…PLUS HALLOWEEN FUN, EMMY NEWS, THE JOFFREY BALLET'S NUT, MENDING FENCES, A NEW CHICAGO STREET, A "CLASSY" BOOK, UPCOMING FUN EVENTS AND MORE!
Once upon a time in 1890, 14 young ladies - inspired by Jane Addams of Hull House – met to form a philanthropic organization to improve the lives of the less fortunate. Now, 121 years later, the Service Club of Chicago celebrated this landmark anniversary with its annual Gala, this 
year themed “An Evening of Glamour at Club El Morocco.” The ballroom of the Four Seasons was magically transported back to an era of elegance and Old World Hollywood glamour where the rich and famous danced and drank the night away against the backdrop of zebra printed banquettes. This Manhattan supper club, famous from the ‘30s thru the ‘50s, celebrated a lifestyle that everyday 
people could only read about in the newspapers. Where people like Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, 
Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich and Jackie Kennedy Onassis (in both incarnations) mixed and mingled with royalty. Event designer Tom Kehoe was the genius behind this evening’s transformation and, according to some who had visited the original El Morocco, it was true down to the last detail. When I first entered the room, my jaw dropped in amazement; believe you and me, I’ve seen some pretty 
incredible event venues but nothing like this. Tom had even created zebra banquettes that replaced chairs around many of the tables. The centerpieces featured three-foot-tall, 
thin crystal vases holding simple white calla lilies or wispy palms evocative of that era. Many of the guests were inspired by the invitation to dress accordingly. I saw beautiful vintage gowns with statement jewelry, fur boas, feathered evening bags, flapper-inspired hairstyles, cigarette holders…there were even old-fashioned cigarette girls selling Cuban cigars while wearing flirty, little pillbox hats, shorts and cropped tuxedo jackets. There were prizes inside some of the 
cigars such as rounds of golf or dinners 
at top restaurants. (Insanely clever, right?) I also saw some guests who thought “El Morocco” meant the country of Morocco but this is another story! LOL! The live auction prizes, presented by Jim Karas, were outstanding too and included a trip to Ireland for the Notre Dame/Navy football game ($4,500), three days and two nights on Susan and Fred Gohl’s yacht in Naples, Florida ($3,500), an African photo safari ($6,500), a seven-day Holland America Cruise Line trip for two (your choice of itinerary, $3,750), after-party tickets to the Golden Globes, NY Fashion Week tickets and a trip to Skibo Castle in Scotland. An adorable 
Havanese puppy from PAWS went to a lucky bidder as 
well. Raffle prizes included a custom gown by designer Elda de la Rosa, earrings from Pomellato and a John Reilly photography session among others. SC President Sherrill Bodine welcomed the crowd and spoke about dedicating her year as president to the memory of 
her mother, who was mentally disabled since birth. She said, “Mentally, she never progressed older than six years old. She 
could not read or write. I am a writer—she was never able to read any of my books. In the years I’ve worked on the Philanthropic Committee and seen the organizations in Chicago which assist women like my mother, I’ve often thought that if she’d lived in this wonderful city she could have been 
helped. She might have been able to learn to read. What a gift that would’ve been. That is the kind of gift you are giving to others by being here tonight. Thank you for helping us make Chicago a better place in which to live—for everyone.” Emcees Valerie Warner and Ryan Chiaverini 
(struggling with crutches from his recent surgery), spoke about the history of the Service Club and thanked them for their 121 years of service. Event co-chairs Toni Canada, Laurie Davis and Dusty Stemer brought out a sell-out crowd of more than 430 people who danced the night away to the sophisticated dance arrangements by the Ken Arlen 
Orchestra who played everything from Cole Porter to club music. The orchestra also accompanied special guest performer Shelley MacArthur Farley, who entertained the crowd with her cabaret style. The memorable and delicious dinner menu included potato pumpkin soup, roast beef 
tenderloin with wild mushroom sauce and asparagus as well as a seasonal trio of desserts. The party continued into the State Room where the Leopard Lounge was in full swing as we said our goodbyes. I could almost hear Truman Capote gossiping in the corner. This year’s Gala raised close to $250K. (Additional photos by Cindy Barrymore, Caitlin Saville Collins and Steve Starr.) Please enjoy my video coverage on Watch312.com and to view ALL event pics, please click here!
