Throughout each year, I attend several events at the Hollywood Museum. Most of them are for the purpose of introducing a new exhibit. And they’re all fabulous.

But on a few special occasions, the equally lovely fetes are right in the lobby. And I recently went to one of those. It was to celebrate the release of a new book, A Letter is Better! The Art of Thank You, written by Erica Gerard Di Bona, who is known to be a constant letter writer. If her last name is familiar, that’s most likely because you’ve seen it on your TV a zillion times—her husband is prolific television producer Vin Di Bona, who created America’s Funniest Home Videos, and has produced a myriad of other shows.

(L-R) Erica Gerard Di Bona, Vin Di Bona, and Karen Salkin. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I love a supportive man, so Vin is right up there with Carl Reiner, who was always so proud of the singing of his wife Estelle, and of course, the most supportive guy ever, Mr. X, who not only came to most of my TV show tapings, but is actually the person who created my cable series, Karen’s Restaurant Revue! (And then, as I was about to go through the curtain for my first appearance on The Tonight Show, he got to sarcastically say, “Yeah, Kah, you were right—doing a cable show was a bad idea.”)

And Vin Di Bona and I have a mutual very dear friend, Paul Gilbert, so I really wanted to meet Vin, especially after Paul told me that he’s a “great guy.” And he was absolutely lovely. It’s always fun, (and a bit rare,) to meet an uber-successful person who’s also very nice. So Vin was the highlight of the event for me. (And he told me that he had just been talking about Paul that day!)

But the entire event was good, right from the get-go, as it always is at the Hollywood Museum. There was a makeshift bar on one side of the space, with nice bartenders, and a pretty buffet set-up on the opposite end of the lobby. The fare was different than any I’ve ever seen there before, which was fun because I’m a fan of diversity. There were three kinds of finger sandwiches, caprese bites, (with a choice of tomatoes or blackberries on the skewers with the mozzarella chunks,) tiny onion tarts, and a whole bunch of delish desserts. I’m either ashamed or proud to admit that I ate a handful of mini strawberry shortcakes in cups! The pièces de résistance were bite-sized cranberry scones. (My friend Roz said, “The cookies are hard,” so I explained, “That’s because they’re scones!”)

Just a bit of the fare. Photo by Karen Salkin.

There was a plethora of speeches from the happy assemblage, including E.T.’s Dee Wallace and Hollywood Museum Founder Donelle Dadigan. I was the most entertained by artist Shepard Fairey, (whose credits include designing that famous Obama “Hope” poster.) He said that he and Erica had met on the Board of Trustees at The Rhode Island School of Design, (RISD,) where he went to college. I actually love that place, having gone to both the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College. I used to drive by RISD, and think about all the gifted artists who must be behind those walls! (I love having things in common with talented people. For example, Vin also lived in Rhode Island, and he and I both attended UCLA, as did Mr. X, also in the Master of Fine Arts program some time after Vin. And yes, I did go to all three of those colleges, and even one more!)

The gist of the many tributes was that Erica writes wonderful “thank you” letters, and the recipients are so lucky. Erica herself quipped that “a letter is so much better than anything.” She told us that she doesn’t start her letters with “thank you,” preferring to end with it. (But I do both!) I was happy that she and I agree on the usage of exclamation points when others say no to them! (See?)

Hollywood Museum Founder Donelle Dadigan at the podium to begin the speeches. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I also appreciated that she said to write a letter “on anything” and “in any method that you can.” Erica and my mother would have gotten along great because the latter used to write her missives on the backs of paper placemats from the restaurants my parents ate in while traveling! One of her old pals still mentions how much he always loved receiving those.

My favorite quote of the night came from Vin. About the sound of his wife’s typing, he said, “It’s like hearing children laugh in a playground.” What an absolutely charming and loving way to put it.

When the speeches were over, guests could purchase the books, and Erica signed them all in the “Blondes Only Room.” (The hair color rooms, which are my fave part of the Museum, date back to when the building was the Max Factor Salon. I featured them on a television special I hosted on The Travel Channel way back in the day, and have adored them ever since.)

Photo by Karen Salkin.

I got a gander at one of the books, and found it to be very interesting. And it’s not a little coffee table book—it has sooo much substance! There’s even a section for “Young People,” complete with advice on “How to Address an Envelope!” I love life lessons that we might think are basic, but are far from it these days.

I also love that “Thank You” is mentioned right in the title, A Letter is Better! The Art of Thank You, because I’m a stickler for saying that phrase! I actually just thanked a PR person for always thanking me for my reviews. My mother used to semi make fun of my signature, “Thank you so much!,” but I mean it every time.

Speaking of my little mo, (which I do a lot,) I have to say that, as a supreme letter-writer herself, she would have really liked Erica’s book. And she would have enjoyed her collection of typewriters, as well. I’m now the proud owner of my parents’ vintage one, so perhaps I should show it to Erica sometime. I should also pick her brain about how to put a good book together because I’ve been finding some of my mom’s letters around my house recently, and they are a riot! One in particular has become famous among my friends, and it’s been suggested many times that I should publish a book of them so more people can laugh until they cry.

