Oscar Award Party -13yr- Life Size Movie Stars

Last March my son was celebrating his golden birthday" turning 13 on March 13th.  Our family decided to throw him a surprise party but had a really hard time coming up with a theme that would include both boys and girls friends from ages late elementary school into high school and from different hobbies and activities. My son is very involved in children's theater and as I was walking through a party supply store a few weeks before his birthday the idea hit me:  an Oscar Award party (since the Oscars are now earlier than they used to be - now in in late February or early March).

I had invitations printed up an a local stationary store with a movie logo on them and advised guests this was a) a surprise and b) a costume party - they should dress either as a movie star or in their "red carpet" best. I rented a small theater where my son frequently performs plays and arranged to show a movie the night of the party (we chose "Zathura" which appealed to all ages and both girls and boys).  The afternoon before the party I decorated with supplies that had gone on sale at the party store after the actual Oscars were over. 

I used "red carpet and gold rope" wall decorations hung golden star streamers from the ceiling and laid out a long "red carpet" from the entrance to the theater to the theater itself (actually a red plastic table cloth held down with duct tape). 

From a local party catering company I rented move "standees" which are the tall cardboard cutouts of Elvis Marilyn Monroe Austin Powers and the Oscar trophy himself (or itself). I also rented a large photo backdrop from this company which looked like the backdrops you see when stars have their pictures taken at the Grammy's etc. In addition I rented some feather boa scarves and hats for the guests to wear when posing for pictures.I also brought a few fake silk palm trees we had at our house to make it look like "Hollywood".

A friend of mine who is a photographer agreed to take pictures of the guests as they arrived in front on the banner.  Her son who is a theater friend of my son's is a budding movie maker and he agreed to film the whole evening. 

Finally my son's theater director dressed as "Joan Rivers" and interviewed the guests as they arrived.  She asked them "what are you wearing darling?" and "How do you know the star?" (the birthday boy). The night of the party my son thought we were taking a few close friends out to dinner.

I had rented a limo however and when he looked out the door and saw them the driver rolled out a red carpet and off we went. We drove around for a bit then arrived at the theater.  When he steppd out of the limo he looked at the big marquee sign which read:  "A 13th Birthday Party starring Thomas Price."  He walked it and 65 friends yelled "surprise!". 

The girls had gone all out it long gowns lots of "bling" and makeup.  The boys wore everything from "viva la bam" clothes to top hats and tails. When everyone was seated in the theater his theater director and another theater friend took the stage and announced that there was a new Oscar award that hadn't been given the previous week:  best performance by a 13 year old.  She read the "nominees" which were real child stars and then my son.  She opened the envelope and of course announced that "the Oscar goes to" my son. 

I had found an Oscar look-alike trophy and had it engraved with his name.  He then took the stage and gave his acceptance speech thanking all the people who had contributed to his success!  Finally the lights went down bags of popcorn were passed out and the kids watched the movie. 

Afterward we had a cake onto which had been superimposed a photo of him in one of his plays.  The guests were then given a small key chain that looked like a director's board as a party favor. When he wrote his thank you notes we put the guests "red carpet" pictures on the front of the notecard as another small gift. 

The filmmaker made him an incredible DVD of the whole even including "deleted scenes" and background music.  From his own picture my son and I have made him a scrapbook.  He says "this was the best night of my life."  Now how to top it this year?"