I don’t even know where to start. The first gala for the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center was a smashing success. An enormous tent, make that tents, on the green in Old Saybrook, bathed in red (Hepburn’s favorite color) with close to 500 people toasting to the brand new venue.

Major contributors for this event included CL&P/Northeast Utilities, Gengras Volvo and Hoffman Auto Group.

Among those seated round the tables, famed long time Executive Director Michael Price of Goodspeed Musicals (East Haddam, CT) and owner of one of the most successful independent book stores in the country (RJ Julia Booksellers), Roxanne Coady.

Major contributors for this event included CL&P/Northeast Utilities, Gengras Volvo and Hoffman Auto Group.

Three women to thank for bringing this together and spending countless hours tweaking to make it was just perfect are Jean Caron, Jeanne Potoff, Kathy Berluti. They navigated high seas the likes I’m sure had not been predicted. You all deserve a vacation in the islands.

Countless volunteers worked tirelessly on the gala to make it just right. One person whispered to me who knew what he was talking about , said this was nothing short of a Hollywood premiere event.

Behind the scenes organizers were manning walkie-talkies so that nothing would be over looked throughout the evening.

Though this was a black tie event, there was nothing stuffy about this affair…even the auctioneer, Kathy Kingston of Kingston Auction Company had at one point a stuffed monkey around her neck bidding up the prizes.

Speaking of which, the prize of the night was a “Summer Dinner at the former Hepburn Fenwick, Ct Mansion with cooking legend, Jacques Pepin and a meal prepared by the Bee and Thistle Inn of Old Lyme. The Bee and Thistle is owned by a “Kate” board member, Linnea Rufo. Linnea wears any hats for The Kate evening being in charge of the production of the gala.

The ending bid for this wonderful event went for more than $8,000.00! Frank and Barbara Sciame the owners of Hepburn’s former Long Island Sound seaside home ,have graciously been such a supporter of The Kate and we thank them so much.

Governor Jodi Rell, though not in attendance, sent along these words provided in the evening’s program:

“This anniversary gala is an opportunity to celebrate the reopening of a community jewel and a restored, original theater that preserves the memory of a Connecticut star.  This occasion is a true testament to the members, volunteers, and supporters of the Katharine Hepbrn Cultural Arts Center’s commitment to raising the standards of excellence in the State of Connecticut by enriching the cultural and educational life of our local communities.”

There were two shows for guests of MOMIX, based in Washington, Connecticut, this group astounded the group. MOMIX is an internationally known dancer-illusionist group under the direction of Moses Pendleton.

There were “Kate-tinis” in Side Car champagne glasses (how vintage) served as guests arrived and the wonderful food was provided by Coastal Gourmet Catering of Stonington, Connecticut. The flowers on the tables were red roses, the water was filled with tiny apples that were very fragrant, perfect for a fall gala.

Seriously, you did not want this night to end. Executive Director, Chuck Still did an outstanding job of welcoming everyone and thanking everyone profusely for all they have done or will do for The Kate.

An oil painting of Katharine Hepburn was unveiled by famed artist, Everett Raymond Kinstler. Kinstler, who has studios in Easton, CT and in New York, has also painted the official White House portraits of Presidents Ford and Reagan and some fifty Cabinet officers. We are deeply grateful to Mr. Kinstler for his contributions to the arts and to The Kate.

You’ll have to come to the new museum at The Kate to see  this beautiful portrait for yourself.

Speaking of which, we have so many things there for you to see there, including dresses worn by Miss Hepburn in the 1949 movie “Adam’s Rib” and my favorite, made in 1957 “Desk Set“….they are something to see. Hepburn stars in both with her long time companion, Spencer Tracy.

We also have Hepburn’s actual Emmy, lifetime achievement awards and many other awards…you’ll want to spend a lot of time seeing this tribute to Katharine Hepburn. We weren’t kidding around when we said this was going to be Kate’s Place. Hey, those of you out in Hollywood, you just might want to take a trip out to see the only theater in the world named after the 4-time Academy Award winner, Katharine Hepburn.

See you at The Kate!
Ann Nyberg, Trustee, KHCAC

By Myself and Then Some, Lauren Bacall

Lauren Bacall

“By Myself and Then Some” is a book by long time Katharine Hepburn friend, actress, Lauren Bacall. This book released in 2005 is an expanded and updated version of Bacall’s book entitled, “By Myself.”

In this latest version, Bacall speaks of Hepburn like this:

“She was Miss Hepburn, Aunt Kat, Katie, Kate, Kathy (to Spencer Tracy). She was all of those depending upon your relationship and she was also Katharine with an “A.”

Bacall reminisces about so many moments with Hepburn in this book, it’s a fun read about times gone by and that Golden Age of Hollywood. Bacall discusses moments with Hepburn and Spencer Tracy and her husband, Humphrey Bogart. Remember it was this grouping that started the very first “Rat Pack.” See the earlier post on the blog.

This might be a fun read for the new year, 2009, the year the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and Theater opens.

See you at “The Kate!”
Ann Nyberg, Trustee, KHCAC

Put on those new pajamas you got for Christmas and set yourself down for a a great Katharine Hepburn classic on Saturday, December 27th at 8:00 p.m. It’s on Turner Classic Movies. Check your local listings.

The 1942 Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy pairing in “Woman of the Year” will be on. It’s the first of nine movies that Hepburn and Tracy were paired, talk about chemistry!
I’ve posted a You Tube clip just to help you remember how great the movie is.

See you at “The Kate!”
Ann Nyberg, Trustee, KHCAC

An Australian blogger has put this video up on her blog and I thought you might like to see it. There are lots of wonderful pictures here of Hepburn and of course some of Spencer Tracy too.
The song is called “Empire Lady” It’s written and sung by Aussie singer-songwriter,Ryan Ross.

See you at “The Kate.”
Ann Nyberg, Trustee, KHCAC

Holmby Hills, California home of actress-singer Judy Garland

This was the Holmby Hills, California (Los Angeles) home of actress-singer Judy Garland. Garland lived here from 1953 thru 1960 with her husband at the time, Sid Luft, and their two children, Lorna and Joey.

It was here that the”Holmby Hills” Rat Pack met from time to time.

Everybody thinks of the “Rat Pack” as the 1950’s gentlemen club of Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop. Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior and Peter Lawford. Well it turns out,  as legend has it, that the “Rat Pack” was actually started by Humphrey Bogart and his wife Lauren Bacall and it was called the “Holmby Hills” Rat Pack as dubbed by Bacall. Why did she call it that?

The web site: porthalcyon will spell that out for you and it has a lot more on the Holmby Hills group and how they partied together in secret and what a light turned on over the Bogart home meant. Can you imagine this group running around secreted away in the spots that only they knew about? It kept them out of the gossip columns as much as possible.

Among the members of the first group, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy and a very young Frank Sinatra.

The “Holmby” group considered themselves the cream of the crop of “A” listers who thumbed their noses at Hollywood.

Eventually Sinatra would form his own Rat Pack, which is what most of think of today when we hear the term.

There is more on the Holmby Hills Rat Pack here.

See you at “The Kate.”
Ann Nyberg, Trustee, KHCAC