Apropos of Erica’s book about saying “Thank You, “I’ll leave you with this little poem that I used to recite with my young students when I was a teacher. (See if you can spot the big mistake in it.):

“Hearts like doors will ope with ease
To two little words, and the words are these:
Thank you, sir, and if you please.”

Do you see the mistake? Those are six words, not two! I didn’t write it, of course, because in addition to always expressing gratitude, I can also count! But I do very much believe in the sentiment. I know that Erica Gerard Di Bona does, as well. I just wish that everyone did.

With tomorrow, November 11, being Veteran’s Day, and our country just having celebrated the eightieth anniversary of the end of WWII, (on September 2nd,) the Hollywood Museum appropriately opened their “Hollywood Goes To War” exhibit with a lovely reception. As the daughter of a WWII veteran, I was particularly grateful to be a guest at their tribute to Hollywood’s contribution to the WWII effort.

Portrait of my father, Martin Salkin, painted by a prisoner-of-war of whom he was in charge. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one of the exhibit at the top of this page.

That night was my friend Diane’s first visit to the Museum, and she loved the entire experience! She was especially impressed that “all the personnel were lovely,” including the elevator guy, the bartenders, the servers, and even the woman at the check-in desk. That’s an assessment with which I wholeheartedly agree; I’m so glad she noticed that situation. Their events are always like that!

The fun began as we rode the humongous elevator up to the party and exhibit. The ride was made even more festive by having a bar right on it, to get the party started! And then, as we stepped off into the event space, the first thing we laid our hungry eyes on was a popcorn cart, offering us bags of freshly-made, specially-seasoned popcorn. And then came another bar followed by the sumptuous buffet, full of all kinds of treats, with an emphasis on snacks from the time of WWII. I sooo appreciated that creativity!

Part of the buffet, with the nice servers. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Among the choices were little quiches, pigs in blankets, chicken wings, and veggies in cups with hummus. The special ’40s fare included corn beef salad, (which we had never even heard of before!,) little bacon sandwiches, fried pickles, Jell-O with whipped cream, and my faves—the most delicious and fresh mini potato pancakes! Yu-um. And we liked all the desserts. In addition to the Jell-Os, there were zucchini muffins, tomato muffins, and delicious little crispy chocolate bites. Diane lauded the entire set-up, saying, “Everyone could find something they wanted, and that’s what a buffet should be. And it was easy to eat, too!” She is correct—it was almost all finger foods, and the couple of little cups that required a fork already had tiny ones in them!

But, of course, we were all there to celebrate how Hollywood has portrayed wars, and WWII in particular, in film and TV shows. To that end, the exhibit features costumes, props, and memorabilia from several of the various entertainments, including the classic film, Casablanca. There are also some more modern pieces from movies that were produced recently, but are about that period in history, such as Cate Blanchett’s wardrobe in Oppenheimer.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Some of the highlights are personal items from stars of that time, such as uniforms worn by Jimmy Stewart and Bob Hope, whose Foundation is sponsoring this important exhibit. That’s fitting because I doubt there is anyone in history who traveled the world more to entertain the troops through the decades than Mr. Hope!

It was good to see all of these artifacts in one place like that. I feel that everyone needs to be reminded what war looks like, so we can vote out the people who are trying their best, (or worst,) to get us into yet another one!

On that important note, I’ll wish all veterans a very peaceful Veterans Day tomorrow, and I hope that every one of you will get over to the Hollywood Museum to see this one, and actually all of their wonderful exhibits, very soon.

Hollywood Goes To War exhibit 
The Hollywood Museum
1660 Highland Ave. Hollywood
323-464-7776  www.TheHollywoodMuseum.com

As a kid who watched Roy and Dale in syndication every Saturday morning, (and thought those shows were all new!,) I’m glad that I worked hard on my crazy end-of-November schedule to be there for the opening of the Hollywood Museum’s exhibit celebrating the couple.

Just a part of the new Roy and Dale exhibit. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.

I especially love the title of the exhibit because, when I was in the last two years of high school and even the first year of college, my best friend and I spoke on the phone every night, and ended the calls by…singing Happy Trails! Every night for three years!!! (No wonder we finally stopped being friends, after her having to listen to my awful singing for that long!) That song still means a great deal to me. And even seeing the name gives me warm feelings.

Karen Salkin and Roz Wolf in the Western attire. Photo by Karen Salkin.

As to the opening night festivities at the Museum, I was glad to see people dressed-up for it, either in cowboy/cowgirl garb or just shiny attire, in general. I even broke-out some of my late mother’s turquoise jewelry (which is very “western,”) that I had never worn before, along with an interesting pair of southwestern earrings (one of a cactus, the other of a cowboy boot,) that Mr. X had bought me in his beloved Santa Fe. And my friend and I both rocked fringed outerwear.

