Celebrity Singers and Rock Star Costuming Turn a Houstonian’s Milestone Mountain Birthday Bash Into a Blast

Park City, Utah has never seen so many Willie Nelson braids. Or wandering Madonnas. Or members of the ABBA troupe. And it wasn’t Halloween. It was the 75th birthday of die-hard pop music fan Jane Howze, who regularly travels from Houston to rock concerts across the country.

For this milestone birthday, Howze — a founder and principal of the Houston-based The Alexander Group — tapped into her alternate reality as a rock star groupie directing her 120 guests to costume as their favorite celebrity singers.

The merry throng took over Park City’s The Shed at Promontory private club to celebrate. The outdoor amphitheater transformed into a Studio 54 meets music festival vibe. Think shimmering tablecloths, vibrant floral arrangements, twinkling lights and a 1980s rainbow-hued balloon arch. The partying played out against an impressive backdrop of Rocky Mountains.

Themed bars for the al fresco affair were the places to go for signature cocktails such as September Sunset, a tequila-based drink; the Stayin’ Alive skinny margarita; and the Sweet Home Alabama, a delightful bourbon sip.

Everyone stepped into the theme with enthusiasm but none more committed to the effort than Howze, costumed as a very slim Adele, and husband John Mann, transformed into an equally trim Elton John. They were simply unrecognizable. For her transformation, Howze worked with New York stylist Solange Khavkine for her dress and wig and had a full beauty crew on hand for the metamorphosis.

Among the uncanny lookalikes were such legends as Joni Mitchell, Jerry Garcia, Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood. Costuming was a breeze for Emmy wining actress Sharon Gless, a Howze bestie. She dressed from her iconic role in the legendary TV show Cagney & Lacey.

Guests came from across the country and the world. Howze bestie from her college days, Clifford Pugh, costumed as Justin Timberlake, jetted in from his annual summer retreat in Greece. Pugh is a regular house guest at the Howze/Mann vacation home in Park City. Howze regularly reports for PaperCity from the Sundance Film Festival.

PC Seen: Christine and Jeff Hollinden as Jimmy Buffett parrot heads, Heather and Jeremy Staible as Madonna and Bret Michaels, Jay Sears as Neil Diamond, John and JaneAnn Mann as Barry Gibb and Dolly Parton, Julie Gilbert as an ABBA singer and John Gilbert as John Lennon from Sgt. Pepper days, Houston’s Dan Pickering and Dave Cuthill from Park City portraying the Blues Brothers, Amanda Hughes as Joan Jett, Cindy Clifford as Grease-era singer/dancer in poodle skirt and David Bray as a Grateful Dead fan, and Los Angeles friend Sarah Sawaya as Britney Spears in her denim days.