May 13, 2013: Brands Take Edgy Ads Too Far, Gwyneth Paltrow Disses Met Ball, Hunger Tweet-Up Draws Star Chefs

1. HARRIS RETURNS AS TONYS HOST: For the fourth time, Neil Patrick Harris will host the award show, broadcast live on CBS from Radio City Music Hall June 9. The TV and Broadway star assures "the show will rock!" despite a drop in ratings during the 2012 presentation. Washington Post:  "Last year’s telecast at the intimate Beacon Theatre was seen by 6 million viewers, down significantly from 2011’s 6.9 million. It was also the second-lowest ratings for the Tony Awards since 1988, though it was up against the season finale of AMC’s Mad Men." http://wapo.st/ZUB9Pa

2. GWYNETH PALTROW DISSES MET BALL: The Iron Man 3 actress told USA Today: “I’m never going again. It was so un-fun. It was boiling. It was too crowded. I did not enjoy it at all.” Her comments may have related to the edgy theme of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibit, “Punk: Chaos to Couture.” Vanity Fair: "Although it’s not clear what exactly went wrong during Paltrow’s 2013 Met Ball experience, the actress did seem less than enthusiastic about the night’s theme, which she told Vogue she ignored: 'guess it’s punk in that I’ve gone just totally classic on a punk night.'” http://vnty.fr/10LDqYq

3. LUNCHTIME TWEET-UP TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD HUNGER: City Harvest will host an hour-long Tweet-Up today at 12 p.m. EDT to increase awareness of childhood hunger and encourage people to join the organization's efforts to combat it. Food & Wine editor in chief Dana Cowin, who founded Skip Lunch Fight Hunger, will moderate a conversation under the hashtag #SkipLunch with panelists including chefs Eric Ripert and Marc Murphy.

4. BRANDS TAKE EDGY ADVERTISING TOO FAR: Hoping to seem cutting-edge, brands such as Ford, Reebok, and PepsiCo have apologized for ad campaigns that have touched on subjects such as race, rape, and suicide. New York TImes: "Advertising experts offer a long list of reasons for the increasing frequency of such incidents, but the primary reason they keep happening, they say, is the growing anxiety on Madison Avenue to create ads that will be noticed and break through the clutter." http://nyti.ms/11ZAeet

5. NEW ORLEANS PARADE TURNS VIOLENT: Gunfire at a Mother's Day parade injured 19 people, including two children. Police were present at the event, known as a second-line parade. USA Today: "Second-line parades are loose processions in which people dance down the street, often following behind a brass band. They can be impromptu or planned and are sometimes described as moving block parties." http://usat.ly/13RCJBM

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  The New England Zoo gala Zootopia was Saturday at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Grand Ballroom.

CHICAGO:  Katherine Anne Confections hosted a Mother's Day truffle-making party Saturday. The afternoon event included scones, finger sandwiches, and mimosas, and attendees left with four truffles they created that day.

The Windy City Smokeout, a new festival, is July 12-14 at Bub City. The event will offer country music, beer, and barbecue. 

The Renaissance Downtown Chicago Hotel has started a $2 million renovation to its Great Street Restaurant, which will feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Chicago River, private dining options, and locally grown and sustainable menu items.

LAS VEGAS:  A Flair for Care, an afternoon fashion show fund-raiser for Nathan Adelson Hospice, is today at Wynn Las Vegas. Guests will receive a Wynn-catered lunch and can participate in a drawing to win jewelry, handbags, and shoes.

LOS ANGELES:  A black-tie gala to debut the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is October 17. The event will showcase the 2.5-acre center, composed of the historic 1934 Italianate-style Beverly Hills Post Office and the new 500-seat Goldsmith Theater. Wallis Annenber, Jamie Tisch, Brad Pitt, and Robert Redford will co-chair the evening. Entertainment will include a preview of Salvatore Ferragamo's spring/summer 2014 collection.

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

NEW YORK:  The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network will honor N.B.A. player Jason Collins with the Courage Award tonight at Manhattan's Gotham Hall.

The Macy's Fourth of July fireworks show announced Thursday that Usher helped design this year's event, working on both the musical and visuals elements of the show. The show will take place over the Hudson River.

Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

ORLANDO:  The Orlando International Fringe Festival runs May 15-28 at venues around the city. The festival includes theater, music, dance, and art with a mix of local, national, and international participants.

TORONTO:  The Carassauga Festival is May 24-26 at various locations around Mississauga. The 27th annual event will celebrate diversity and community with 28 pavilions featuring 72 different cultures' cuisine, music, and other traditions via presentations and workshops.

WASHINGTON:  Clyde’s of Columbia’s third annual Spring Craft Beer Tasting and Festival is May 17 at Clyde's of Columbia Lakefront Pavilion. Sixteen craft breweries from the mid-Atlantic will participate, and the menu includes barbecue, a beer and Sriracha sausage sub, pretzels with beer cheddar sauce, and local strawberry shortcake.

Metro TeenAIDS is hosting its 20th annual auction June 6 at the Italian Embassy.

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Jenna Berris, Beth Kormanik, Lauren Matthews, and Anna Sekula in New York.

BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.

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