As usual, the servers were darling, especially the duo of bartenders on their famous elevator. The buffet this time consisted of fabulous appetizers, including hot dogs in blankets, mac & cheese bites, and biscuits and gravy. Even though I’m a total carnivore, I really appreciate, on behalf of my veggie pals, that they always offer options. For example, there was a choice of either beef or bean mini-tacos. That is so thoughtful of their caterers! The desserts, for everybody, were a trio of delicious cookies.

The giant poster on the also-giant elevator. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The mingling began outside the Museum, on the step-and-repeat, and continued into their “party” elevator, which holds about thirty peeps, all the while serving beverages! So by the time we hit the served-buffet upstairs where the exhibit is, we were all pals!

After we ate, my friend and I perused the new Roy Rogers and Dale Evans exhibit. Let’s just say that it was a wonderful blast from my past! There is sooooo much to see in it!

We’re lucky to have it here now; there used to be a full Roy Rogers museum, first in Apple Valley, then in Victorville, and finally in Branson Missouri until the end of 2009. So now we SoCal denizens, and visitors to this area, have this rare opportunity to view all the couple’s iconic memorabilia!

For some reason, (I forgot to ask what it was—I was too busy snacking!,) my friend was especially enamored with Roy’s saddle! She was hoping to see the stuffed Trigger, but he was bought by a TV station in Nebraska over a decade ago, along with Roy’s dog, Bullet. (That’s fine with me—taxidermy is not my thing!) And I just realized that I have no idea what became of the deceased Buttermilk, my favorite equine ever. (But I still can’t drink the beverage he was named after.)

Members of the Rogers family were in attendance at the Hollywood Museum’s Opening Night of their patriarch and matriarch’s exhibit but it was so crowded, that I could never get over to them to say howdy. I wish I had gotten to talk with them—I have sooo many questions.

Another bit of the exhibit. Photo by Karen Salkin.

But even without meeting the offspring of Roy and Dale, this was a terrific event. And a heartwarming exhibit. I hope all you western entertainment fans get to see it, with the info below. And you do not even have to sing Happy Trails on the way out. Unless you want to! (The exhibit inspired me to want to sing it all evening, but I decided to spare the rest of the guests my dulcet—to me only—tones.)

Happy Trails Celebrating the Legacy of Roy Rogers & Dale Evans
The Hollywood Museum  1660 Highland Ave. Hollywood
323-464-7776  www.TheHollywoodMuseum.com

On the night of that uber-crazy flash flood a couple of weeks ago, my friend Nina A., (as they say on The Bachelor when two or more girls have the same name, which is what I do with multiple “Nina” pals,) and I went to an interesting event at the Montalban Theatre in Hollywood.

A few of the early arrivers to the party. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.

I love that place, so, even though exhausted from a daytime event before it, off we went, in that crazy quick weather. (It was hailing on our deck! The whole house shook and I thought the windows were going to crack in!)

The purpose of the fete was to preview The Gotham Follies of 1939, a show that will be there in June.

The whole thing was fun from the get-go. As we entered the premises, there were two masked “maids” in the lobby, handing-out books with the same title as the show. They’re hard covered ones, to boot! (The volumes, of course, not the maids!)

Photo by Karen Salkin.

First up was a hipster cocktail party on the theatre’s mezzanine. There was tons of mingling. I rarely chat with strangers at parties, but this one was so conducive to the good vibes that I just had to go along with them. (The vibes and the strangers!)

Along with the open bar, there were passed bite-sized treats such as egg-rolls and cheese-and-salami bites, and later came adorable desserts—tiny chocolate mousses and lemon drops, both with the most delicious whipped cream on top.

The adorable and sweet servers. Photo by Karen Salkin.

But the treat that everyone seemed to love the most was…containers of theatre popcorn! And they provided several tasty seasonings that you could sprinkle on to your heart’s content! We were all like kids in…well, in a popcorn store.

And I must laud the adorbs servers. Every single one of them, including the popcorn girl, were happy to serve! That’s a rarity in the world of soirees, trust me.

Russall S. Beattie on the steps with the costumes behind him. Photo by Karen Salkin.

And then the assemblage moved to the theatre itself to hear about the upcoming show. I didn’t get much of the info because the producer of it, Russall S. Beattie, chose to forego using a mike, so those of us who were sitting a little further back, (by choice—the invitees had our run of the place,) couldn’t hear everything he said.

But we did get to see a few clips of other entertainments he produced in the past, along with a quartet of the costumes for the show being on stage the whole time.

And perchance I’ll review it for you when it opens in June. I just can’t wait to get back to The Montalban for that popcorn!

A couple of days before I received the invitation to this fun (before the pandemic) annual event, I was thinking about the aborted 2020 version. I had been looking so forward to it then, but, as the stay-at-home orders came, and then kept getting extended, I was so disappointed. Little did we know back then that it would be three more years until we would all celebrate on the hip rooftop of the Montalban Theatre in Hollywood again.

But it was worth the wait because a lovely time was had by all this past week-end.

(L-R) Karen Salkin, Lynn Tejada, and Laura Saul celebrating in front of that beautiful mural of the incredible Ricardo Montalban and Herve Villechaize on Fantasy Island. Photo by a kind stranger.

