15.03.2003
From every little town around New Zealand to Hollywood, the Dave Dobbyn-Lucy Lawless tour rolls on, to a pre-Academy
Awards bash next Friday at the swanky Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. The dinner, hosted by Investment New Zealand and
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is grandly titled A Celebration of New Zealand Film-making and Creative Talent, with
cocktails followed by a three-course slap-up feed of Kiwi delicacies and wines. Guests will include the Lord of the Rings cast
and nominees, New Zealand Oscar nominees, "key New Zealand talent and industry", Minister for the LOTR Pete Hodgson, NZ
ambassador John Wood and "senior studio executives".
Last year's New Zealand Oscar party was a big hit, with guest speaker Sir Ian McKellen raving about our fair nation and Neil
Finn singing some songs. Three questions about Friday's dinner, though: what will Ms Lawless - best known in Hollywood as
Xena - wear? Will they be allowed not to sing Loyal? And why Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan as the evening's MC? Because
of his American sports commentator accent?
