The Olympic games competition is nothing to the competition that occurs annually behind the scenes as the movie studios and actors jockey for a golden prize of their own, The Oscar. For the 2nd Year The Traverse Arts Project is going to have their spectacular party so you can watch & dish the 82nd Annual Academy Awards telecast live from Hollywood on a big screen with your friends and enjoy all the action. This year the Philly’s Oscar viewing event is being held at the Radisson Warwick Hotel at 17th & Locust Streets.

The event started in 2009, and was created by T. Desiree Hines, founder and executive director of the Philadelphia GLBT Arts Festival, and Mark A. Dahl, founder and artistic director of Traverse Arts Project. Robert “Sandy Beach” Hitchen, director and host of the popular and recently resurrected Miss’D America Pageant will be the Red Carpet host for the event.

T. Desiree Hines greets the guests

The proceeds from the event will go to benefit Festivale! The 2^nd Annual Philadelphia GLBT Arts Festival. Launched in 2009, the festival presents emerging performing and creative arts professionals who openly identify and represent the GLBT community. Last year’s festival attracted performing and visual artists from all over the U.S. and Canada.

The event will open at 5:00 p.m. for VIP Gold admission and 6:00 p.m. for VIP Silver admission. Requested donations are $60.00 for VIP Gold, $50.00 for VIP Silver, and $30.00 for Bronze Admission. VIP Gold and Silver Access will include champagne greetings, pre-parties, red carpet photos, open wine/beer/vodka bar, and gourmet hors d’oeuvre buffets all night. TICKETS HEREBronze Admission will include access to a wine and cheese pre-party beginning at 7:00 p.m., red carpet photos, hors d’oeuvre buffet from 8-10:00 p.m., and drink specials from 8:00 p.m. to midnight. Besides the esteemed Miss’d America Pageant director and emcee Robert “Sandy Beach” Hitchen hosting, Steve McCann will be on The Party’s red carpet and
The hysterical duo of ChatterBlast’ Matthew Ray and BuckMonkey‘s Thom Cardwell will be doing a Hollywood Red Carpet Roast as the celebs arrive in Hollywood!!!There is also a raffle for a trip to Las Vegas. “Items like this usually go for silent auctions, but we are making the event more fun by raffling it off” says Joseph Hallman. The package is generously donated by Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino®, Las Vegas. It will include round trip airfare for two to Las Vegas and four days accommodation at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas®. The majority of the proceeds from the raffle will support the travel and accommodation of Transcendence.

For more information, visit www.traversetheater.org. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.traversetheat’ser.tix.com or by calling 1-800-595-4849.