The spotlights will be on Beauty and the Beast Saturday night, June 22. The Beauty, of course, will be Cinderella. And the Beast? The Creature from the Zoo Lagoon. They will make their appearances at two parties that evening.

Cinderella will be a special guest when Oklahoma Children’s Theatre presents Cinderella’s Ball in the ornate First National Center Lobby. The magical evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing will begin at 7 p.m. when Go for Baroque will provide music to welcome the black-tie guests. Costumed pages will announce each guest, and throughout the evening Cinderella, Prince Charming, the wicked stepsisters and other fabled characters will enact bits of the children’s story. Pearl will play for dancing later. Reservations are $3,000 for a table of eight — designated as Kings and Queens — in the Royal Court. Prince and Princess reservations are $1,500 for four Royal Court seats. Both categories of underwriters also will receive gala keepsakes. Lords and Ladies may reserve court seating for $150 per person, while individual reservations are $100 per person. Checks made out to Oklahoma Children’s Theatre may be mailed to Mrs. Kevin White, 12601 Oakdale Forest Court, Edmond, 73013.

Proceeds from Cinderella’s Ball will benefit the Oklahoma Children’s Theater that is housed at City Arts Center in State Fair Park. Established a decade ago as the state’s only full-time professional company, the theater is dedicated to providing quality children’s theater and programming to more than 65,000 children, parents and educators each year. Becky Love is chairman of the gala, and Lyn Adams is executive director of City Arts Center and Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. The Oklahoma Zoological Society is inviting guests to participate in what could be a most unnerving, yet amazing, discovery. At 6 p.m., this group of brave explorers will set out down the “Mighty Amazon” in search of The Creature from the Zoo Lagoon. This party, called Zoobilation `96, presents the half-man, half-fish, half-baked premiere party animal — or so the committee promises!

Joy Heiman is chairing the party that was announced with a simply awesome poster of a creature holding a beautiful blonde (a la King Kong). Guests are invited to wear safari or South American Native attire or Argentine gaucho clothing. In small print, it says “wear a tie … you’ll take a swim” so beware.

The wit of Patrick Alexander, executive director of the sponsoring Oklahoma Zoological Society, is evident in these words: “More scary than your teen-age daughter’s first date; more terrifying than Newt Gingrich in biker shorts and more frightening than the time it takes to put in a new sewer line at the zoo!”

Patrons may attend this unique party for a fee of $125 American dollars per person, which guarantees a reserved, covered seat at the banquet and special recognition. Guests may attend for $50 per person, which guarantees a great time but no reserved seating. Proceeds benefit the Building for Our Children Campaign, to construct a new education and conservation center for the zoo. Checks made out to “the creature” may be mailed to the Oklahoma Zoological Society, P.O. Box 18424, Oklahoma City 73154.

Beauty and the Beast. What a choice to have to make that evening.

Both are sure to be delightful parties.

Waterford renovations

Extensive renovations to the Waterford Hotel are completed, and the hotel is proudly showing itself off. The exterior architecture, the Veranda Terrace, Veranda Restaurant, main lobby, ballrooms and the 197 guest rooms have undergone the elaborate revamping.

Hotel guests will be treated to rich fabrics, soothing colors and exciting art that gives the hotel at NW 63rd St. and Pennsylvania Ave. a new feeling to complement its world-class cuisine.

At an invitational party next week, two acclaimed chefs from Waterford’s sister hotels will join the Waterford executive chef, Randall Pentecost, to offer a sampling of the best of New American cuisine. The guest chefs are Peter Davis of the Charles Hotel at Harvard Square, Cambridge, Mass., and Eric Neri of the Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Entertainment, fine wine, champagne and cigar tastings will be offered to the invited guests.

Golly, I remember when that corner was the Baptist Children’s Home. Then Charlie Givens broke ground for the hotel, and when he does a groundbreaking, it’s an occasion to remember. Among other things, I recall the parachuters who landed at pre-dug “fox holes” where French maids with silver trays and champagne greeted them. (Or was that at the opening? Oh, well, it was memorable, anyway.)

Golf tourneys ahead

Golfers will want to know about two tourneys coming up.

Junior Achievement will sponsor a Million Dollar Hole-in-One July 10-14 at the Remington Park Infield. Qualifying rounds will be held each day when participants will pay $1 per shot for a chance at the finals and the $1 million prize.