Island cinephiles are gearing up for their annual chance to strut the red carpet, dodge paparazzi and see the Academy Awards on the silver screen at Vashon Film Society’s annual Oscar Night at Vashon Theatre.
The event, now in its 11th year, will kick off at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22.
As in years past, Oscar Night will provide a communal spot to watch the popular televised ceremony, with an assortment of glitzy extras, including limo rides and a high-stakes costume competition.
A host of Island entertainers will be on hand to amuse the audience, and a lavish spread of food and drink has been donated by half a dozen Island eateries.
And, as usual, all the proceeds from Oscar Night will go to a good cause — the Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation.
Karen du Four des Champs, who is Oscar Night’s organizer and emcee, said Vashon Film Society has raised $6,500 in the past decade — all for scholarships to Vashon High School seniors who are interested in careers in the arts.
The organizers of Oscar Night are hoping for a big turnout on Sunday. Prices for the event have purposefully been kept low, du Four des Champs said, to attract a diverse audience.
“This is a great family event, and also lots of fun for people of all ages,” she said. “Where else can you eat dinner, enjoy live entertainment and watch an awards show for under $30?”
Audience members will also have a chance to win $500 worth of prizes donated by Vashon businesses. Costume contest winners will be awarded merchandise and gift certificates.
Contest categories include “best-dressed child,” “best pajamas,” “best celebrity look-alike” and the “Cher” award for the most outrageous outfit.
There will also be a prize given to the audience member who most accurately predicts the winners of the Academy Awards, with ballots tabulated by Raven H.J. Pyle-McCrackyn, of R. Peter Lake Accountants.
Local musicians and actors have been recruited to entertain inside and outside the theater. Members of The Church of Great Rain ensemble will perform, and a trio of “dancing queens” will spoof the film “Mamma Mia!” during commercial breaks in the Oscar ceremony.
Many don’t know that movie-lovers on Vashon have Oscar Night to thank for bringing current theater owners Eileen and Gordon Wolcott to the Island.
The Wolcotts first found out about Vashon Theatre in 2001, while sitting in their West Seattle home, watching a story on the 11 o’clock news about that year’s Oscar Night on Vashon.
“The story mentioned that the current owner wanted to sell the business,” recalled Rachel Ehlers, the Wolcotts’ daughter, who also works at the theater. “I don’t think my mom and dad ever knew it was their dream to own a theater, but when they saw it, they knew.”
Almost two years after watching that fateful edition of the news, the Wolcotts purchased the theater from its previous owner.
Since then, the couple has made numerous improvements to the facility, including replacing the seats, installing more sophisticated projection equipment and painting the exterior of the building.
“They have made such wonderful changes,” said du Four des Champs, adding that the Wolcotts even opened up the theater for free for President Barack Obama’s inauguration last month.
For owner Eileen Wolcott, the years at Vashon Theatre have been fulfilling — and challenging.
Though she’d been a special events coordinator, Wolcott wasn’t prepared for the crash course in entertaining and theater she soon got at Vashon Theatre.
Her dedication to the business has been tested recently by the current recession, which has affected many independently owned movie theaters throughout the United States.
“Right now, we are doing our best to fight for great movies on Vashon,” Wolcott recently told The Beachcomber.
“We know that everyone is in this economy together,” she added. “We are working with two less employees, longer days and multiple jobs. We were not quite at the numbers we had last January, but no single month decides our fate.”
Wolcott emphasized that she wants to keep the theater open as a gathering place in the community.
“ I think the turnout on Inauguration Day shows how special it is to be able to come together as a community,” she said. “We need the theater to sustain itself. We have plans to make it into everything that it could be and save it by making it the place Vashon wants to watch movies. But like always, we first have to prove ourselves worthy by putting people in seats.”
Oscar Night details
Advance tickets to Oscar Night are $10 (adults and children) and are on sale at Vashon Theatre, Books by the Way and Vashon Book Shop. Admission includes appetizers created by Gusto Girls, Casa Bonita and All India Café. Tickets at the door cost $15.
Limo rides, which include a keepsake photo, are $10. Dinner, catered by Shefidgets Caterings, Zanzibar Chocolates and Bob’s Bakery, is $8. Wine, provided by Vashon Rotary, is $5 per glass.
