Philadelphia Phillies’ second baseman, Chase Utley and his wife, Jennifer Utley hosted the 4th Annual Utley All-Star Animals Casino Night to raise funds for the Pennsylvania SPCA’s efforts to fight animal cruelty at the Electric Factory on 7th Ave near Callowhill.
The red carpet for the Utley event started at 6:30PM, but I had another event I wanted to shoot first which I will write about next week.
To see this guy protesting that Chase wasn’t living up to the Utley Foundation Mission, which is “Our mission is to educate the community in the proper treatment of animals and raise funds for the fight against animal neglect, pain and suffering.” The guy went on to say that last year Chase served a vegetarian meal, this year it he was serving chicken. “Do you know how inhumane it is for chicken’s to die for dinner.” He told me. I was kinda shocked I would have thought Chase would serve steak. I was surprised that someone would protest an organization that was doing good by animals and making a difference in saving so many lives by promoting the adoption of dogs & cats from kennels instead of having them bred or buying at a pet store. As well as the awareness of dog fighting as being unacceptable. I can’t stand protesters that throw the baby out with the bath water. (UPDATE: I’ve heard from one of my vegan readers who is upset with my remarks: I’m sorry I just think it’s ridiculous to protest someone who is making a real difference in the world of protecting animals, even if it doesn’t go all the way to the point that agrees with vegan-ism. He has a right to protest, but I am happy that someone as recognizable as the Utley’s put themselves out there to support this important cause.) A whole lotta people supporting a good cause at the Electric Factory
CBS3’s Susan Barnett and Michael Barkann from Comcast Sports do the MC honors.
One of the Russian roulette tables near the red carpet. I later found out that my friend Jill Rizen was one of the big winners of the night. Congrats. Stephenie and Kyle Kendrick. It’s great to see them back in the City. Both are very excited for their first child to be born in September. So nice those two. (Later that evening I ran into them [& the Hamels] at Table 31 with my buddy G-N Kang.)I really didn’t have a very good spot on the red carpet, because I arrived late all the press was already in position, – Béke Beau did Jen’s make up. and then I was also trying to monitor who was walking behind me so that I could catch a photo of one of my peeps like…Jimmy Kazanjian and Lisa Gaudio Kazanjian who came close enough to the Red Carpet for me to get a shot of them. We weren’t allowed to wander through the crowd like we were two years ago. (I didn’t go last year)
Ryan Howard and fiance Krystle Campbell. They just got engaged and are glowing.Jesse Rendell and his dad, Gov Ed Rendell with Jen & Chase Utley. (Not in the photo is Beka Rendell.)
Jimmy and Johari Smith with The Utley’s
At the end of the “official” red carpet, er black carpet I was able to round up a few peeps standing nearby like Adam Spivak and Karen SajdaAnnette and Perry Swartz were excitied to mingle with the players

Michelle Helfrich and Kathy Kittle; I wonder if Michelle is related to Andrea Helfrich who was just Miss Philadelphia?
Jess and Jake
Allison and Aaron Greenfield. Looks like there was more than one lady in the house expecting a little one this year.Cole Hamels signs for a fan with GN Kang & Heidi Hamels looking on. (If Michael Klein was still doing his column, this is the shot that would have gone in it.)
And on my way out I caught Don and Renee Freeman, with Lauren O’Dorisio and Philadelphia Style Magazine Publisher John Colabelli strolling in. For more info on the Utley Foundation contact them here. (PS I’ll be away from my computer all day so I won’t be able to publish any comments. Happy Royal Wedding Day!)

