If
Cleveland Public Theatre succeeds in its master plan of bringing arty crowds to the near West Side of town, it better also get a plan for parking their asses. Pandemonium 2006 fund-raiser was a feast of wine, weather, and weird artists doing unconventional things with lycra -- but it was a famine for the hundreds of attendees trying to find a %$*#@ parking space within a half-hour's walk of the place.
CPT scored goodwill points with its valet parking stand . . . but by the time you've forked over 100 bucks a ticket just to get in the door, pocket change don't come easy. These are artists you're courting here, for chrissakes; bike racks woulda been more handy.
Also scarce: Much of anything to eat. The beer and wine flowed freely throughout the night -- God bless you,
Market Avenue Wine Bar -- but not two hours into the party, hungry guests were spotted sopping up Ferris Steakhouse's hummus . . . with lonely crums of pita bread from Aladdin's and Nate's. Three restaurants = one passable appetizer? Sheesh. Pandemonium was an eyeful for starving artists, but there was no good reason for starving on this night.
As for the "anything goes" dress code? Surely there is no better way to get dapper-suited septuagenarians rubbing elbows -- and, ahem, other bits -- with tighty-whitey-wearing boys in bondage gear. Where's the damned camera when you need one?