Opening night of A Catered Affair was full of star power Thursday night. It all started with star Tom Wopat’s arrival in a vintage 1950’s taxi cab - a well-received publicity stunt that set the tone of Affair’s era and storyline. Wopat plays Tom, a man who spent his life in a financial struggle and has finally come into enough money to buy a larger share of his cab business. But he may be forced into spending the money on a lavish wedding for his daughter instead. Known for his 1970’s turn in the hit TV show “Dukes of Hazard” Wopat commented that “It feels like I’ve been driving a car my whole career.” He looked terrific and we think he stole the show with the number “I Stayed.”
Photographers jockeyed for position as they snapped away at all the celebs who checked out the opening night performance, including: S. Epatha MerkeRson, Glenn Close, Judy Collins, songwriter Christopher Cross, gossip columnist Cindy Adams, Karen Akers, Edie Falco, Robert Foxworth, Sheila Mac Rae (there to see her daughter Heather Mac Rae on the stage), B.D. Wong, Raul Esparza, Regis & Joy Philbin, Bernadette Peters, Roger Rees, Joan Rivers and Matthew Broderick.
Kathie Lee Gifford came with her own entourage of cameramen - we figured they must have been there to shoot a fun segment for her new Today gig. Not only did they film her going down the aisle to her seat, but they then filmed her actually in her seat just moments before the show began. The lady does not seem to mind a good spotlight.
At only ninety minutes with no intermission, we were at the opening night party at the Hilton Hotel before we knew it. This party celebrated A Catered Affair by actually being a catered affair, complete with a live band, all out buffet, impressive dessert table, rocking dance floor and engraved napkins.
Affair star and book writer, Harvey Fierstein arrived at the party early; he was followed by costars Leslie Kritzer, Tom Wopat and Faith Prince. Guest Brian Stokes Mitchell mugged for the cameras for quite a while and Esparza and Barbara Walsh dined, chatted and congratulated their Company director John Doyle on another job well done for his directing of Affair. Esparza called the show “beautiful.” Fierstein and Broderick joked around; Peters happily hugged Wopat, with whom she shared the stage some years back in Annie Get Your Gun; and HeatherMacRae doted on her proud mama.
Upon leaving every guest was offered a flower with a note saying “Thank you for joining our family.” A nice touch for an affair to remember.
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