Denver has its Cow Parade this summer, a display of 150 painted bovines all over town. But it’ll be hard to beat Aspen’s Best in Show event, a celebrity-heavy march of life-sized Labrador retrievers painted by the town’s bold-name residents and visitors.
It’s a benefit for Aspen Filmfest. The painted puppies will be on display in Aspen and in neighboring towns before they are auctioned off live and online.
The dog-painting roster already includes Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Candice Bergen, Ed Bradley, Pierce Brosnan, Mariah Carey, Kevin Costner, Snoop Dogg, Sally Field, Morgan Freeman, Goldie Hawn, Salma Hayek, Anjelica Huston, Don Johnson, Nick Lachey, Joaquin Phoenix, Bob Rafelson, Rachel Ray, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Joel Schumacher and Jill St. John.
Famous enough for you? Arf arf.
Big Jon
Big Jon Platt, Montbello High alum who went on to become a hip-hop big shot as EMI music Publishing’s Exec Veep/Head of Urban Music, is featured in the cover story of last Friday’s Billboard magazine.
Of course they’re proud at EMI, where Platt has signed hot artists including Jay-Z, Usher, Fabolous, Ying Yang Twins, Clipse and DJ Clue to publishing deals.
And the staff and kids at Montbello High are proud too. Platt was a student there 1980 to ’82. He has since returned to give each player on the basketball team two new pairs of Jay-Z’s signature Reebok sneakers. He paid for and attended the senior prom last year, and began three scholarship programs at the school.
“It’s an honor,” Platt tells me of the Billboard cover. “Not just for me, but for people to see that dreams can come true.”
Ocean
Jim Sullivan’s remake of Mao opened as Ocean Wednesday night with a dinner to benefit Steve Farber’s American Transplant Foundation.
About 200 of Denver’s finest shoehorned into the new surf club – including Gov. Bill Owens, all the Robinsons, Barry and Arlene Hirschfeld, Norm and Sunny Brownstein, Chuck Morris, Wellington and Wilma Webb, Mayor John Hickenlooper, Walt DeHaven and Wendy Aiello, Josh Hanfling and a slew of models from Sun Cali that snapped a few necks.
Farber was happy to celebrate the opening of Ocean – and his remarkable recovery. He noted that Thursday was the second anniversary of his transplant operation, where he received a kidney from his son, Gregg Farber. He never looked better – and his foundation continues to work for the cause.
That’s just ducky
9News backyard has a mother duck sitting on her eggs these days, regularly featured during Kathy Sabine’s weather reports. As a new member of the 9News Family, anchors are urging people to name the duck on 9news.com. My faves mentioned on the air: Quacky Sabine and Adele Araquacka.
City spirit
Nine75 celebrated its first birthday Saturday … The annual Meet the Press party is 5-9 p.m. May 18 at the Denver Press Club. Info at 303-233-1836 … Tim Gill is honored at the 30th Birthday Party for The Center on June 16 – which comes down on stage at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House … Sez who: “There is nothing for a case of nerves like a case of beer.” John Goldstein
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-820-1486 or at bhusted@denverpost.com.
