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May 9, 2003/Iyar 7 5763, Vol. 55, No. 37
Milestone mitzvahs
RAEANNE MARSH
Special to Jewish News
Life cycle milestones, most people agree, deserve to be marked by celebration. Bar and bat mitzvahs are among the most joyous milestone celebrations in modern Jewish life. The exuberance of the festivities is often matched by spectacular effects.
One bat mitzvah girl made her grand entrance from way on high, riding a sparkly crescent moon as it "floated" down from the ceiling in The Phoenician's ballroom. Another honoree arrived at his Hollywood party in a limo to the popping camera flashes of mock paparazzi capturing the event for the milling masses.
The look is important, but it doesn't have to break the bank to be a memorable occasion, says party planner Charlee Geisler of Scottsdale-based Signature Events. She recalls one low-budget party where she took straw hats, turned them upside-down, filled them with large Gerber daisies, and set them as centerpieces on blue denim-covered tables. "It was fabulous," was the verdict.
The point of it all is to have a great time, notes April Adams of Corporate Destination Services in Phoenix. And while some families travel to Israel to celebrate the occasion, she helped one family recreate at least part of that Israel experience here by orchestrating a Western Wall-themed party at the Ritz-Carlton in Phoenix.
The reception hall was entered through what looked like the entrance to a medieval synagogue that one might see in Jerusalem. Three-dimensional rabbi figures stood at this gate, behind a table that held yarmulkes and place cards. Inside, a Western Wall of individual blocks and twining vines had been built on the stage. Each table held a centerpiece that commemorated a different location: atop a rough-hewn handmade brick was an ancient-looking parchment scroll with, on one side, a name such as Gallilee or Tower of David, and, on the other side, a picture of the named site.
No matter what the theme, the planning usually starts with finding out what the bar/bat mitzvah "adult" likes. That, in itself, can require imagination on the part of the party planner.
Geisler worked with one young lady who could articulate no particular interest. "How about sleep-overs?" Geisler asked. The theme became "pajama party" complete with pillow fights; pillows were available in a boxing ring set up in one corner, and a tiny rip in each pillow case assured that feathers would fly.
Even though it isn't PC (politically correct), party planners notice a difference between the kind of themes girls typically choose and what boys tend to go for. Sports are big with boys, Geisler finds, and recalls the thrill of one bar mitzvah baseball aficionado who was escorted into his reception by several professional ball players.
Girls go ga-ga for traditionally feminine things like cosmetics, and one bat mitzvah's entertainment included a make-up artist from Neiman Marcus.
Beach themes are perennial favorites, and Annica Nolan, catering manager at the Four Seasons Resort, Scottsdale at Troon North, helped organize one where even the food fit the d‚cor. With ambience fostered by coral and blue linens and menus presented on flip-flops, the meal included salad palm trees made of carrots and green peppers. The piŠce de r‚sistance was the dessert: small goldfish bowls lined with fruit cocktail as the ocean floor and filled the rest of the way with a gelatin in which "swam" gummy sea creatures.
Nolan came here recently from the Four Seasons Resort, Boston, where she helped coordinate other extravagant celebrations. One that stands out in her memory was a bat mitzvah reception for a young lady who loved musicals. Each place card was a ticket to a different musical, corresponding to the table which was decorated, for instance, as "The Sound of Music" or "Phantom of the Opera." "Cats" was the girl's favorite musical, and the highlight of the party came when the Broadway cast assembled and sang "Memories" to her.
The Boston Celtics made a special showing at one young man's reception, shooting hoops with the kids on a corner of the dance floor. Party favors at this bar mitzvah celebration were T-shirts that the young guests decorated for themselves.
One of the big things in Boston, Nolan relates, is having an elegant afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton or the Four Seasons. Many bat mitzvahs, therefore, involved the theme of royalty. One young lady was granted her wish of being "princess for a day," including having an elaborate Cinderella carriage brought in. The cake was displayed and served from the carriage.
It's easy to be star-struck in Hollywood, and bar and bat mitzvah celebrations there sometimes play that to the hilt. Karen Staley, owner of 67-year-old Wachsman-Staley Photography in Van Nuys, Calif., provided the paparazzi photographer previously mentioned, completely in character with goofy jacket and shirt. The party was held at the Director's Guild, and, naturally, had an Academy Awards theme. "Today I Am A Man" was emblazoned across the marquee, and guests all received their own Oscar.
Another red-carpet party Staley photographed was held in an enormous, old-fashioned theater on Wilshire Blvd., the El Rey. Inside, child-oriented activities included making compact discs and having Indian henna artists draw the elaborate Eastern henna designs on people's hands while, outside, the brightly-lit marquee announced the honoree to the world.
Hollywood came to Phoenix in a big way, remembers Lori Roden, catering manager at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, when one family brought in an event planner who regularly works on such events as the Grammy Awards and the SAG Awards. That's not the only out-of-town talent that's brought in; sometimes the band is flown in from Los Angeles or New York City, and the party's cost then also includes putting the band up overnight at the Biltmore.
Not all the flying is from out of state, though; Roden recalls another party where the Phoenix Suns gorilla swooped down from the ceiling to greet the guests.
Each party is a one-of-a-kind event, geared to the individual child's interest. Certain elements, however, are common to all successful parties. Geisler stresses the importance of the guest list, noting that the number of guests will affect both the cost of the event and where it can be held (some venues have a minimum requirement).
Adams points out that party planners are analysts as well as consultants, and it's up to the planner to find options and make it all work - even when a kitchen that was kosher when the contract was signed is no longer kosher by the date of the party. (Yes, she did make that work.)
"It's the part of the party planner," says Adams, "to make it seem that things are going smoothly." That leaves the parents free to kvell and say, "Mazel tov!"
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