- Contributed
Guests dressed in costumes from princes to ghouls.
Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer
SO, WHO is afraid of witches, warlocks, ghouls, goblins and or going to hell?
Dears, certainly not the adult revelers who partied their souls away over the Halloween weekend, at the Hedonism 111 Resort, over there in Salem near Runaway Bay in St Ann, last week!
Now, to be sure, Halloween parties there are a-plenty as, in the last decade or so, the party-hearty and the fabulously chic have managed to transport this largely North American children's celebration from America to this island and into the hallowed halls of party-dom, managing to make the annual calendar event one of chicdom's finest party dates ever.
NEW AT HEDONISM III
Pumpkins, not too long ago, for the residents of chicdom, domiciled in the nation's capital wishing to shake a leg and or don a costume for Halloween, the preferred, if not the only, address was the Caymanas Estate residence of then high-priest of partydom, Johnny Hamilton.
Dears, times they say are a-changing, and with it, so too are her subjects.
And so it was that with the advent of Hedonism III just a hop, skip or a jump away from the nation's capital, with the anonymity it provided in a secure environment frequented by like-minded revelers drawn from the international stage. Little wonder here that the resort, in its very first year of operation became the preferred party address of Kingston's chic set.
Sweetie-poos, everybody likes dressing up! To be sure, some more than others, but throw in an occasion, a theme and the environment in which to play out those themes and you all know we are talking fabulous!
Well-me-daahlings, it has been like that from the very get-go, over there in Runaway Bay, since Hedonism III opened its mosaic encrusted portals for business.
And whilst in the very beginning revelers were largely drawn from the international community, the resort has emerged as the hottest party destination for the nation's fab-est, who have all grown jaded by the same-ole, same-ole, that passes for civilised social intercourse.
Dears, Hedonism III's entertainment staffers all place a premium on producing and presenting show-stopping entertainment packages a-la Las Vegas/Broadway, buttressed by a slew of nationally celebrated cabaret performers adding just the right touch of star-quality and cultural connection, to a resort whose working mantra and motto is 'the entertainment capital of the world'.
Well me-daahlings, y'all should know by now that every-which-day is a party at Hedonism III some, more so than others. And Halloween is one of those days, when it is more so than not!
PARTY THEY DID
And so it was, that last weekend saw a rush of international revelers - they came from as far as Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Hong Kong, Kingston (Jamaica), Russia, the continental USA and Venezuela to party and party they did.
Dears, it was the stuff from which dreams are made; a rush of fabulousness like no other as it was a trick and a treat all rolled into one fabulous weekend of unrivalled romanesque spectacle. We are talking fun here and nothing but!
Dears, for the international revelers, the celebrations actually got under way, with the weekly toga parade and staff and guests show on Thursday night.
DRAG IMPERSONATOR
And whilst there were many who brought the house to its feet in rapturous applause for their gutsy and sometimes artistic performances, it was the resident gender-bending drag impersonation of Jennifer Holiday by entertainment co-coordinator Spike, in her signature multi-award winning song And I'm Telling You that not only brought the house to its feet, but also had the jam-packed entertainment terrace screaming their heads off for more.
The female impersonator, dressed flawlessly in 10-inch high heels, and sporting a flowing devilishly red lycra gown (train and all), flowing tresses, and the nails of a temptress, sashayed his perfected gender-bending act into a standing ovation.
Luvs, according to the calendar, Halloween should have been celebrated on October 31. It was, too, but it was last Friday night that all costuming hell broke loose over there at Hedonism III.
HIGH PARTY DRAMA
Pumpkins, with the resort packed to capacity, it seemed that everyone had taken temporary leave of their senses to celebrate Halloween.
And dears there would be no mistaking the occasion, as guests entering the lobby of the resort were greeted by a foyer transformed into a crypt, shrouded in black and gray gauze, and with a coffin, as its centerpiece. It made for high party drama.
It was just after dusk, however, that the ghosts, witches, warlocks, goblins and vampires began their haunting.
And dears, by 9:00 p.m., the entire resort was a curious mixture of parading demons, religious figures as represented by priests and nuns, story book characters, Hollywood stars, and some world political figures. It made for a sensational atmosphere of unbridled celebration.
Dears, the likes of Little Red-Riding Hood and the big bad wolf were out. So, too, were Count Dracula, Blacula, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mike Myers, George W. Bush and his sidekick Dick Cheney, French maids, doctors, nurses, firemen, police personnel, whips and chains, as well as some simply wacky and out of the world get-ups. Luvs, it made for one fabulous costume revue!
And then there was the witches brew of a happening party in the resort's Octopussy disco, where 'derrieres' are shaken, not stirred. Oh, my word! What a night! Indeed, what a party!
WHAT A WEEKEND
Sweet-things, here a she-devil, danced up a storm with a priest, policeman and his female prisoner partied like it was the end of the world; Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf, forgot about grandma and shimmied and shimmied and shimmied; Mark-Anthony and Cleopatra, did the moon dance; Helen of Troy vamped the night away; a Jamaican sketel did the head-top, while her area leader hol-a-one-two and all of this with a priest and a nun, walking through the disco, blessing everyone with mock holy water!
Luvs, it was a scene of which even the producers of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera would have been proud of.
And yes, the world and his wife were in attendance, and fabulously so, but what a weekend end! Oh, what a Halloween!
