Cocktail Party

After the final bows were taken during Everyman Theatre's inaugural opening night performance of "August: Osage County," an exhuberant yell could be heard from behind the closed curtain. It was an expression of the actors' relief at having survived the challenges posed by playwright Tracy Letts' Tony Award-winning black comedy, "August: Osage County. " And it was an expression of delight in finally having a performing home suitable for an established ensemble theater troupe. That sense of accomplishment was the theme of the theater's official opening this weekend, which included a cocktail party and post-performance cast party on Friday; a gala dinner and performance on Saturday, and a Sunday brunch.

After the final bows were taken during Everyman Theatre's inaugural opening night performance of "August: Osage County," an exhuberant yell could be heard from behind the closed curtain. It was an expression of the actors' relief at having survived the challenges posed by playwright Tracy Letts' Tony Award-winning black comedy, "August: Osage County. " And it was an expression of delight in finally having a performing home suitable for an established ensemble theater troupe. That sense of accomplishment was the theme of the theater's official opening this weekend, which included a cocktail party and post-performance cast party on Friday; a gala dinner and performance on Saturday, and a Sunday brunch.

It's hard for baby boomers to imagine, but if you had gone to a classic American cocktail party of the 1950s and asked for a glass of white wine, people would have wondered if you were some kind of Commie spy.Those were the days of martinis and Manhattans, of Scotch on the rocks and rum-and-Coke, except for the bad New York state champagne everyone drank on New Year's Eve.It wasn't until the 1970s that wine made its appearance as a popular American party...

Baltimore's party season is off and running after getting its kickoff last night with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra gala, which many folks consider the unofficial start to the fall party season. The next three months may be the most intense time of year when it comes to the dozens of shindigs dedicated to raising money for a number of non-profit organizations. The parties themselves are as varied as the charities they support, and the crowds they draw. Flip-Flop Festivus When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept.

LIMA, Peru -- They order out for pizza, jog laps around the house, take French lessons and write letters home twice a week. If it weren't for the guerrillas with an unsettling habit of playing catch with grenades, the 72 hostages at the Japanese ambassador's mansion might seem to be at some offbeat retreat.Nearly 12 weeks after they went off to a cocktail party and were taken hostage, the captives of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement are making do in conditions that -- while far from ideal -- could be a lot worse.

EVENTS Cocktail Party Class -- Learn how to make tapas for a summer cocktail party at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at Donna's in Columbia, 5850 Waterloo Road. $35.00. Call 410-659-5248, ext. 112. Dinner at Salt --The Baltimore chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food will sponsor a dinner with summer wines at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at Salt restaurant, 2127 E. Pratt St., Baltimore. Members $69; nonmembers $79. Call 410-244-0044, e-mail AIWFBaltimore@yahoo.com or visit aiwf.org. japan-guide.com Peruse a playbook on who sits where, how and why at the Japanese table, information that might come in handy on vacation or in the neighborhood tearoom.

Stanley Marcus' life-size sculptures pique our sense of absurdity, with limbs protruding from objects in whimsical and sometimes disturbing fashion. His show, "Party of Three," which opens Tuesday, is the season's first exhibit at the Norman and Sarah Brown Art Gallery at the Jewish Community Center.Most of the pieces in the show are taken from a series called "The Cocktail Party," which was started in 1980. " 'The Cocktail Party' is about celebration," the artist says. "I can imagine a visit to any party, whether in ancient Mesopotamia, Russia of the 19th century or Park Avenue of today.

In fall, when every group's fancy seems to turn to fund-raising -- candy bar? Girl Scout cookies? wrapping paper? -- a $25-a-ticket cocktail party may seem destined to be lost in the shuffle of raffle tickets and order forms.But the Oct. 25 soiree in Queen Anne's County has an interesting twist -- it's being put on by a government agency that decided it is better to wine and dine than just whine about the state's fiscal crisis.All it needs is some songs and Busby Berkeley choreography, and you have the 1990s version of "Hey kids, let's put on our own show!"

Planning a big party? Don't stress - it's not as hard as it looks. To throw an affair that's fun and affordable, and distinctive in food and decor, consider the advice of three party experts. New York-based event designer and TV personality Bryan Rafanelli says it's all about "mini-madness," or turning full-sized food into hand-held delicacies. "Jazz up an everyday concept, like a holiday picnic, with hamburgers and hot dogs," says Mary Beth Winkworth, owner of Festivities party planning store in Birmingham, Mich.

All morning long, on every sports and news show on TV, they've been showing the clip. You know the one . The one that shows Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace viciously throwing the elbow that floored Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Hardenin the Lakers' 114-10 double overtime win Sunday. I've seen it at least 30 times. It's an absolutely brutal blow. And a classic cheap shot. It wasn't in the same league as the infamous haymaker Kermit Washington delivered to the face of Rudy Tomjanovich 35 years ago, but it was gutless and sneaky, behavior we've come to expect to expect from the hilariously-named World Peace.

