The celebrity-studded Windy City West party — a reunion for Chicagoans working in Hollywood — returns after a four-year absence and Brenda Sexton is again helming the sold-out Sept. 21 event.
Produced by Sexton’s Chicago Link Productions, the invitation-only party will take place at the new La Grande Orange in Santa Monica, a venue with a strong L.A.-Chicago connection.
Some of the celebs expected are Joe Mantegna, Jim Belushi, Jeremy Piven, Bonnie Hunt, Chris O’Donnell, Robert Zemeckis and Nia Vardolos.
Comedian Tom Dreesen reprises his long-time role as the evening’s MC and columnists Bill Zwecker and Richard Roeper will host the Red Carpet, via Chicago Sun-Times sponsorship of the event.
“We want to make the party incredible and move it back to the 1,000 guest level,” said Sexton.
When Sexton was director of the Illinois Film Office director, she demonstrated her considerable event-planning skills by producing two hugely successful parties in 2004 and 2005, called Sweet Home Illinois. Held at the Beverly Hills Hilton, they each attracted nearly 1,000 Chicagoans who worked in all phases of the industry.
The purpose, then as now, was to “encourage these influential Chicago alums in L.A. to bring their production business back home,” she said. Vince Vaughn was one connection who fulfilled his promise to Sexton by producing his 2006 comedy “The Break Up” in Chicago.
The venue for the evening is La Grande Orange, a new restaurant recently RJ and Jerrod Melman, sons of Lettuce Entertain You founder Rich Melman ? who has a history with Windy City West ? and their Chicago partner, Bob Lynn, who lives in Santa Monica.
In 1987, when writer/producer Ginny Weissman and the late studio publicist Morgan Moore launched the get-together, Rich Melman gave them Ed Debevic’s as party’s venue for the following 10 years.
The parties were dormant after Weissman’s return to Chicago until Sexton revived them.