We were there to celebrate the launch of the new season of the Montalban’s Rooftop Movies, which opens to the public on April 14. (All the deets are on their website, whose link is at the bottom of this article. I think Hitchcock’s Rear Window will be a hoot and a half up there. I’m scared just thinking about it!)

On the night of the soiree, before we all sat down to watch The Greatest Showman, (my friend Noelle most likely would have come down from Montreal just to see it for the hundredth time,) we mingled and ate and drank. The bar was stocked with not just all kinds of sodas, waters, and juices, but specialty cocktails for the occasion, as well.

The condiment and side dish bar. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Omar’s Tacos provided the flavorful Mexican party food, cooking it up fresh for us right on site, which I believe will be available on some movie nights, as well. We could choose either little soft tacos or enchiladas with a choice of steak, chicken, pork, chorizo, and vegetables. Or a combo of any two. I can tell you that the pork tacos were delish. And the plentiful condiment buffet was off to the side. I love that it included pinto beans and very tasty rice.

On top of that, my friend Laura and I went nuts over the concession stand, which featured all-you-can-eat popcorn with several flavors of sprinkled seasonings. There were also bags of all kinds of chips, and big-size movie candy, with all of our faves! While we waited for the Mexican food to be ready, we gorged on those sweet treats. Our table looked like there had just been a bunch of sugared-out kids sitting at it. (But no worries—we took care of our own debris.)

The candy Laura and Karen scarfed at the party! Photo by Karen Salkin.

This all took place on April 1, which some of you may know is my favorite day of the year. Yes, even more than my birthday! That’s because it’s…April Fool’s Day! Because of little sleep the night before combined with major sports-watching all day, I just didn’t have enough time to “get” as many of my friends as I usually do, so by the time of the party, I was semi-desperate to pull a prank on someone who I thought would take it well. So, after a couple of trips to the concession stand for candy, I went back to the cute young girl who was manning the booth, and told her that the woman running the party said she should give me all the candy she had! The expression on her face was priceless!!! You could tell she didn’t know what to do. Laura and I were hysterical. The girl was so relieved when I said, “April Fool’s!”

You can choose single seats or the lovebird duos. Photo by Karen Salkin.

As to the film, I had seen The Greatest Showman only once before, after it had been out for a while. My aforementioned friend Noelle was out here visiting, and she could not believe I had never seen it. So we found it playing in a dirty, tiny, creepy multiplex in a shady ‘hood, which was an experience in itself. And not a great one. So I really appreciated getting the chance to see my celebrity crush, Hugh Jackman, on the big Montalban screen, and out in the fresh air, to boot.

A word about the wonderful ninety-year-old edifice itself, for those of you who may be a bit physically-challenged. The only way to get up to the fourth floor rooftop is by an outside staircase. They do very kindly have a bench about halfway up, in case you’d like to rest a bit before finishing the climb. But I have a back that’s broken in three places, and both knees got messed-up doing too much water aerobics during the pandemic, and it was not even close to a problem for me. So you have to gauge it for yourself. But do make sure to use the restroom in the lobby before you begin your ascent because that’s the only one there is! Or maybe strap on a Depends before you go!!! Especially if you’re there to see a scary movie! Just sayin’.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

By the way–the Montalban provides the headsets for the movies, but, due to life’s new rules for living with Covid, no blankets anymore. So, since it can get cold up there for another month or two, I suggest either bundling-up or BYOB–bring your own blanket. If you choose not to, and do get cold, you can buy an affordable souvenir “Montalban” one right in the lobby! And then use that one every time you see another movie up there. Win-win. As was this entire launch party! (So, win-win-win!)

For the line-up of, and more info on, the Rooftop Movies, just click here:  www.themontalban.com

I rarely “review” private parties, but a couple of times in the past, I have done so for the daytime fetes of my friend Heidi Rotbart because they’re so perfect. I was so thrilled to finally have it back again that I feel the need to give you a quick little rundown about its excellence, especially so you can copy some of the special aspects of it for your own next soiree.

The sparkling invitation, which mentions taking the Covid tests.

First of all, Heidi did the smartest thing before the party even began! It’s so brilliant, in fact, that I’m shocked I never thought of it! Instead of having all her guests worry about potentially catching Covid from another guest, nor having people show proof of vaccination, (in case any of her friends are anti-vaxxers, which I highly doubt, but still…,) she came up with the best solution, which was perfect for all concerned. We each had to do our own at-home Covid test within twenty-four hours before the party, and send her a picture of it! That way we could all attend with welcome peace of mind. Mr. X and I really appreciated it, so much so that we even wore our negative tests to the brunch! (Just to entertain people, of course.) We were glad to finally learn how to use those tests, too.

So last Sunday morning, we donned our best *PJs, and took off for the lovely Playa Vista area. *(Heidi’s beginning-of-the-year party is always a pajama party. She asks guests to wear some sort of pajamas or sweat outfit, along with slippers or sneakers. The fun among us do as asked, but I’m always disappointed to see how many people feel that rules do not apply to them. If I were the host, I wouldn’t let them in. My party, my rules!)

