Restaurateur Chisty Tengs Fowler was “Lady Christine, Duchess of Hollandaise,” and public radio reporter Tara Bicknell was “Baroness of Broadcast” at Saturday’s “royal wedding,” a lunch theater Saturday that was equal parts romp and pomp.
The event, which included a viewing of last week’s royal wedding, featured performances by Lorrie Dudzik (Queen Elizabeth II), Joe Parnell (Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell’s cousin), Sarah Palin (Kristie Legassie), Lord Chamberlain (Michael Stark), a royal horseman (Tom Ganner) and a royal guard (Tod Sebens).
Stark, in a top hat and tails, announced the “royal title” of all who arrived, then ushered each into the Chilkat Center.
After all were seated, lunch was served by British maids (high school students), using genuine silver tea sets and gilded plastic forks.
Parnell introduced the queen to assembled guests: “I’ve gazed at you from afar at Wimbledon but now that you’re here in person, it’s like receiving a million gift sets of English tea. You are like a queen to me… Long live the Queen. Queens are wild!”
Dudzik, who knighted Parnell, bestowed the nuptial blessing in a regal English accent, “with hopes that his Royal Highness Prince William and his lovely bride Catherine … will not repeat the lamentable antics of their immediate forebears.”
She bestowed “diplomatic immunity for life” on the assembled guests and free visas to England.
As Palin, Legassie was inappropriately folksy, slapping the queen on the back in her welcome, a big “Hey Liz.” On being knighted, Parnell looked around the room and remarked, “Cool. What’s the pay?”
The afternoon was capped by a rendition of “God Save the Queen.” Sue Waterhouse, who conjured up the event, said she was pleased. “It’s a really select market when you do something like this. Not everyone’s going to get into it. I was pleasantly surprised everybody participated.”
Among guests were Princess Aurora Wilde, age 10, escorted by mom Angela Wilde, Duchess of Courtney. Princess Aurora’s grandmom, aunt, and a cousin came along as well.
“They gave flowers to the queen. The food was delicious and the crown was beautiful,” Aurora said. “It was a really good play. It was really real.”