By Jim Knippenberg
The Cincinnati Enquirer

It's hard to tell who was happier on the weekend party circuit: the crowd at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music because they broke an attendance record - and then some - or the crowd at Good Samaritan Hospital because they got to pay off medical equipment they are already using.

The big deal at CCM Friday was the second annual Moveable Feast. Developed last year by Dean Doug Lowry, it's a deal where guests wander around CCM village sipping wine and hitting food stations for an hour, then spend the next two hours going to mini-performances by students in the school's many departments - 15 performances in all, with musical theater boasting the longest lines.

Wellsir, the $20- to $100-a-head bash sold out with 700 people - and 200 more turned away - making it an elbow-to-elbow evening, not to mention a major huff 'n' puff for valet parkers who were running up to a quarter-mile to fetch cars.

Cocktail hour chatter here was about the dress code, something called Casual Elegant, and what on earth it means. Turns out it means everything: blue jeans, leather skirts, suede jackets, glitter, long gowns, basic blue suits, the works.

Later chatter was about the performances, usually along the lines of "Can you believe that? How do they get that good in only 21 years?"

Saturday evening at the Millennium Hotel, downtown, was a whole lot dressier - tuxes for gents, ball gowns and big jewels for ladies - at Bella Tuscany, Good Sam's 19th annual gala.

Quite the bizarre contrast here, with the formal crowd dressed to the teeth upstairs and bikers in jeans and tank tops - there for a motorcycle show - on the first floor.

Anyway, more than 600 paid $200 to $1,000 for cocktails, massive Italian dinner (antipasto, eggplant Napoleon, caprese salad, beef tenderloin, shrimp scampi), plus a dessert and cordials bar and dancing to music from Nashville's Pat Patrick Band.

Money raised - more than $270,000, said publicity chair Terry Schrantz - goes to purchase a Transmyocardial Revascularization Heart Laser for Good Sam. Actually, it goes to pay for the thing - Good Sam has it and has used it several times.

E-mail jknippenberg@enquirer.com