Last week we were at the Hotel Palomar for their Green Happy Hour, this week they hosted the VIP Kick Off Party for Equality Forum. Started in 1993, Equality Forum is a seven day celebration of international gay culture, educational seminars, discussion, parties and fun.
What the Tech? Vince Lattanzio, of NBC Philadelphia, Erin Como, Jillian Mele, traffic and The Ten Show cohost, and Chris Blackman, Vice President of News, NBC 10. NBC10 has been a consist sponsor of Equality Forum for the past 19 years.
Rosemary Connors was also on hand. Here she chats with another fav at NBC10, Eight-time Emmy award-winning journalist Lu Ann Cahn. Lu Ann does investigative reporting as well as is a co-host of The Ten Show with Bill Henley. So these days you get three personalities, three views, three times more fun.
Art and Stevie Martin-Chester have gone to Equality Forum for the past 19 years.
Kim Zachery, Erin Como, Francesco Vuono and LuAnn Cahn. Francesco is an Assignment Editor at LNS – Local News Service, is a new organization where several of the broadcast stations share news stories, and camera people. For example a Fox 29 camera person filmed the event and the clip could be seen on CBS3, NBC10 and on Fox 29. (Update: they don’t share reporters.)
Malcolm Lazin’s Equality Forum presents its Distinguished Service Award to Governor Ed Rendell. Rendell was grateful for the years of support the GLBT community gave him over the years, and told various funny stories of his campaign bar hops on election eve. He also mention that every time he would run into Malcom he would hit him up for money for his campaigns. This time the shoe is on the other foot and Malcom is running a campaign to be the first gay man on City Council. Ed is going to donate money to his campaign. (Above Ed & Chelsea work the gay bars before the 2008 primaries)
Mike LaMonaca and Steve McCann, Philly Gay Calendar
Heather Coutts, Kelly Burkhardt, Gloria Casarez and Terrill Thompson
Mr. Philadelphia Dashiell Sears openly gay gymnast from Temple University and Donald Carter openly gay republican who once appeared on Bill Mahr.
Ted Martin, Executive director of Equality PA and Drew Fennell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware was happy to report that the Delaware civil unions law heads to governor for signature http://huff.to/gZxX5p
Mickey Rowley, James Conway, Thom Cardwell and Mel Heifetz.
Rick Naughton, Geoffrey Jackson, Sr. Brand Manager at Campbell Soup Co (Soup is good food, ya know) and Jason Lewis; can you tell which two guys have been dating for over a year. I think they are beginning to look a like, a little don’t you think? Check out the schedule for all the events going on related to the Equality Forum all the way up to the fabulous festival at the Piazza on Sunday, including the very gay brunch at PYT!

Yesterday on NBC 10’s The Ten Show, Justin Pizzi did a segment form the Flying Circus which is part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) Philadelphia attractions. As you know Justin just finished having surgery so he tapped our friend and trainer Gavin McCay to fill in for him. Gavin is the connector for Justin and I as we met when I participating in the NBC Philadelphia’s “Be a Ten in Ten Weeks” program at Gavin’s gym Fusion Fitness at 12th & Sansom Streets. here’s the ten Show clip

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/shows/10-show/Fly_City_Philadelphia-120723724.htmlYou can still get lessons and participate in the Flying Circus until Sunday May 1. Can you believe PIFA is almost over, wow. Get info on the Flying Circus here


PIFA Dance Flash Mob on April 30!!

• The instructional video is posted on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIISPA5CeI0
• The email account for those interested in getting specific information about participating in the dance is DanceFlashMob@pifa.org. Date/Time: April 30 @ 1:45pm
• Place: PIFA Street Fair, in front of the Sansom Street Stage
• Rehearsal: April 30 @11:00am in the Kimmel Center Parking Garage

As part of its 35th Anniversary, the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) returns to its roots, offering a weekend of legendary and emerging jazz artists tied into this year’s PIFA theme. Early Parisian jazz was reminiscent of New Orleans traditions, and will be captured with outdoor performances, headline acts, strolling musicians, and performances with select artist arrangements of Sidney Bechet’s work. AAMP will also reintroduce a signature event, Jazz ‘til Sunrise, beginning 10:30p Saturday night and concluding 5a Sunday morning, on two stages with continuous jazz being played. Friday Night: Last Party in Paris at Kimmel Center on Friday night

• http://pifa.org/events/980195301

Saturday Parisian Street Fair This is going to be one event not to be missed and very memorablePIFA Facebook The Flying Circus still has openings this week, although very few remain for Saturday. Then the whole act moves back to their Bucks County location.

Gavin and Mark Kelly from Flying Circus.

• Why don’t you check in at Four Square
• By ‘checking in’ we mean going to the Kimmel Center and going directly under the Eiffel Tower and checking in.

Oooh la la! In honor of the last week of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, the 4sq mayor of the PIFA Eiffel Tower at noon on Saturday, April 30 wins a $100.00 Maggiano’s gift certificate! And it should be easy – since there are dozens of free events happening in the Plaza this week. Come out and check-in!

For more information on what’s happening in the plaza daily, check kimmelcenter.tumblr.com. Good luck!