Karen Salkin, (in her mandated pajamas,) and Heidi Rotbart, (being fancier as the hostess.) Photo by Mr. X.

As always, Heidi was the hostess with the mostess. (Even though she herself was rocking a cocktail dress and heels! As I said, the host gets to make the rules.) She makes everything so easy for everybody.

For the set-up, she spaces out the tables and counter with platters, hotplates, and chafing dishes, and gets the potluck started with very generous bagels and lox. And then everyone participates, which I love. The variety of dishes is truly amazing; no two people bring the same thing! Heidi doesn’t even delegate what to bring; if someone needs a suggestion, she’ll help out with an idea, but, by some miracle, it always works-out perfectly.

This time, there was every brunch food imaginable, (and even some that aren’t!) I brought a potpourri of cherry blintzes, yummy Kings Hawaiian rolls, (which are good to fill with ingredients, but are deliciously sweet on their own,) a bottle of pear vodka, and the piece de resistance—my very own homemade chocolate toffee!!! I love getting creative in ways other than in my writing.

A colorful plate of Mexican casserole, cornbread, and tons of bacon. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the big one at the top of this page, (which she snapped after most of the food was gone, because she had to eat and socialize first!)

As always, the Grand Marnier French Toast, made by Heidi’s great friend Kim, was my favorite thing. I love it! (And you know I hate alcohol, so that I adore this dish so much is astonishing.)

And Heidi did the most thoughtful thing, which I soooo appreciated—as she greeted us, even before I was able to give her the goodies I brought, she told me to hurry to the buffet because there was only a little of the French toast left, and she didn’t want me to miss it! How’s that for being a kind hostess?

A few other wonderful dishes were a Mexican casserole, delicious noodle pudding, chocolate bread pudding, a cornbread “cake,” shrimp cocktail, bacon-wrapped dates, all kinds of fruit salads, and even Kentucky Fried Chicken! And homemade chocolate chip cookies that were better than the very expensive cookies I had just bought in San Juan Capistrano! Not to mention all the bacon you could eat!!! What a supreme luxury. [Note: The big pic at the top of this page show just about a tenth of the fare on offer that day!!!]

Karen Salkin’s adorable party slippers, that are about four times bigger than her actual feet! Photo by Karen Salkin.

The guest list was a very interesting mix, as well. There were several show biz types, outside of just Mr. X and me. I even got to clear-up something in that category that I’ve wondered about for years. Heidi introduced us to someone named Michael Braverman. She said his name before we saw him, so I got excited, thinking it was one of Mr. X’s producers from when he was on the popular television series, Life Goes On.  (I actually did an episode of it, as well.) But this Michael Braverman turned-out to be a much younger guy who also produces TV shows! Every time I’ve seen that name on TV, I thought it was our guy, even though the types of shows didn’t really jibe with his MO. So this Michael explained how it was just a fluke that he was able to use the same name as another producer. In the Screen Actors Guild, (which Mr. X and I are in, of course,) no one is allowed to use the same name; the person who shows-up later on has to add an initial or something. But now I know the Producers Guild rules, as well. And I know both men with that name!

There was so much champagne, but this trio was the prettiest. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Now, as to the other guests, we met several interesting ones. We spent the most time chatting with a wine expert, even though I don’t drink! And I loved the young guys who entered the premises by…climbing up the balcony! The intelligence factor was even covered by—no, I was not going to say “yours truly,” even if the shoe does fit—an elementary school principal. A hot chick one, to boot!

I even sort-of helped get a couple together! (After I suggested it to the guy, Mr. X looked at them talking and whispered to me, “Couple alert.”) Now I can’t wait to go to Heidi’s next soiree to see if they show-up there together!

Well, of course, I can’t wait for her next event, not just for that, but just because all of her get-togethers are so good!

George Chakiris and Karen Salkin. Photo by Lauren Bennett.

I sometimes have to pinch myself when I realize that I actually know Academy Award winner George Chakiris! And have done so for the past seven and a half years!

So when I was invited to the Hollywood Museum’s celebration of his 90th birthday recently, even though I had a prior important commitment that I couldn’t break, I knew that I had to at least stop by for a little while, to pay my respects to the talented man.

I had been to previous events that were held in the museum’s lobby, but I’ve never seen it as packed as it was that night. It must be nice to start your tenth decade being so popular!

George having worked his way to the front of the room, alongside Donelle Dadigan, the President of the musuem. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.

I’ll let you in on our connection in a minute, but lest you think you have to adjust your glasses, let me tell you that you did read that right—George Chakiris did just turn ninety!!! I was amazed at his age when I first met him, and every single person I’ve ever introduced him to has the same reaction. My friend Laura is younger than some of my other pals who have met George with me, so she seemed a tad skeptical when I told her how great he looks. And then when she witnessed him at the party with her own eyes, she could not believe his age. She said he looks at least twenty years younger, an assessment with which I wholeheartedly agree.

Karen Salkin and George Chakiris. Photo by Alice Farinas.