"I feel like a lot of it is just a load of crap. " So much for Emily staying in her hometown for "The Bachelorette" -- this week her and the remaining 13 contestants head to Bermuda for this round of dates. And all those undeserving tool bags get to stay at Rosewood Tucker's Point -- the most beautiful (and expensive) resort on the island (the cheapest room is $600 a night). If we sound bitter, we are. We're going to Bermuda for our honeymoon in October … but we won't be staying at Rosewood Tucker's Point.

All morning long, on every sports and news show on TV, they've been showing the clip. You know the one . The one that shows Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace viciously throwing the elbow that floored Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Hardenin the Lakers' 114-10 double overtime win Sunday. I've seen it at least 30 times. It's an absolutely brutal blow. And a classic cheap shot. It wasn't in the same league as the infamous haymaker Kermit Washington delivered to the face of Rudy Tomjanovich 35 years ago, but it was gutless and sneaky, behavior we've come to expect to expect from the hilariously-named World Peace.

EVENTS Cocktail Party Class -- Learn how to make tapas for a summer cocktail party at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at Donna's in Columbia, 5850 Waterloo Road. $35.00. Call 410-659-5248, ext. 112. Dinner at Salt --The Baltimore chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food will sponsor a dinner with summer wines at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at Salt restaurant, 2127 E. Pratt St., Baltimore. Members $69; nonmembers $79. Call 410-244-0044, e-mail AIWFBaltimore@yahoo.com or visit aiwf.org. japan-guide.com Peruse a playbook on who sits where, how and why at the Japanese table, information that might come in handy on vacation or in the neighborhood tearoom.

Real life returned this week, darn it all. But we still have the memory of last month's flurry of celebrations to savor. So, what was your favorite holiday party highlight? We asked a few veteran area party-goers. Bill Gilmore, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts executive director: "I had my entire staff to my house, and it was a real grown-up hors d'oeuvre and cocktail party. Everyone brought a guest. It was a personal gift to my staff. I had it catered, and we didn't have to lift a finger.

Planning a big party? Don't stress - it's not as hard as it looks. To throw an affair that's fun and affordable, and distinctive in food and decor, consider the advice of three party experts. New York-based event designer and TV personality Bryan Rafanelli says it's all about "mini-madness," or turning full-sized food into hand-held delicacies. "Jazz up an everyday concept, like a holiday picnic, with hamburgers and hot dogs," says Mary Beth Winkworth, owner of Festivities party planning store in Birmingham, Mich.

It is not every day you come across a writer willing to sing the praises of pork fat, fruitcake and Champagne rose. But James Villas does this with precision and passion in Stalking the Green Fairy (John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2004, $26.95), a delightful collection of essays about fine drink and good food. A veteran magazine journalist possessed, in his words, with "a seasoned gullet," Villas was the food and wine editor of Town & Country magazine for 27 years and in 2003 was named Bon Appetit's Food Writer of the Year.

Having dinner at Sascha's 527 is more like going to a cocktail party than eating in a restaurant, which may make it the trendiest new restaurant in Baltimore. One of the hottest trends around is the popularity of the U.S. equivalent of Spanish tapas, small plates that are a little more than an appetizer and definitely less than a main course. Cocktail party food, in other words. Sascha's does this as well as any restaurant in the city, with everything from shrimp toast to potato pancakes and caviar.

OCEAN CITY -- It had been a lousy week. It began with me getting the flu, which means the rest of you will get it shortly.I always get the flu just before the rest of the nation.For years the Centers for Disease Control have been trying to put me in a glass bubble on the Arctic Circle to act as a Flu Distant Early Warning system, but I have always refused. (I am holding out for cable.)The flu made me miss writing a column, only the second or third I have missed in 17 years. This is no testimony to my iron will.

TO CELEBRATE its homecoming, a college may line up a patsy of a visiting football team that will lose and bring great joy to alumni. Typically, the school will flank the game with rounds of parties and brunches. The Naval Academy's homecoming will take place Oct. 21, with Rutgers the hoped-for victim. Tents and grills and coolers will surround Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, and there will be great, smoky smells and men and women decked out in all sorts of combinations of blue and gold. St. John's College will stage its homecoming Friday through Sunday.

Having dinner at Sascha's 527 is more like going to a cocktail party than eating in a restaurant, which may make it the trendiest new restaurant in Baltimore. One of the hottest trends around is the popularity of the U.S. equivalent of Spanish tapas, small plates that are a little more than an appetizer and definitely less than a main course. Cocktail party food, in other words. Sascha's does this as well as any restaurant in the city, with everything from shrimp toast to potato pancakes and caviar.