Club Jade

A big celebrity shindig at the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, last night.  JK Rowling herself attended.

A good chunk of the cast attended.  But did they fly down on the Harry Potter plane?

Pablo reports from last night’s The Empire Strikes Back screening and Harrison Ford Q&A in Los Angeles.

Hurry up, LA fans!  There will be a digital screening of Empire at the Arclight.

And Harrison Ford will be interviewed at the same event!  How often does that happen.

This is all to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, so the prices are up there.  But if you can afford it and you can get there, this is a rare opportunity.  Hurry!

(There are more events scheduled.  For those outside of LA, don’t despair!)

Woe be unto you, Club Jade fans.  Dunc is having a real life this week and has left me to round up the news for you.  So, sorry.  She’ll be back soon!  So let’s round up some bits and bobs in the world of Star Wars, shall we?

• That awesome fan project, Star Wars: Uncut, is now cut.  And we have a trailer!
• Speaking of fans, the University of Georgia paper profiles a member of the 501st Georgia Garrison.  Yes, Athens fans, there are others near you!
• And they’ll need all the help they can get.  Star Wars Weekends is cranking up again.
• The 501st even helped Lando, um, I mean Billy Dee Williams, arrive in style to the Sunscreen Film Festival.  I bet he’d love to have  Colt 45 can greet him, just once.
• We’ll move from that The Empire Strikes Back actor to StarWars.com’s review of Empire cast and crew swag.  (I’ve always wanted one of those passports.)
• And finally, from the film that inspired it all, Kurosawa Hidden Fortress action figures.  Awesome!

Dunc will be back soon.  Promise!

The ‘multi-media event,’ currently trekking through Europe, returns to the States in May, with brand-new dates winding from Florida to California. Tickets will go on sale next week.

Fandom celebs (mostly Harry Potter) are gathering for an online fundraiser for Haiti on Saturday, January 23rd at 2pm, Eastern.  (That’s New York City time for those out of the country.)

Some pretty nifty items up for winning, plus lots of appearances and Wizard Rock bands.  Might be worth checking out!

Stormtroopers and stockbrokers will be mingling this morning at the New York Stock Exchange as Lucas Licensing’s Howard Roffman and friends will be on hand to ring the opening bell. I’m going to guess that our favorite Ewok wasn’t invited.

UPDATE: Here’s the video:

Star Wars: In Concert has continued to wind its way through the country, leaving lots of local press coverage in its wake: Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City. Dallas, Tulsa, Houston, Tampa, Philadelphia, and Charlotte. (Anthony Daniels was no slouch either.) And don’t forget Paula’s review!

The show will be in New Haven on Tuesday, and Toledo got an early jump on things by profiling the 15-year-old fan who won their prize pack. And there are a couple chances to win tickets for Detroit, Toronto, and New York.

(Picture from Cowboys Stadium by ThornMonkey)

November 3rd was the Atlanta showing of Star Wars: In Concert.

If you’re still waiting your turn (or trying to decide if you want to spend the money on an upcoming show), it is SO worth going! I won’t spoil it. (Although really, can you spoil it?) But the multimedia is mind-blowing. The montages really make you look at the story in a different way. And hearing a live symphony so obviously well-rehearsed on the music is magical.

Anthony Daniels spins a magical tale. Yes, we all know the story. But the way he tells it is a wonderful take on the individual characters and the overarching saga. And, as anyone who has seen him at a convention knows, he knows how to work a crowd.

The only negative I would give (at least at our show) was that the micing for the choir was a bit off. Admittedly, I’m a bit of a choir snob, but there was a mic near one tenor that made him stick out SO much. (Thankfully, he was correct and in tune the whole time.) But they sounded amazing, even for all that.

Some tips:

• Seating Recommendations – If you have yet to buy tickets (and Atlanta was only half-full, so you may not be too late), I’d go with the floor, but in the second or third section back. Too close to the stage and you won’t get the full effect of all the, um, effects. Plus, there is fire, people. Major fire. I was in the back floor section and it was hot back there!
• If you can’t afford the lower seats, go for closer to the stage. The way it’s set up, you’ll still see everything, but still get to see some detail.
• Get there as soon as the doors open.  – This is people-watching at its finest. I saw everything from toddlers to someone who had to be in his mid-80′s. Every five minutes or so, a kid would excitedly yell out, “Star Wars!” (And we adults happily took up the call.) There are also archive set-ups featuring stuff I have never seen at the many exhibitions I’ve been to. With the crowds, it will take a while to see them all. Plus, watching the 501st work the crowd is always amusing.
• Save up your pennies for the store. –  There are some wonderfully clever designs to be had that don’t come across on the website. Having tried on all of my goodies, I would recommend buying up one size if you don’t like tight-fitting shirts or jackets.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  It did my little geeky heart good. I will end with a quote from my friend (and Dragon*Con Star Wars track director) Brandy Roatsey: “Every time you watch the Saga or hear the music it’s like renewing your vows and falling in love all over again!”

The Lucasfilm/ILM Halloween party always scares up some good photo oppurtunies, and this year looks to be no different. Bonnie shared a bunch of pics via Twitter last night, and now they’re up on the blog and her Flickr for further perusal.