Jump Back Ball 0023 VIP Party

Glamorous women, well-attired men, martinis and gadgets. This year’s Jump Back Ball is one that would have put a smirk, if not a full-blown smile on 007’s face.

We started in the Palace Theatre lobby for the VIP party. JBB0023’s VIP sponsor was Chef Dante Boccuzzi, who wasn’t content just serving delicious food, but also impressed everyone with his playful presentation.

Dante Next Door’s Seafood Salad at the Jump Back Ball VIP party

The vegetarian sushi rolls, seafood salad with plump shrimp and scallop, and creamy polenta with tomato braised pork ragu were the highlights. Fresh ingredients and full of flavor.

However, it was little things like turning the sushi roll into a push-up pop and presenting the seafood salad in sardine cans that reminded me of the well-executed and enjoyable experiences we’ve had at his Dante Dining Group restaurants.

Ginko’s sushi push-up pops at the Jump Back Ball VIP party

In years past, I’ve filled up on food at the VIP party because I’d only want to grab a bite or two at the main event. However, one of the improvements to this year’s Jump Back Ball was a catered dinner by Driftwood and Chris Hodgson.

Every JBB guest was treated to crisp white asparagus, pieorgi, Shepherd’s Pie, and other hearty dishes, fuel for an evening of partying.

And that fuel was very much needed.

Playing Spy Hunter at Jump Back Ball

At JBB 0023, we played Spy Hunter, tore down the Berlin Wall, tested our flexibility – and sobriety – by navigating the laser gauntlet, and wrote down what we planned on doing before next year’s Jump Back Ball. “Become Batman” and “launch a comic book company” were my and Scott’s answers. Unfortunately, I think only one of those will happen before next February.

While our dance moves may not have been the best, the flutes of champagnes and various other cocktails helped (or at least made me care less). The champagne bar was my other favorite addition to this year’s Jump Back Ball and one I hope becomes a more permanent fixture.

These ladies and a glass of bubbly are two ways to make my dance moves much better

Although the main stage band Your Villain My Hero was enjoyable, we really rocked out with Pop Rocks who played out the rest of the evening in the State Theatre lobby. You’d think we’d be tired by 10pm after partying since six; however, they helped us gain our second wind.

Of course, a post about Jump Back Ball is incomplete without a look at the looks of the evening. To complement the State Theatre, which was dressed in an incredible light show, Jump Back Ball’s guests donned glittering and elegant garb.

My favorite part of Jump Back Ball’s decor was the emphasis on lights, which really highlighted the theatre’s beauty

I loved seeing a few of my fellow Oddjobs, a beautiful sari dress, Q, a martini shaker, and my Man with the Golden Gun in full white tuxedo. I even ran into Bond, James Bond, ornithologist – the one and only Clark Pope of Pope’s Kitchen, whose bloody mary mix was put to good use the next day.

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If you’d like to get involved with PlayhouseSquare Partners, the group that organizes and hosts Jump Back Ball each year, drop me a line. Or stop by our Partners Happy Hour this Thursday, March 6 at Battery Park Wine Bar.

The last couple of years I’ve ended my Jump Back Ball posts with a goofy picture of Scott. Until next year, I leave you with this:

Hey, mom!

Disclosure: I’m on the board of PlayhouseSquare Partners, the organization that hosts Jump Back Ball. I also blogged about the event as a Jump Back Ball blogger.

Got our tickets in the mail last week. Jump Back Ball is almost here!

12 days and counting until the curtains go up on another Jump Back Ball.

Between now and February 22, when Scott and I aren’t celebrating Valentine’s Day, our fifth wedding anniversary, and going to work, you’ll likely find us on the fourth floor of the Idea Center at PlayhouseSquare — painting, cutting, pasting, and perhaps (but hopefully, not) glittering.

It’s Jump Back Ball Shop Night season. And, as always, anyone is free to stop by, help out, and get a sneak peek at this year’s James Bond-themed decor.

At last night’s Shop Night, Scott and I had a chance to paint a few of the cloth banners celebrating the different Bond films.  Kimberly and I painted “happy trees” on a backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. And I even got to use a nail gun for the first time. Once I overcame my fear of accidentally hurting someone with it, it was easy and fun.

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As Scott wrote in last year’s Shop Night guest post, you don’t need to be crafty like Q to help out. The only requirement: have fun!

We’ll provide you with a light dinner. And in case you need another reason to attend, every Shop Night you go to will get you a raffle entry for an overnight stay at the Wyndham Hotel the night of Jump Back Ball.

You still have 3 chances to attend a Shop Night and be entered into the Wyndham Hotel raffle. Join us between 5:30pm and 8:30pm at the Idea Center on:

• Wednesday, February 12
• Monday, February 17
• Thursday, February 20

You can also join us on Friday, February 21 for Set Up Day. If you’d like to help assemble the event’s decor throughout the State Theatre, begin arriving at the State Lobby after 9:30 a.m. If you can only stop by during your lunch hour, we’ll be there all day.

Still need Jump Back Ball tickets? Although general admission tickets are sold out, a few Sponsor level tickets remain. Sponsorships start at $1,500 which gets you 4 VIP tickets to Jump Back Ball. That breaks down to $375 per ticket, plus $1,220 of the sponsorship is tax-deductible. Head over to playhousesquare.org/JumpBackBall/sponsor.html for more information.

Already have your Jump Back Ball tickets? Check out my post on James Bond costume ideas.

Disclosure: I’m on the board of PlayhouseSquare Partners, the organization that hosts Jump Back Ball. I also blogged about the event’s kickoff party as a Jump Back Ball blogger.