I don’t know about you, but it was a pretty spooky Halloween in my Old Town neighborhood this year. Emmy award winner Steve Weiss of Zacuto Manufacturing, along with his 
beautiful wife Lucy and sister-in-law Christina Wojtas, hosted a thriller of an evening complete with fog machines, 12-foot-tall ghosts, vampires, bonfires, roasted weenies and marshmallows and witches’ brew along with a cast of local, costumed characters. Steve and Lucy’s ethereal daughter Isabel was dressed as a Victorian vampire (think Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise’s daughter in “Interview with the Vampire”) and 
she played her part to the hilt complete with pet “rats” (fake, thank God!) she carried around in a cage to scare the bejesus out of guests to peals of laughter (hers). It was a great night with friends who feel like family. Thanks for the memories! (To view all pics, please click here!)
Emmy congratulations go out to Zacuto’s Steve Weiss, Jens Bogehegn and Scott Lynch on their exciting win this weekend! They received the award for “FilmFellas” and now have multiple Emmys on their office shelves! Kudos all around!
And speaking of kudos, congrats to Dr. Arnie Tatar! Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently passed a resolution naming a street after this beloved doc! Can’t wait to drive down Honorary Arnold M. Tatar, MD Way! Congrats to Arnie and his darling family on this great honor!
on many celebrity homes and to show you the kind of guy he is, he didn’t want to share their names unless he got their permission. He’s not interested in expanding his company to multiple crews since he makes sure he’s on every job himself “to make sure it’s done right.” He laughs and says, “That means I’ll never get rich but I don’t think that’s why we’re here on earth.” This guy is the real deal from the inside out and as the Carly Simon song goes, “Nobody does it better…” To learn more, email Fred here.
The holiday season is fast approaching and during this time of the year, my thoughts turn to nutcrackers – as in the The Joffrey Ballet’s annual crowd pleaser known affectionately as “America’s #1 Nutcracker” which 
begins on Saturday, December 9th and runs through the 27th at the Auditorium Theatre. On Saturday, December 10th, The Women’s Board of The Joffrey Ballet presents the Nutcracker Family Dinner which will be held at the Palmer House Hilton in the State and Grand Ballrooms. The enchanting evening will feature entertainment for children and adults alike, a traditional family-style meal, and of course, a thrilling performance of Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker. Guests will have the option of attending 
the matinee or evening performance of The Nutcracker on December 10th. The evening’s co-chairs Sonya Jackson and Cindy Burns, both Women’s Board members, have created an evening of 
family fun. The delightful evening begins at 4:00 PM on the fourth floor of the Palmer House in the State Ballroom with cocktails, punch, lively entertainment and special “Creation Stations” that the entire family can enjoy. At 5:15 PM, guests will be seated in the Grand Ballroom for a traditional family-style meal. It is a tradition you should begin now!
Desiree Rogers, Susu Block and Kara Mann co-hosted a party in PUBLIC Chicago’s Library to celebrate the launch of Derek Blasberg’s latest book, “Very Classy: Even More 
Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady.” Blasberg is a fashion writer, editor and New York Times best-selling author who was born in St. Louis now lives in NY (with his dachshund named Monster) where he is the editor-at-large of Harper’s Bazaar and senior editor of V magazine and VMAN, the fashion titles from arts collective Visionaire. His latest book, an expanded, 
updated and revamped version of his original best seller - “Very Classy” – is a collection of humorous essays and illustrations that pertain to etiquette. Harper’s Bazaar said, “He is to parties what Rob 
Pattinson is to vampires but you don’t get bitten, you get smitten.” In its second week, “Very Classy” was certified a New York Times best seller and has since been translated into several languages and published in countries in Asia, South America and Europe. (To order his book, please click here!)
The Chicago Academy of Dance is hosting a “More Dinner Than Dance” soiree at Tantrik Chicago, located at 800 Superior, on Friday, November 18th, from 7 – 10 PM with an after-party from 10 PM – 2 AM. This formal party will benefit the renovation of their first location at 3433 S. Indiana Ave. CAM offers free music education through a variety of programs for children who are undeserved and/or chronically poor in the South and West sides of Chicago. This event will showcase the finest vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers Chicago has to offer. For tickets and more info, please visit www.CAMChicago.org.
Well, that’s the lowdown on this week’s fun highlights! Hope you’re having a great week and I hope to “see” you here next week!
Love,
Candace
Candace@CandidCandace.com
P.S. I conducted a little Facebook Halloween Contest and I had lots of creative entries but, hands down, my favorite was "24/7" producer Jeff Conway’s! Both the name and the costume made me giggle – take a look at his “Jack (Daniels) and the Beanstalk” look if you want a laugh, too! He’s a brave man! To see all of the cute entries, please click here!
