Surreal, star-studded Golden Globes night

The scene inside the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton PHOTOS BY RUBEN V. NEPALES

LOS ANGELES—“It’s like a church procession,” I thought as I walked behind Jennifer Lopez on the red carpet while a voice on the PA asked guests to come inside the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom because the Golden Globe Awards show was about to start. I couldn’t walk faster because JLo (surrounded by her entourage) was waving like a queen to mic-toting reporters pleading with her to stop for a chat. The diva wore a shimmering cape-train (as would a religious statue) that I and the throng around her were careful not to step on.

That is one of the images still stuck in my mind from last Sunday’s 72nd Golden Globe Awards. As usual, it was one surreal, heightened-reality experience, from the gridlocked, star-studded red carpet traffic, the show itself, and six after-parties.

Hopeful stars

At the entrance to the red carpet zone, where the stars alighted from black limos and SUVs, I saw the optimistic expressions on the faces of many stars hoping to be interviewed by preshow hosts Matt Lauer and Carson Daly.

But with the crush of so many stars, not many were asked. Folks like George and Amal Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch and Bill Murray were whisked up the platform to chat for a few minutes with Matt and Carson. The rest had to proceed to present their tickets and IDs and pass through security and metal detectors. But there was plenty of other platforms and TV show hosts waiting on the remainder of the red carpet route.

Fans in the bleachers screamed loudest for stars like George and Amal, Benedict, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal (such close siblings—they held hands on the red carpet), Channing Tatum

Fil-Am community leader Ted Benito and nominee Felicity Jones

and Matthew McConaughey. Channing, with wife Jenna, admired my tuxedo by top Filipino designer Francis Libiran, praising details on the lapel.

Guests from Philippines

Francis himself was somewhere on the red carpet, reaping praises for his unique cutout bow tie from his art deco-inspired collection. Francis and his manager, Arsi Baltazar, who had flown in from Manila, paid homage to the Golden Globes by wearing shiny gold-hued shoes that attracted a lot of attention. Several print and TV reporters interviewed them about those standout footwear.

Other guests from the Philippines included Richard and Phoebe Lim, owners of Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa in Bohol, who hoped Hollywood stars would include the island in their vacation getaways; and Fil-Ams Ted Benito, community leader and an executive director of the Apl.de.ap Foundation, and top hairstylist Monet Lu.

Also gracing this 72nd edition of the Globes were LA-based designers Oliver Tolentino and Alan del Rosario and Oliver’s business manager, Andrew Caruthers.

Most stunning

Fashion designers Oliver Tolentino (above, left) and Francis Libiran

Easily the most stunning was Kate Hudson, in a gravity-defying white Versace gown that had slits here, there and everywhere.

Before the phalanx of screaming photographers, Chris Pratt and Anna Faris had the couple act down pat—pose separately, pose together, repeat.

Andrew Rannells, walking with “Girls” costar Lena Dunham, photobombed Matt Bomer, who went on to win best supporting actor in a series, miniseries or movie made for TV for “The Normal Heart.”

Despite failing to overtake JLo and her Santacruzan entourage, I somehow made it inside the ballroom. A tall woman in a red gown—Heidi Klum something—asked me where the table number printed on her ticket was.

I made it to my seat just a few minutes before show time, as usual. As in previous Globes, I missed the earlier dishes. Arsi and Francis saved the dessert plate for me (following tradition, waiters had taken all the plates away to make the ballroom look good for the cameras).

Halfway through Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s brilliantly funny opening monologue, I was already missing them as the hosts of Hollywood’s party of the year. I wish they would reconsider, and sign on for at least three more years.

The packed crowd of Hollywood’s A-listers, movers and shakers were just as entertained or moved as televiewers very likely were, by some of the winners’ speeches.

First standing ovation

Theo Kingma, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association which presents these awards honoring excellence in film and television, drew the first standing ovation when he

Nominee Uzo Aduba of “Orange is the New Black” dances at the Weinstein after-party.

paid tribute to Charlie Hebdo: “We will stand united against anyone who suppresses free speech anywhere, from North Korea to Paris.”

