Smaller venues, take note! For an advance celebration of the July 20 movie premiere of Hairspray, a story that deals with abolishing segregation on a TV dance show and chasing dreams despite physical appearances, GBS, the Beauty Store hosted an event that brought out an estimated 250 guests, without forcing their special events coordinator Richelle Doliner or Debbie Friedland of event producers Party Girl Productions to adjust the store's regular layout too much. Attendees just worked around it, getting manicures in the back, mingling with drag queens in the aisles, and pretending to be people that they weren't for the BocaRaton.com camera.The event decor was colorful and over the top. Posted at the doors were 22 fliers for Ultra Clutch hair spray—the limited-edition brand used in the movie—and just behind them sat a 10-foot-tall hair spray bottle plastered with an oversize poster for the movie. There was also a white tear-apart cake—which had its first piece pulled by GBS founder Ken Bern to launch the event—that featured the poster centered on the frosting.
On top of the checkout counter was a laptop with an LCD monitor playing clips of the upcoming film, as well as backstage interviews from the movie's set. Over the store's PA system, the movie's soundtrack played some toe-tapping numbers. Masks made to resemble the cast members' faces were also being distributed to guests, as were samples of Ultra Clutch supplied by Hollywood's Sebastian Professional. The Gateway Movie Theater also got in on the 50 gift bags, handing out free "admit two" tickets to New Line Cinema's July 17 advance screening of the movie.
"The movie Hairspray is all about having fun and looking fabulous. At GBS, we pride ourselves on making our clients look the best, so what better way [to celebrate] than by throwing a Hairspray party?" explained Doliner, who put the entire event together, in part by hiring Party Girl Productions.
The Salons at GBS, located at the rear of the store, used Zoya products, as well as FHI straightening irons and blow-dryers, to supply guests with complimentary manicures and pedicures, do their makeup, and fix their hair. They also styled the hair of three Fort Lauderdale drag queens hired to entertain—Rebecca Glasscock, Misty Eyez, and Franchesqua Richards. All event staffers' outfits, including the three queens', were provided by sponsor C. Madeleine's and included flashy getups that seemed to have traveled there from the free-love era, styled much like Daphne's wardrobe in the old Scooby-Doo cartoons.
Hungry guests could walk toward the back of the store, where the Melting Pot supplied tables topped with chocolate fondue, campy canapés, a cheese platter, a martini punch bowl (for the aptly named "Spraytinis"), mini popcorn bags, and a fruit tray.
On top of the checkout counter was a laptop with an LCD monitor playing clips of the upcoming film, as well as backstage interviews from the movie's set. Over the store's PA system, the movie's soundtrack played some toe-tapping numbers. Masks made to resemble the cast members' faces were also being distributed to guests, as were samples of Ultra Clutch supplied by Hollywood's Sebastian Professional. The Gateway Movie Theater also got in on the 50 gift bags, handing out free "admit two" tickets to New Line Cinema's July 17 advance screening of the movie.
"The movie Hairspray is all about having fun and looking fabulous. At GBS, we pride ourselves on making our clients look the best, so what better way [to celebrate] than by throwing a Hairspray party?" explained Doliner, who put the entire event together, in part by hiring Party Girl Productions.
The Salons at GBS, located at the rear of the store, used Zoya products, as well as FHI straightening irons and blow-dryers, to supply guests with complimentary manicures and pedicures, do their makeup, and fix their hair. They also styled the hair of three Fort Lauderdale drag queens hired to entertain—Rebecca Glasscock, Misty Eyez, and Franchesqua Richards. All event staffers' outfits, including the three queens', were provided by sponsor C. Madeleine's and included flashy getups that seemed to have traveled there from the free-love era, styled much like Daphne's wardrobe in the old Scooby-Doo cartoons.
Hungry guests could walk toward the back of the store, where the Melting Pot supplied tables topped with chocolate fondue, campy canapés, a cheese platter, a martini punch bowl (for the aptly named "Spraytinis"), mini popcorn bags, and a fruit tray.
Event entertainers—drag queens Misty Eyez, Rebecca Glasscock, and Franchesqua Richards—pose with GBS founder Ken Bern, as he toys with a Seaweed J. Stubbs mask.
Perla Copernik Photography
Event entertainers—drag queens Misty Eyez, Rebecca Glasscock, and Franchesqua Richards—pose with GBS founder Ken Bern, as he toys with a Seaweed J. Stubbs mask.
Perla Copernik Photography
The Salons at GBS used Zoya products, as well as FHI blow-dryers and straightening irons, to supply guests with complimentary manicures, pedicures, makeup jobs, and hair styling.
Perla Copernik Photography
The Melting Pot catered the event by serving chocolate fondue and more treats that delighted attendees.
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Two event-goers pose with matching Amber von Tussle masks, one of eight Hairspray character options available at the event.
Perla Copernik Photography
A 10-foot-tall hair spray bottle flanked by an oversize Hairspray movie poster adorned the entrance.
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At the start of the event, a white tear-apart cake with the movie's poster centered on the frosting had its first piece pulled by GBS founder Ken Bern.
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The event's signature cocktail, the 'Spraytini,' was served in see-through plastic martini glasses and drunk throughout the store.
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A collection of Sebastian Professional's Ultra Clutch hair spray bottles—the actual hair spray used in the movie—was displayed for promotional purposes at the entrance.
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More food supplied for the event included mini bags of popcorn and a cheese platter.
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