Superstar Bennett hangs out after show

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Matthew Shenher, cousin Magda Shenher at Grease. (MAUREEN SCURFIELD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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Leah Restall, Tony Bennett and Ian Restall at the after-party.

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Jonas Chernick (left) and Emily Hampshire in My Awkward Sexual Adventure.

HOSTING TONY BENNETT: After superstar Tony Bennett's stellar concert at the Winnipeg Concert Hall on Aug. 22, he and his daughter, Antonia, who sang the first seven songs, plus his entire band, snuck over to a secret after-party. It was organized by mega-fan and local lawyer Ian Restall at Promenade Café and Wine. About 65 of the lawyer's family and friends welcomed the 86-year-old entertainer to Shawn Brandson's popular Provencher and Tache outdoor patio, with local jazz star Helen White entertaining all evening in the balmy weather. Bennett engaged in a friendly way, chatting with the people around him and the jazz singer, graciously posing for pictures for anyone who asked. He didn't go back to the hotel until after midnight!

Drummer Harold Jones (Count Basie's favourite drummer) said it's the first after-party Tony's attended since 1968 -- 44 years ago. So why did he go? Restall owns a fair amount of Tony's art -- three paintings and assorted lithographs and has travelled to see him at about 50 of his concerts.

"So we had met before," said Restall. And, Bennett really enjoys chatting about art. He is a prolific artist in paint and watercolour, has five of his paintings in the Smithsonian Institute now and has designed 10 U.S. stamps. Prince Charles, Oprah Winfrey and Carol Burnett are collectors.

Said Restall: "I found Tony to be very relaxed that night, great sense of humour and totally unaffected. He was interested in how we felt about the concert and what inspired me to purchase the particular pieces of art I have." And Bennett thought the Winnipeg audience was fabulous. "Tony said this Winnipeg concert was among the most enthusiastic he'd ever heard." (His band agreed Canadian audiences are generally warmer than American ones.) Ian and wife Leah sat in the front row and delivered bouquets of two dozen roses to the stage. But the best part happened at the after-party. "I yakked the whole night with Tony and his daughter," said Restall. Could it get any better?

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MAGIC NIGHT DOWNTOWN: As the August moon set on Memorial Park Tuesday night, about 250 Winnipeggers with snacks, blankets and pillows stopped chatting to watch as the "magic" air-pumped double-sized movie screen arose like a giant genie out of a bottle. The last outdoor movie of the season -- Grease -- was a huge success.

Four weeks ago, at the first outdoor movie, only 100 folks showed up, looking a bit tentative. But they enjoyed balmy weather, no mosquitoes and happy times. Word got around. This week they sat blanket to blanket, River Heights with downtown. Fountains spouted and sprayed behind them, popcorn stands dished out the mandatory movie snack. Downtown BIZ babe Tricialynn Morgan and daughter Shannyn Guthrie showed up in Pink Ladies jackets known from Grease. And a 1953 cop car with a cherry on top slunk away as the movie started, siren on.

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PACKING FOR PREMIàRE: My Awkward Sexual Adventure, filmed in Winnipeg last November, premières at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Sept 11 and many Winnipeggers are packing. The feature-length film is up for three awards -- Best Canadian Feature, the Audience Choice Award and the Canadian Media Association Award and producer Juliette Hagopian is a nominee for Best Producer. The central character -- a dweeb called Jordan Abrams played by former Winnipegger Jonas Chernick is on a quest for sexual know-how, and is introduced to the exotic dance world by stripper Julia Bowe played by Emily Hampshire. The movie is chock full of Winnipeggers. Onalee Ames, who shadow-directed Sean Garrity's film to learn the art, and also played stripper Gypsy in the movie says, "I hoped my acting was good enough it would transcend the need for total nudity." Luckily, it was!

Got tips, events, sightings, unusual things going on? Call Maureen's tip line at 474-1116, email to Maureen.Scurfield@winnipegfreepress.com, or send letters to Maureen Scurfield, c/o the Insider, 1355 Mountain Ave., R2X 3B6.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 31, 2012 B2