George and I first met at a theatre gala in 2015, and we bonded immediately. We spent a lot of time talking that evening; about his career, show biz in general, the event we were at, and chuckling over my friend’s incorrect assumption about his ethnicity. She’s Cuban, so she was speaking Spanish to him; he had to break the news to her that even though he won his Oscar for playing Bernardo, the head of the Puerto Rican gang in West Side Story, he’s fully American with parents who were Greek immigrants from Turkey. We all had a good laugh about her error.

Ever since then, we’ve met up at tons of artistic events, including multiple World Choreography Awards shows, (the first of which is where I witnessed him being the only person on stage who received a standing ovation!,) dance shows at the Wallis in Beverly Hills, and even at a Cirque du Soleil, where I got to remind him of a major luncheon we were both due at later that month. I’m always happy that my artistic tastes match those of the great George Chakiris!

Karen Salkin and George Chakiris. Photo by Mr. X.

He was even nice enough to make an appearance at a local theatre’s production of West Side Story a few ago! Mr. X was thrilled to meet him, and the three of us spent the entire intermission talking about George’s experience shooting the classic film. Mr. X has starred in television series with everyone from Lynn Redgrave to Patti Lupone, and done films with Jamie Lee Curtis and even Robert DeNiro, but I’ve never seen him so happy to meet someone. I was so proud that I could make that introduction for him.

So, with all that history, to be at a soiree for George Chakiris’ 90th b-day, even for a short while, was truly special to me.

As to the Hollywood Museum itself, Laura had never been there before, (even though she’s grown-up here!,) and she was fascinated with every aspect of her first visit to the venue. While we were waiting for George to arrive, Laura explored the Max Factor make-up rooms adjacent to the lobby, and, even though she’s a cosmetics eschewer for her own visage, she loved the displays as much as I always have. (Those rooms are actually where I filmed my very first segment for the Travel Channel back in the day, so walking through those doors is always a special feeling to me.)

The case with George Chakiris’ Oscar and Golden Globe. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I also enjoyed checking-out the exhibits that pay tribute to George. His Oscar and Golden Globe, both for West Side Story, were in a case on one side of the room, and his own silver jewelry creations were featured across the way. I was told that his performances have often been described as “quicksilver” and “sterling,” so perhaps that’s why he decided to pursue the silver jewelry field when he was done acting. (My performances have sometimes been referred to as “oy vey,” so maybe, with that same philosophy, I’ll get into making chicken soup when my days as a media personality are done!)

Just a tiny part of the buffet. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Speaking of food, the Hollywood Museum is always kind enough to feed their party guests, and this spread was a lovely one. There were several finger foods, such as tiny shepherd’s pies and pigs in blankets, along with giant shrimp and clever crudite cups, and beautiful macarons for dessert. The buffet wrapped-up before the speeches began, which were followed by George’s birthday cakes later on.

The case with George Chakiris’ own jewelry line, with a tiny cameo by Karen Salkin, who took this photo.

A few of George’s famous friends were in attendance, and I spied old school Broadway and TV star Michelle Lee and singer Melissa Manchester. (At eighty and seventy-one respectively, they must be like children to him!)

I had to leave right before the speeches began, but, as beloved as George is, I can imagine that the tributes were as glowing as he was that night!

Karen Salkin and George Chakiris. Selfie by Karen Salkin. (And no, that’s not a crown on her head, as George said it looked like. It’s just something in the background.

I’m just sad that I didn’t get to sing Happy Birthday to George. (But, if he’s ever heard me sing, I bet he’s not sad about that omission!)

So, since I didn’t get to wish it to him in time for his actual September 16th bday, I’m saying it now. Happy Birthday, George Chakiris! I hope we see each other again very soon. (And thank you, Hollywood Museum, for the opportunity to be a small part of his fete.)

With 2022 just a few days away, (not mention that none of us should really be going out again now, because of Omicron,) I have a really fun idea for your New Year’s festivities.

Some of the fare at one of Heidi’s at-home NYD parties, balancing on the fabulous-footwear-adorned legs of Karen Salkin. Photo by Karen Salkin.

But it actually did not come out of my brain. My friend Heidi Rotbart hosted this fun stay-at-home event last New Year’s Day, but it would be just as entertaining to do for those of you who have a group of friends who don’t like to go out on New Year’s Eve.

First, here’s the background of how the idea came about. Heidi has always thrown the absolute best New Year’s Day parties. Hence, at the beginning of this year, when gatherings were not possible, she didn’t want to disappoint her usual guests. So she hosted a wonderful Zoom fete instead.

But this wasn’t the usual just-sit-around-and-talk Zoom; it had a really fun twist, which I’ll tell you about in a second. But first I have to say that even though I absolutely adore, and greatly missed, the fabulous food and camaraderie at her in-person fetes, it was nice to get to stay in our slept-in pajamas for this Zoom one. We always wear PJs to her soirees, anyway, (or should—that’s what the hostess requests and I hate when people feel that they’re above complying!,) which I love doing, but this time we got to just roll out of bed and not take a shower before donning better nightwear and doing our hair and make-up. That was a plus. (The pajamas thing would work just as well on New Year’s Eve, because you all get to get cozy early in the evening, and stay that way until…next year!*) *(That’s always my dumb joke for New Year’s Eve—I tell people that I won’t be talking to them “until next year,” which is just the next day. I never claimed to not be goony!)