Winners will be notified on Monday, May 2 via Facebook.com/KimmelCenterPhilly.

Elizabeth Berkley (Jesse Spano on Saved By The Bell and Nomi Malone in the cult-classic Showgirls) visited the Rittenhouse Square Barnes & Noble last night chatting about her new book “Ask Elizabeth”.
Elizabeth told the small crowd that she began working on this project about 5 years ago mentoring young girls with her ‘Ask Elizabeth’ workshops, after her husband, Greg Lauren, commented on the number of girls who came to her asking for advice and joked that she should have her own column, she decided to take action and created her own website to help teen girls. The website, which she facilitates herself is a self-esteem program called Ask-Elizabeth. She regularly meets with young girls to discuss different issues and topics and to help them with any problems that they are going through and speaks of her own troubles in the past. She spoke earlier in the day at a North Penn High school assembly of over 500 young women.
Styling the Louboutins

Earlier in the day I stopped by the City Hall Tour Office room. As you may know I have been preparing to take on my volunteer tour guide position (once a week) which should begin May 3 if I get it all memorized. Greta Greenberger showed me a beam from a window on the 7th floor. It’s a signature of a guy and it’s signed 7/9/90 as in 1890. She tells me it has to be returned when they install the new windows next week.
A new Japanese Restaurant is opening near 18th on chestnut. This was the former uptown Robin’s Books store. Then it was something else and now that huge sign says it’s going to be a Japaneses restaurant.
If you’re doing cocaine, and need some money, University Penn is conducting research on cocaine users and will compensate you for your time. Let’s hope it’s not one of those police stings. (Shot at 18th & Walnut)

The Flyers headed to the Happy Rooster for food and fun to celebrate their big game over Buffalo last night.

CUE THE TRUMPETS: PARX CASINO CELEBRATES THE ROYAL WEDDING WITH MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT… AND WEDDING VOW RENEWALS!

Friday AM when you wake up you can do something different than catch the constant

You can see a live re-enactment of the wedding at Parx casino’s with real live and in person “Prince William” and “Kate Middleton” lookalikes willing to take the plunge. Toast the new couple, snap a picture, tell all your friends that you were at the wedding of the century. Then try your luck on one of the slot machines or card tables. (Maybe I’ll win back some of that money I’ve donated to the Sex and the City machine) Friday, April 29, 2011 WHAT: In celebration of the Royal Wedding, Parx Casino will host its own monumental event with TWO ‘Royal Wedding Celebrations’ throughout the day; featuring “Prince William” and “Kate Middleton”, along with trumpeters and other live entertainment to welcome local couples as they renew their wedding vows. **PLUS—a special SURPRISE experience that’s certain to WOW spectators!!** WHO: Parx Casino, Prince William and Kate Middleton Impersonators, Trumpeters, Parkettes, Various Entertainers and MORE!
WHEN: Friday, April 29, 2011 MORNING: 8:00 AM– Wedding vow renewal and entertainment session #1
EVENING: 7:00 PM- Wedding vow renewal and entertainment session #2 WHERE: PARX CASINO 2999 Street Road Bensalem, PA 19020 Located at exit 37 off I-95, or exit 351 off the PA Turnpike

This annual fundraiser features Philadelphia’s favorite Local Celebrities and Philadelphia Athletes, stepping behind the bar to mix cocktails and sell raffle tickets for a good cause.Proceeds from this event will help to ensure that summer programs are still available for Variety-The Children’s Charity’s special children. All monies from door admission, raffle sales, and Miller Lite purchases go directly to the charity courtesy of Muller Beverage.

