Crowd Dances, Sings to the King of
Pop's Songs
Director Spike Lee at his annual summer get-together in
Brooklyn. Kevin Hagen for The Wall Street Journal
Spike Lee rarely cracked a smile as he walked around his
annual party in Brooklyn signing autographs, fist-bumping fans and throwing
T-shirts into the dancing-and-singing crowd.
Mr. Lee's stone-faced hosting style appeared out of sync
with the jubilant atmosphere at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza, where
thousands of revelers gathered Sunday afternoon to celebrate what would have
been Michael Jackson's 56th birthday.
At the party, titled "Brooklyn Loves MJ,"
Jackson's iconic music boomed for blocks around. In the neighborhood, passersby
danced while carrying groceries. Residents of the apartments overlooking the
plaza nodded their heads to the beat as they surveyed the scene from their
balconies.
Mr. Lee strode through the crowd wearing an orange
velveteen fedora (provided by Party City, which outfitted hundreds in free
fedoras) and Nike Air Force One sneakers emblazoned with images of Jackson from
the "Thriller" era. The sneakers said "Thriller" on the
back.
In the early afternoon, Lionel Powell, a 54-year-old man
dressed as a tree, caught the attention of many as he danced through the crowd
on 10-foot-tall stilts that looked like tree trunks. He crouched on his stilts
to speak and to be photographed, and once, when he stood back up, he stretched
his arms out, blocking the sun for a moment.
"I'm givin' you a little shade," Mr. Powell
said with a laugh.
Gritty James shows off his Michael Jackson moves at Mr.
Lee's party, which honored the late pop icon. Kevin Hagen for The Wall
Street Journal
Mr. Powell didn't charge passersby for taking photos with
him, but plenty of others at the event were interested in making money. People
sold Michael Jackson T-shirts, holistic health and beauty products, jerk
chicken and fruity beverages.
A 44-year-old man who referred to himself as "The
Strange One" sang along to the music while selling what he called
"nutcrackers," small bottles of liquor mixed with brightly colored
fruit-flavored juices. He charged $5 a bottle.
"I do Grey Goose, tequila, Ciroc and tropical juice.
I combine them and thus I've got a nutcracker," he said, holding a handful
of bottles and grinning. "If there's a really good DJ and he's playing
really good music, it hypnotizes people to where they feel like they have to
buy my nutcrackers. It's great for my business."
In the crowd, Mr. Lee may have been the only person
without a smile. Police officers bobbed their heads as they patrolled.
Maintenance workers sang as they picked up litter. Two emergency medical
technicians attempted to learn Jackson's moonwalk.
"We're on duty," said one of the medical
technicians, "but when 'Thriller' comes on, you can't just stand
there."