Karen Salkin getting ready to “attend” the New Year’s Day 2021 Zoom party, rocking her new holiday PJs and her official Ringling Bros. Circus clown slippers, and wondering if she’ll win the treasure hunt! Photo by Mr. X.

Now here’s that twist–Heidi made a really fun game for us. It was a treasure hunt…in each of our own abodes! We had to find simple things, like a clock, a pencil, a scarf, etc. (Which means…we all had to wear pajama bottoms because we kept getting up to find the items. That might be a first on a Zoom call!) But to make it even more fun, (and more of a challenge,) the clues were in rhyme form.  So not only did we have to see if we had the items on hand, (like a home version of Let’s Make A Deal,) but first we had to figure-out the clues!

Neither Heidi nor I still have the clues on hand to share with you, but they went something like this: “This healthful beauty comes in green or red, you’ll find it in your refrigerator and not in your bed.” And the answer is: An apple! Or this year, a clue can be: “If at your job you don’t want to get axed, you’ll need these two to prove you got vaxxed.” And the answer, of course, is your vaccination card and your ID! [Note: If you don’t have those two items, you lose in life as well as in the game!]

Of course, I won the 2021 treasure hunt. (Did you ever doubt it? My house is like a permanent swap meet over here!)  And the prize was…money. Venmo-ed to me!  Yay!  (But don’t get excited for me—it was only about a fin. Which is still better than nothing. And I love, love, love winning!)

Wouldn’t it be fun if the pajama-clad guys from BTS were on your party zoom? (I’m showing THEM to respect the privacy of the actual people on our call last year.)

I have a feeling the entire event was as fun to plan as it was to participate in. I don’t know if Heidi will do it all again on New Year’s Day 2022, (because in-person gatherings are back to looking iffy,) or if any of you will do it now that you know how to, but no worries if you can’t get it together in time for that date—the “Treasure Hunt Zoom” is one that can be done at any time of year, for any occasion.

So have fun with it, and Happy (Treasure) Hunting!

Last week, after not doing so for a year and a half, I finally made it out to an evening event! And it was quite the soiree. It’s sort-of fitting that my first foray into the grown-up world again was to the Hollywood Museum in—where else?–Hollywood, of course!

Part of the Silence of the Lambs exhibit at the Hollywood Museum. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The occasion was the thirtieth anniversary of the film classic, The Silence of the Lambs. How is it possible that that classic film has been haunting us for three decades already??? It’s good of the Hollywood Museum to always reminds u of those milestones.

The celebration took place shortly before Halloween, so absolutely everyone in attendance was in a party mood. (And guess who had the best, most appropriate talons fingernails there? Yours truly, of course!)

Karen Salin’s Halloween nails. Photo by Mr. X.

The fete was held in their Dungeon of Doom this time. Most of their parties (pre-Covid) have been on the top floor of the edifice, so having this one downstairs, right in the middle of the very spooky exhibit, put us right in the spirit. That area features the original jail cell set that housed Hannibal Lecter in the film, and there are some of the costumes and props from the movie in that section, as well. It’s actually kind-of scary down there.

But it wasn’t too frightening that night–the whole evening had a wonderfully convivial party atmosphere. Even all the staff were fabulous and friendly. I especially loved the waiter who told me where to find the best candied pecans I’ve ever had.

The scrumptious desserts! Photo by Karen Salkin.

The entire event was so well done. It was actually the most fun I’ve ever had at one of the Museum’s receptions! The guest list was more exclusive than usual because of the smaller space, (and the Covid rules, too, of course,) so it was easy to hang-out with the people you wanted to. My friend Marc and I had the great fortune to spend most of our time with famous old pals of mine.

First up was dancer-extraordinaire, Oscar winner (for West Side Story,) George Chakiris. I think by now many of you know how in awe of that man I am! And he’s always the nicest one anywhere. He got such a kick out of my Halloween stiletto nails; he wanted to know everything about them! Marc pointed-out that George and I have the most (and best) hair in Hollywood, so he joked that maybe I’m really Greek, as George is.

Then Ruta Lee stopped by our table. She and I reminisced about when we first met way back in the day; she had come up to me at a party back then to tell me she was a fan of my TV show, which I really appreciated, coming from such an accomplished actress. But since then, I hadn’t seen her in a long time, (actually, I have barely seen anybody!,) so meeting up with her again last week was nice. And let me tell you—she looks fantastic!!!

Bruce Vilanch and Karen Salkin, showing off her Halloween nails, of course. Photo by Marc Winer.

And then along came the person I most wanted to hang with—Emmy winner Bruce Vilanch. We had just talked on the phone the day before, so we knew to look out for each other. Bruce is actually the first person outside of Mr. X whom I’ve hugged in over a year and a half!!! I’ve made sure to not get that physically close to anybody anymore, but with Bruce, I couldn’t help myself; we were just so happy to see each other again! So we had dinner together in the party room in the dungeon.

