Viewfinder and Video: Oscar Party Dazzles at The Colonial Theatre

No matter what your opinions on this year’s Academy Awards, one thing’s for sure: the show’s best enjoyed on the big screen, surrounded by 250 others.

You get to really enjoy the funny moments, because everyone laughs. Groups in other parts of the crowd cheer on favorites, and you can join in, too. And you get to hear the collective giggles and gasps when an Oscar winner drops a bad word (caught by the quick moving censors) on the broadcast.

The Colonial Theatre held its Oscar Party for the seventh year Sunday night. The event was free to those with theater membership.

Guests mingled during the cocktail hour and enjoyed appetizers and drinks. Those entering one of three costume contests milled around the sign up table.

Sadly, celebrity impersonator Jack Sparrow came down with illness (no, it was not scurvy) and couldn’t make the party, but guests still hammed it up on the red carpet outside the theater.

Calhoun Jewelers of Royersford again sponsored the event, Cathy Calhoun brought along all kinds of baubles and bling to show off. Up in the balcony, an hourglass full of rough cut diamonds mined off the African coast dazzled attendees. Three models made the rounds, donning different pieces of jewelry.

Calhoun Cupcakes were again a big hit, for the second year in a row. Some of the cupcakes contained gems, and one contained a cubic zirconium. The cubic zirconium could be exchanged for a real diamond. At the close of the party, no one had come forward to claim the diamond, but the winning cupcake was out there, somewhere.

During the show, co-hosts Diane Canney and Keith Moyer (new this year) kept the crowd engaged, hosting trivia and enjoying the accompaniment of band Oscar and the Colonials, led by Rob Swanson.

The costume contests were popular as well. Guests donned pajamas, fancy formal wear and movie costumes. The winners were:

• Best Pajamas: Maryann Amici
• Best Formal Wear: Michael and Heather DiBella
• Best Movie Costume: Tala Titus and Vijay Paharia

To see all the winning costumes, be sure to click on the huge photo gallery accompanying this article, and see some of the contestants in the video. If you spot yourself in a photo and don't have a caption, check the Phoenixville Patch page on Facebook and tag yourself, or send an e-mail to lynn.jusinski@patch.com with a description of the photo and your name.

Also, don't miss the Oscar Party photos taken by Laura Keen and Sylvia Dana Atkinson. You can download them until 9 p.m. Friday for free, or after that for 50 cents.