Generations to mix at Studio 54
By Deborah Moon
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Alysia and Merridawn Duckler, the cultural mavens of Mittleman Jewish Community Center, have teamed up with young adult party planner extraordinaire Jodi Berris to create an exciting cross-generational Studio 54 Dance Party.
Studio 54, featuring DJ Gregarious, will begin at 8:30 p.m., Feb. 28 at the Fez Ballroom, 361 SW 11th Ave.
The hottest disco in New York in the late 1970s, Studio 54 had a second life as the spot for celebrities to be seen from 1981-86. The Feb. 28 party will recall the funky, fun theme of the disco’s heyday, say planners.
“I like the theme—it’s funky and alternative,” said Berris, who runs events for young Jewish adults through Portland Jewish Events and Moishe House.
Berris, whose personal motto is that parties be cheap, fun and accessible to all religious flavors, pushed for lower admission for young adults and kosher food so those who observe kashrut aren’t excluded from the fun.
The event flyer advertises “Funkadelic food (strictly kosher) and specialty drinks (for sale).”
Berris said when she met Alysia Duckler she felt like she’d found a kindred soul: “Alysia is really cool and we’re like-minded in our event planning. She’s 48; I’m 29—so we’re in different generations, but we care about the same things.”
That joint vision was the nexus for the intergenerational Studio 54 party.
The Duckler sisters are volunteering as the MJCC’s Cabinet of Culture, to help the renovated center rebound on the cultural front.
A poet and writer of both fiction and non-fiction, Merridawn Duckler recently returned from Jerusalem on the Bertha Anolic Israel Scholarship, a visual arts fellowship, where she studied contemporary trends in Jewish aesthetics.
Alysia Duckler is an art dealer and the owner/director of the Alysia Duckler Gallery, where she represents regional, national and international artists.
The sisters are helping the MJCC plan events “outside the box,” including this party and entertainment for Second Shabbats held the second Friday of every month at the MJCC. Past Shabbat entertainment has included Do Jump Theater and Cedar Mountain Drums for a drum circle, while the March 14 event will feature Andrew Krebs performing and teaching Tango.
Though it’s an MJCC event, Studio 54 is not only outside the box, it’s also outside the MJCC—at the Fez Ballroom.
Admission is $10 for 21-30-somethings, $20 for “Generation Studio 54” or $54 for those who want to be in the VIP velvet rope section (call to inquire). Admission includes a free drink with advance reservations by Feb. 26. Call 503-244-0111 or visit www.portlandjewishevents.com to register.