Speaking of the repast, I loved the safe way the food was presented this time. There were three stations—a shrimp cocktail bar, a full buffet, and a dessert one—and rather than the usual manner of the guests helping themselves, they had masked-and-gloved staff members serve us everything. It was actually sort-of charming. And the entire buffet was behind plexiglass, to boot.

The fava beans with a nice Chianti. Photo by Karen Salkin.

First up was a cheese and fruit platter, which would usually be hard to have someone serve you, but the girl doing it made it easy for everyone. There were also clever cups of crudite, which I adored. The hot foods were meatballs, spinach ravioli, and chicken skewers, and one surprise dish. When we were on our way there that night, Marc said maybe they’d be serving fava beans and a nice Chianti this time, which I thought was a great idea. And guess what? They did just that!!! (Maybe he should work for them!) I’m not a fava beans fan, but I loved the presentation of a bottle of Chianti right by that chafing dish.

After dinner, the assemblage moved into the area with the The Silence of the Lambs set, for the speeches. It was all very interesting. (And I loved the special lighting they set up for that portion of the evening. I’m sure all the speakers, such as horror film regular Dee Wallace, appreciated it.)

Dee Wallace addressing the crowd from the podium at the end of the dungeon space. Do you notice anyone creepy watching on the left side? Photo by Karen Salkin.

Then Marc and I walked around the dungeon for a bit, and discovered some other fun exhibits down there, including the original costumes of Nightmare on Elm Street‘s Freddy Krueger, Friday the 13th‘s Jason, and Halloween‘s Michael Myers.  That makes it all perfect for a pre-Halloween visit now that most of us are out and about again.

But the exhibit stays up in perpetuity, so all of you The Silence of the Lambs fans can see it at any time.

And, for those of you who still worry about the virus, as I always do, I’m glad to report that masks are still required at the Hollywood Museum. And I received some more good news from the museum peeps. They announced that their ventilation and filtration system was upgraded during the pandemic, and is now outfitted with hospital and school quality filters, which kill up to 99.9% of mold, germs, and viruses that can cause COVID-19. That is soooo comforting!

For more info, please go to www.thehollywoodmuseum.com.

Yes, all the eateries in Los Angeles are rightly shutdown for the duration, but before the world got absolutely bonkers, Drago Ristorante in Mid-Wilshire’s Petersen Museum threw a fabulous soirée to preview their new menu and announce the beginning of their full dinner service.

Three of the famous Drago siblings (L-R): Tanino, Calogero, and Celestino. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the big one at the top of this page.

[Note: Contrary to the information that some nescient media people may have disseminated, this fete was not the opening of this place; it’s been open for four years now!!! I wish those witless folks would pay attention to the purpose of events they show up at! Many of them are just there for the free food! Shameful.]

But back to the lovely party. There seemed to be no end to the delicious dishes on offer. As soon as we checked-in, even before we entered the actual restaurant, there was an antipasto  buffet of cheeses and vegetables and breads, which featured what my friend Marc deemed to be “the most flavorful tomatoes” he’s ever had!

The stunning antipasto buffet on the way in. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I swear, all those treats would have really been enough, but that was far from it. Inside was a pasta bar, (both of our fave was the creamy risotto which was paired with red-sauced meatballs,) and an open bar with a few specialty cocktails. And all night , the amiable servers passed tasty tidbits, such as my favorite, arancini, (which are Italian rice balls.)

Part of the pasta bar. (I guess I wasn’t the only one taking pictures of it!) Photo by Karen Salkin.

I don’t even know where the pizza was situated, but somehow, we kept getting little slices everywhere we went! Marc and I basically headquartered out on the red-hued patio all night, and somehow the food seemed to find its way to us!

But we took ourselves over (several times) to the pièce de résistance—a dessert bar which featured four perfect items. (Good thing they had a person there to serve us, or else it all might have been gone before I got over to it. I can definitely understand people not being able to stop themselves from gobbling-up all that deliciousness before everyone got some!) There were tiny strawberry panna cotta cups, mini chocolate cakes, the cutest cannoli ever, and a croquembouche, which was made-up of tons of delectable profiteroles. I adored every member of that quartet of scrumptiousness!

The table of take-home treats. Photo by Karen Salkin.

This party was the last time I left the house because, even before it became mandatory, I realized that I wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem, so I’ve stayed put at home with Mr. X. But Drago Ristorante even helped me with the isolation! As we left the fete, each guest received a package of interesting Paccheri pasta and a specialty cherry tomato sauce to take home and cook ourselves! I’ve yet to need to do that, (because, by some miracle, we’ve had enough fresh food that has to be used first,) but I’ll let you know how my attempt at emulating Drago goes. (The results will be on Twitter next week, so, if you don’t already follow me there, this might be a good time. @MajorCelebrity.)

When the world returns to normal, I’ll try my best to make time to do a full review of Drago’s new menu for you guys. I can tell you right now, though, that I’ll be headed right for the arancini and panna cotta. Until then, please stay safe and healthy!