News & Politics
PHOTOS: Special Reception and Advance Screening of “Wicked”
The party at the British Ambassador's residence featured 2,000 tulips and "OZ-mopolitan" cocktails.
Guests were asked to follow the yellow brick road to the entrance of the British Ambassador’s residence before being transported to the Land of Oz for the evening.
Comcast NBCUniversal and the British Embassy in Washington hosted a special reception and advance screening of the hotly anticipated “Wicked” film last Tuesday evening. Some 300 guests were invited to the residence of the British Ambassador for an early evening celebration before boarding shuttles that ferried them to the AMC Georgetown theater to watch the film.
Ambassador Charles Rivkin (Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association), Dame Karen Pierce (British Ambassador to the United States), and Kimberly Harris (Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation and General Counsel of NBCUniversal).
The entrance to the residence’s main gallery.
Sir Charles Roxburgh and United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
Niamh King (Director, Aspen Strategy Group and the Aspen Security Forum), Ambassador Katherine Tai (United States Trade Representative), Steve Clemons (Chairman & CEO of Widehall), and Edward Luce (US national editor and columnist at the Financial Times).
The grand staircases to the residence showcased the dueling friendship between Glinda (pink)…
…and Elphaba (green).
Catherine McLaughlin (Board Chair of the AmeriCorps Board of Directors; Founding Executive Director of the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware), Valerie Biden Owens, and Bonnie LePard (Director of Strategic Events, Embassy of Australia).
A magical pink “Glinda” bubble served as a photo moment, a nod to the witch bubbles in the movie that provide protection or allow flight.
Katrina Chan (Social Secretary to His Majesty’s Ambassador in the United States, Dame Karen Elizabeth Pierce), Shannon Ricchetti (Director, Events and Hospitality at Blair House – The President’s Guest House), Steve Ricchetti (Counselor to the President of the United States), and J.J. Ricchetti (Special Assistant, Office of Legislative Affairs at United States Department of the Treasury).
Guests were free to try OZ-mopolitan and OZ-spresso martini cocktails curated by Pernod Ricard.
British Ambassador to the United States Karen Pierce welcomes guests to the residence.
Some 2,000 fresh tulips were on display at the party to mimic the nine million tulips that were planted in order to construct the set of Emerald City in the film.
Judee Ann Williams (CAA Sports), Valerie Biberaj (VP, Community Relations & Executive Director, Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation), Clarissa Rojas (Deputy Communications Director/National Press Secretary to the House Democratic Caucus), and Christine Lancman (Creative Artists Agency).
Katrina Chan (Social Secretary to His Majesty’s Ambassador in the United States, Dame Karen Elizabeth Pierce), Jennifer Medley (VP, Political Engagement at Comcast), Helen Milby (Founder & President of Helen Milby & Company), and James Harris (Director of Special Events at the British Embassy Washington).
The ballroom of the residence was bathed in colorful shades of green and pink for the occasion.
Puru Trivedi (Vice President of External and Corporate Affairs at Meridian International Center), Justine Lore (Executive Director of Client and Influencer Engagement at Politico), and Joe Durso (Senior Director, Public Affairs at Pernod Ricard USA).
Amy Isbell (SVP, Public Policy and Government Relations at Universal Music Group), Jackie Whisman (Chief Development Officer at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation), and Todd Flournoy (Principal of The Flournoy Group).
Glinda’s costume, as worn by actress Ariana Grande in the movie.
Elphaba Thropp’s costume, as worn by actress Cynthia Erivo in the movie.
Sophia Sokolowski (Senior Advisor to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs) and Luka Ignac (Assistant Director for the Transatlantic Security Initiative within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council).
Ben Masri-Cohen, Matt Glassman (Vice President, Regional Editorial at NBC News), Melissa Fitzgerald (Author of “What’s Next”; actress on The West Wing), Amy Dacey (Executive Director of the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics at American University), Stuart Spencer, and Jim Doyle.
Artwork for the movie lined the driveway.
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