On hand again this year was Russel Ohneck, who is on the advisory board to his left is Joe Sweeney and former Phillies Art Mahaffey. (born June 4, 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1960–65) and St. Louis Cardinals (1966). He batted and threw right-handed. In a seven-season career, Mahaffey posted a 59-64 record with 639 strikeouts and a 4.17 ERA in 999.0 innings pitched.
No doubt I caught Fran Dunphy – Temple Men’s Basketball Coach, off guard with this shot. He’s been bartending for the Variety Club almost since the begining of it’s inception.
One way to get a whole bunch of media attention is to invite some of our areas top media celebrities to stir and serve some cocktails. Fox 29’s Mike Jerrick makes a sweet concoction for Miss Pennsylvania USA – Amber-Joi Watkins.
We often see Marisa Magnatta – WMMR Preston & Steve Show Co-Host, on the otherside of the bar with her BFF Erin Como, but for charity she’s willing to get serve up a little brewsky to raise some dough for kids in need.
Variety – The Children’s Charity provides a safe environment for students with disabilities to engage in educational, recreational, therapeutic, cultural, and social activities during the after school hours.
Jenn Walsh, Shannon Sofield and Gary Cardi, co-owner of Field House. Congratulations to Gary and Clayre Brown, Kaleidoscope Solutions, who are getting hitch 7/15/11. Unfortunately I won’t be covering the big day as it’s taking place in Rhode Island, but it sounds wonderful.
Cheryl Fairweather, National Account Manager at @arctic Ease, but when she’s on the field she’s either coaching the Phila Phoenix Football cheerleaders or as a free safety/wide receiver & marketing director for the Phila Passions Lingerie Football team. Cheryl is trying to find out the real measurement of a mans value. Seems that for $20 you could get as many raffle tickets as the height of a person in the room, they’re my tickets and I found the tallest guy heads above the rest. He was a little baffled at first and thought they were for him and shelled out $20. Then I had her measure him again. Did you know the height of a person is the same as the width of the arms wide open, that’s what the guy said. I took his word for it.
Chris and Tracy DiFonzo. Chris is my new advertiser on PhillyChitChat.com We met at the Celebrity Bartender event and he told me a little bit about his business which I found to be fascinating. It’s called Open Desks Say you were self employed like me, or maybe you work in an office but you don’t have a board room and you’re going to have a meeting. You would go to Open Desks plug in some info and wallah several choices of offices and or board rooms would be at your fingertips to rent for that meeting or for you to instantly have an office. I sure would like to get out of my closet, er I mean home office (it’s an old closet) some day. If you have space you want to include in this business contact Chris at Chris @ opendesks.com (no spaces)
See that hockey stick, it was signed by Flyers Kimmo Timonen and I won it, yeah. You’ll see it at the Gilda’s Charity Event I will be having at Fleming’s Steak House in September. Kelly Fromuth, Liz Butterworth, Vince P and Jenn Butterworth I bet they’ve heard their share of Mrs Butterworth jokes
Mariela Metz, Nina Alves, Christine Ramos (The Hot Sexy Latina Realtor, her friends tell me.) and Mary Sedhom were enjoying their first Variety Club Bartenders evening. Especially Philadelphia Eagles Winston Justice who made an earlier appearance.
Where have you been Vittoria Woodill, why she’s been moved over to Tango Traffic (Which just conjures up a lot of dancing and pointing to me. Gotta check it out.) Hopefully soon we will see her on air giving us the 411 on rush hour traffic. Here to support her are her BFF’s Jessica O’Driscoll and Beth Cataline.Oh I was right about that Tango Traffic, I just got this screen shoot. Why yes it is 3AM. Traffic’s clear though.Jay Duncan, Villanova Men’s Basketball Assistant Coaches with Vittoria
Michelle Conron Skai Blue Media relaxing and enjoying a Miller where all the proceeds go to the Delaware Valley Variety Club.

Join PIFA as The Avenue of the Arts is transformed into a Parisian street fair with French street vendors and performers, a grass park with a children’s area, musical entertainment all day long, and a giant Ferris Wheel. Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the stretch of South Broad Street from Chestnut to Lombard will be transformed into an all-out street celebration inspired by the allure of Paris. Between 80 and 100 vendors, craftsmen and exhibitors will fill the street while Philadelphians ride a genuine Ferris Wheel and enjoy a wide variety of performers and bands (there are two stages).

All culminating with a breathtaking routine by La Compagnie Transe Express performing 100 feet in the air.

Founded in 1982 by Brigitte Burdin and Gilles Rhode, who oversee the Artistic Direction, Transe Express create magical and imaginative large-scale shows in unconventional spaces. Their productions are unique adventures that transform cities and invite the public to escape their everyday reality.

PIFA has already been spectacular in it’s entirety, but Saturday is going to be a day to remember as Broad Street transforms into a Parisian Street Fair with mimes, roving street performers, over 100 vendors, craftsmen and exhibitors will provide entertainment throughout the day. Street Fair: Broad St closed 4/29, 30. Please plan enough time to arrive at this performance.
For easy traveling, ride SEPTA! 215-580-7800 – www.SEPTA.org