co-chaired by Ron Rubin, Judith M. von Seldeneck,
Autumn Adkins, President of Girard College and Gerry Lenfest – Mr. Lenfest and Miss Adkins have a mutual bond over the high school Mercersburg Academy, which is an independent, coeducational boarding school for grades 9-12 located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The school’s mission is: “[to] prepare young men and women from diverse backgrounds for college and for life in a global community.
When Mr. Lenfest was a young boy, his mother had passed away and he was a troubled youth. He credits Mecersburg Academy with helping him find his way to the success he is today. Before coming to Girard College, Ms. Adkins was on the faculty at Mercersburg Academy. I sent this shot to them so they could send it to their mutual friend.

WHAT MOVIE IS FILMING IN PHILADELPHIA IN NOVEMBER (click below)?

http://www.phillychitchat.com/2010/11/safe-movie-production-details-for-broad.html

The May 2010 Movie with Bradley Coooper
Check my Philly Mag Posts for updates on Dark Fields with Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro:
http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/05/11/on-the-town-with-hughe-dillon-9/

Last week Dark Fields filmed at Union Trust Steakhouse at 7th and Chestnut Streets. Filming began about 11AM in the downstairs area of the restaurant. It was a lunch scene. In this scene he’s having an argument with his broker. He’s dressed in the blue suit with white shirt. Basically it seems like he’s only wearing two outfits, one is for the dark persona, the other is his blue suit good guy outfit.

Robert De Niro was rehearsing upstairs in one of the meeting rooms. At 2pm I got a tip that he was leaving in 30 minutes thru the back door. I passed there were just too many variables that made it an impossible shot.

Later in the evening, the filming took place upstairs in the new Mezz area. It was a party scene, the extras had to change into cocktail attire. One such lucky girl from Philly gets to bump into Bradley Cooper in the scene. He’s in his dark clothes and moody.
This week (I took these pixs Monday. Signs say they are there til late Wed night) the filming has moved to the Loews Hotel. But don’t expect to see De Niro wandering around as the Loews has a valet that is inside a garage. My source tells me that the filming is taking place on a high floor which is acting as De Niro’s office. Bradley Cooper is also in the scene…
the best place to get a sighting of BC is at his trailer which is parked on the west side of City Hall. This also might be tough as it’s heavily guarded by mean ass security guards that scream if you loiter to long, but I often remind them that it’s public property.
On the south side of City Hall is the studio’s offices, plus

the bathrooms. Lucy is the woman’s room, Desi the guys.The make-up and wardrobe trailers are on the west side.
This is another good spot to get a sighting of Bradley Cooper

as the trailer on the left is Bradley Cooper’s make-up room. See the pictures thru the window of him in his various emotional states for his character.
Good luck and happy celebrity stalking for lack of a better word. I would appreciate tips at buzz @ phillychitchat.com thanks Hughe

LGBT Philadelphians, tourists and allies swarmed the Northern Liberties locale, entering the Piazza and paying the first-time admissions fee to crowd the myriad of events at the stage, or walk around the festival and check out the vendors, which included but was not limited to the Human Rights Campaign, Linda Creed Breast Cancer and the Please Touch Museum, located in the family section of the festival. (Don’t assume everyone is GLBT in the following pixs)

I thought faux hawks were out, I was wrong

Peek-A-Boo Revue
colorful
another faux hawk

Malcolm Lazin founder of Equality Forum
Passional Fashion Show

Do those things come out, and why do people do that to their ears? What does a 50 year old look like with ears like that? Does it go well with a suit or doctor scrubs? Just curious.
These two guys participated in the commitment ceremony, I think they are in sync



Amy Winehouse sighting
This was my view for most of the day as I hung out with Jamyra, Melony, Mike, Mark & his friend. Great table at Swift Half. Great chopped salad.

Jonathan Vendrick at a house party.
Anthony Rapp singing “Seasons of Love”




Friends – Matt, Jason, Casey and Dan. Jason volunteered at the University of Penn medical testing tent all day. They did blood pressure checks, HIV Tests and Syphilis, which he says is on the rise.
North Bowl
I love the nerve of this chick walking her bike thru the congested sidewalk tables
Northern Liberties bench

First I have to apologize. I’ve gotten so far behind since starting my column with Philadelphia Magazine, and recently Mike built a new computer for me. My little closet office is in disarray and my notebooks are out of order and well I’m just overwhelmed. BUT I know the message for this event, it’s don’t take your organ’s to heaven with you. You can save a life, even as yours ends. I know that sounds morbid, but today is the 6th anniversary of the death of my father when he fell and hit his head, and one of his last requests was to donate all his organs as noted on his drivers license. Also he told my mom that it was his wish. I don’t know if the hospital officials looked at his wallet, but I do know that they asked my mom what his wishes were and she knew. So make your wishes known, and save a life.
Donors Are Heroes presented the Eighth Annual “THE Party” at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue. The event raises funds for the Gift of Life Donor Program, the region’s organ and tissue transplant network.

Lauren O’Dorisio, Philadelphia Style Magazine Publisher John Colabelli, co-founder of The Party Renee Freeman, Miss Philadelphia Andrea Helfrich, so-founder of The Party, Don Freeman

Over 79,000 U.S. patients are currently waiting for an organ transplant; nearly 3,000 new patients are added to the waiting list each month.
Noel Perate with her mom and dad. Dad is an organ recipient.
Marilyn Sukonick-Zeff A professional Tarot Card Reader for 20yrs, I provide entertainment for both Corporate & Private events.
Daniel Reinherz, Hadas Kuznits and Brett Silver (Just missed you Friday night at Steppingstone)
Organ Donors Are Heroes, founded in 2001, is a committed group of volunteers supporting the Gift of Life Donor Program and its charitable supporting organization, Transplant Foundation.
Michael Short and Joseph Matthews, Joe has an awesome interior design company.
Gift of Life serves as the link between donors and patients awaiting life-saving transplants. To date, it has coordinated nearly 28,000 transplants. For more information, visit www.donors1.org.