Where do I begin?
In a sentence, it was a star-studded night to honor Billy Crystal.
There was Tony Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Paul Shaffer, Marcia Gay Harden, Jesse L. Martin, and 1,100 other supporters of Tisch School of the Arts. And then, there were two special ladies: my mom and my aunt. A Town Car, diamonds, and fur were involved. As Billy would say, they looked mahvelous.
While I was working the red carpet, they sipped champagne. And while I played host with my colleagues, they dined in style. It was great fun for me to have them here and for them to see what work is sometimes like for me.
Patrick McMullan posted party pics. Look for a story on Entertainment Tonight. Whoopi and Billy talked in up on The View this morning. And just so you know, everyone on the red carpet could not have been more gracious and kind. My job was easy. The red carpet photos I took are blurry, but that's sort of the way that job is. Quick. Fast. A blur.
The three of us were among the last to leave at midnight, and as we sped downtown, the night still felt young. We should've made another stop. Somewhere terrific. And fun. And glamorous. Just like them. Next year. For sure.
I stayed with them at the hotel last night. They recounted every step they took, every bathroom encounter, who wore what, and every morsel of food. We laughed a ton, and at 1:45 a.m. my mom said "We have to stop talking." I think she continued on for 15 more minutes.
The alarm sounded at 6:30 a.m. They jumped up, showered, packed, and were on their way. As they climbed into the black SUV headed for first-class check-in at LaGuardia, they said "We shall never forget." And "We wish we could stay another day."
Ladies, that's just how it's supposed to feel.