Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette
From left, Jaclyn Harold, Nancy Dombrowsky, Carol O'Laughlin and Mary Lou Leibold display the scarves they will wear when they sit in the bleachers outside the Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards. O'Laughlin won a drawing for spots on the bleachers for herself, relatives and a friend.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Four Pittsburgh women are going to the Oscars and, in case Joan or Melissa wants to know, they'll be wearing original scarves by Mary Lou Leibold of Wexford. Designed to drape around their necks, they're red and tastefully painted with golden Oscar's signature silhouette.
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That way, when their friends and families watching television scan the bleachers along the red carpet outside the Kodak Theatre today, they'll be able to spot the women who won the chance to be part of Hollywood history and the bleacher brigade.
Their journey of 2,500 miles (give or take a few) started in July when Carol O'Laughlin of Wilkins spotted a newspaper blurb about the coveted bleacher spaces. In 2005, more than 15,000 people had applied for a couple of hundred seats awarded in a random drawing.
The rules were: You had to be 18 or older, and only one entry per person or group of four.
O'Laughlin, who teaches business and statistics at a half-dozen universities and colleges in this area, knew the odds of winning were as slim as a super-skinny starlet.
"The first people I asked said, 'What the heck? We're never going to win.'" Then they laughed and said, "Carol, go ahead." So she did.
In addition to her name, she submitted that of her older sister, Nancy Dombrowsky of New Eagle, an Upper St. Clair high school teacher; Nancy's daughter, Jaclyn Harold of Bridgeville, therapist support staff for Family Behavioral Resources in Moon; and childhood friend Leibold, an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Pittsburgh.
The application required the women to provide their driver's license numbers so security checks could begin. They were told they would be informed about the random drawing on or about Oct. 2.
All of this was a far cry from the old days when the "bleacher creatures" (as their T-shirts proclaimed) camped out for days near the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion or Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles to nab prime positions.
That changed when increased security after 9/11 coincided with a move to Oscar's new home, the Kodak in Hollywood. Fans had to apply for the chance to win a spot; even then, the bleachers were eliminated in March 2003 when the war in Iraq and the Academy Awards arrived within days of each other.
O'Laughlin applied and then forgot about it. She picked up her mail in early October, spotted a letter from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and figured surely they wouldn't notify the people who did not win. She figured right.
They were in, although they had to provide more information. They also were cautioned that there was no guarantee they would have a seat, should things change.
Still, the women immediately made plane and hotel reservations for an extended weekend that will also include Beverly Hills and the beach.
Today, however, they have to arrive outside the Kodak at 8:30 a.m., hours before the ABC pre-show starts at 5 p.m., California time. They've been told to dress in layers to account for temperature variations, wear their photo badges at all times and sit in their assigned seats. They will get water and restroom access.
Cameras are permitted, but not tripods, telephoto lenses or other professional equipment. The list of forbidden items also includes alcohol, glass bottles, weapons, sleeping bags, portable TVs and inappropriate clothing.
They hope Leibold's scarves pass muster. The women decided against matching hats or outfits, so Leibold's skills as a seamstress came in handy.
O'Laughlin, who's been playing catch-up with nominated films, is particularly happy the Best Actress nominees include seasoned veterans Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren and (expected to be a no-show due to knee surgery) Judi Dench.
While she's not underestimating the chance to see George Clooney, she says it's about the experience, not the stargazing. As for the ceremony itself, the local ABC affiliate has invited bleacher fans to head across the street to the El Capitan theater to watch the telecast.
As for whom she's thrilled to see, Harold sounded like the ideal bleacher candidate, saying, "I like them all. I'm just excited to see any celebrity."
And she and her fellow fans will see celebrities. Superstars. Big stars. Emerging stars. Would-be stars. Faded stars. And up and down Hollywood Boulevard, the famous pink terrazzo stars on the Walk of Fame.
First Published: February 25, 2007, 5:00 a.m.
