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Rolling out the red carpet for Oscar

Ladies, dig out your fur coats and glitzy jewelry, and men, shine your shoes – the Oscars are coming to Trail.
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Lisa McGrail

Arts council and

theatre join forces for glitzy weekend

Ladies, dig out your fur coats and glitzy jewelry, and men, shine your shoes – the Oscars are coming to Trail.

In conjunction with the Trail and District Arts Council, the Royal Theatre is gearing up for an Oscar Weekend Gala from Feb. 25-27.

The weekend will include showings of three Oscar-nominated movies – “The King’s Speech,” “Blue Valentine” and “The Fighter” – as well as a live broadcast of the Oscars Sunday.

“Being a West Coast girl, I’ve always watched them since I was a little girl,” said Betty Seinen, manager of the arts council. “I love the clothes, I love the speeches and the movie clips.”

Already joining forces to bring in the arts council’s Sunday movie series – one-hit showings of hand-picked art films – Seinen and theatre owner Lisa McGrail are pleased to liven up Trail with this much-anticipated event.

“It’s a chance to see a lot of your celebrities all at once,” said McGrail. “You feel like you’re a little bit of Hollywood.”

“The King’s Speech” will kick off the gala event Friday with a 7:30 p.m. showing. This will be the second time the movie will play in Trail, after the Royal had a full house on the first occasion.

Up for several Oscars, the film tells the true story of how Britain’s King George VI, played by Colin Firth, overcame a debilitating stutter to inspire his nation during the Second World War. 

Saturday will start with a 6 p.m. showing of “Blue Valentine,” a romantic drama starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams that examines the nature of love and the burdens of commitment.

Following this love story will be an 8 p.m. showing of “The Fighter,” a real-life story about Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a welterweight boxer, and his dysfunctional brother Dicky Eklund, played by Christian Bale, who helps train him before he goes pro in the mid-1980s.

The glam will pour in Sunday with an event that will feature the live broadcast of the Oscars, starting at 4 p.m. Residents are encouraged to dress to impress and walk the red carpet with confidence. Light appetizers will be included, as will one free drink.

A local photographer has been hired to play the role of paparazzi – snapping shots of area divas to further deliver the theme.

“Traditionally, men get together to watch the Super

Bowl, well, the Oscars are kind of equivalent to that,” said Seinen, adding that men will also enjoy this event.

“It’s all kind of tongue-in-cheek,” she said, adding that ticket-holders who do decide to partake in the fun will have an opportunity to win prizes for the best dressed and the most over-the-top looks.

Customers will also have an opportunity for another prize for predicating the outcome of the awards on a ballot prior to the showing.

“I often hear that there is not a lot to do in Trail, which is why it’s so great to do these kinds of events – everyone needs an excuse to dress up,” said McGrail.

Since she and her fiance Jason Milne purchased the theatre in Trail nearly two years ago, the young business owners have brought the community fun-themed events like a showing of “Sex and the City,” where customers were encouraged to dress up and enjoy a Cosmo martini at the theatre.

“By doing these fantastically received events, people are just eating it up because of the fact that they can’t do anything like this in the Kootenays,” she said.

Together the two well-known community members are reminding residents that culture is prevalent in Trail.

“We live in an isolated community and want to give the Kootenays a wider cultural experience,” said Seinen.

With help from the event’s major sponsor, Teck, the planners are looking forward to the first local Oscar night on the big screen, with hopes of more to come in the future.

Tickets are $9 for each movie, $18 for just Sunday’s event or $36 for the three movies and Sunday’s event. One dollar from each ticket purchased will go to Trail’s art council as will all the proceeds from the, bar, which will offer sparking wine, red and white wine, and beer on Sunday night.

The theatre is shooting for a full house – 400 seats – so residents interested in attending any of the nights should buy their tickets in advance from the theatre or the Charles Bailey Theatre’s box office, or by calling 1866-368-9669.

For more information, visit www.royaltheatretrail.com