George Clooney’s speech as the Cecil B. DeMille awardee also moved the crowd when he referred to the terror attacks in Paris and when he delivered a heartfelt ode to Amal: “It’s a humbling thing when you find someone to love even when you’ve been waiting your whole life. Amal, whatever alchemy brought us together, I could not be more proud to be your husband.”

Michael Keaton, best actor-comedy winner for “Birdman,” was choked with emotion as he dedicated his victory to his son, songwriter Sean Douglas: “My best friend is kind, intelligent, funny, talented, considerate, thoughtful… He also happens to be my son, Sean. I love you with all my heart, buddy.”

In our earlier interview, Michael mentioned Sean, now 31, as the reason that he didn’t take on many roles in the 1980s and ’90s. He wanted to be around as Sean grew up. “‘Batman’ afforded me the luxury of not having to take [jobs] that I [didn’t] necessarily have to,” Michael said.

“I was kind of already doing that, anyway— sometimes to a fault,” he added. “It wasn’t always the greatest thing that… I wasn’t out there working. I am not bragging about it. I had a young son. A lot of times, I was helping raise [him] because I wasn’t with his mom. I wanted to be around.”

Gina Rodriguez, best actress in a TV series-comedy or musical winner for “Jane the Virgin,” also stirred the audience with her expression of gratitude to her Puerto Rican parents, saying that her win “represents a culture that wants to see themselves as heroes.”

Gina, who has been to the Philippines to promote her show, is a Manny Pacquiao fan. She went to watch Pacman’s fight against Chris Algieri in Macau because her dad refereed that bout.

The house went wild when Prince strode in with a cool walking stick as a surprise presenter of the best song prize. Stars, from Channing Tatum to Viola Davis, screamed and whistled.

Speaking of Viola, the nominee for the TV series “How to Get Away with Murder” was one of the stars that her peers flocked to during commercial breaks. From Oprah Winfrey to Harrison Ford… they walked from the pit to the next tier, where the TV nominees were, to chat with Viola.

From left: Designer Francis Libiran, manager Arsi Baltazar, Bohol resort owners Phoebe and Richard Lim flew all the way from the Philippines.

During one of those breaks, someone reportedly stepped, rather heavily, on nominee Kathy Bates’ foot as she stood up to mingle. I saw Kathy grimacing in pain as she walked back to the table that she shared with her “American Horror Story: Freak Show” costars, including Jessica Lange. Kathy rested her foot on a chair. A guy quickly got a table napkin, filled it with ice from the bucket and applied it on Kathy’s foot.

Best actor nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (for “The Imitation Game”) was in a playful mood as he presented with Jennifer Aniston and then photobombed no less than Meryl Streep and Margaret Cho.

When Ruth Wilson stood up from a nearby table to claim her trophy as best actress in a TV series-drama for “The Affair,” my phone went crazy with texts and Facebook private messages from friends who wrote that they just saw my wife Janet and me on television.

When Tina and Amy said their final goodbye as hosts, the guests trooped to the six after-party sites in and around the Beverly Hilton premises.

I bumped into James Corden, who played the Baker in “Into the Woods,” and almost expected him to ask me to help him find “a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn and a slipper as pure as gold.” Instead, the would-be late-night talk show host simply asked me where the Weinstein bash was. I pointed the way like any Filipino would—with my mouth.

After-party scenes

Some of the after-party scenes I saw and some shared by friends—if only I could clone myself and cover the six parties going on at the same time:

Taylor Swift and her posse—Selena Gomez, Lena Dunham, best song nominee Lorde and Jaime King—seemed able to do just that, as they were seen on the dance floors of most of the parties.

Bill Murray dancing

The night’s best dancing couple, not to mention the most gorgeous looking: Channing and Jenna

PDI’S Nimfa Rueda interviews fashion designer Francis Libiran.

A bearded James Dornan, star of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” with wife Amelia Warner.

Oprah Winfrey, Stedman Graham, best song winner John Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen, best actor nominee David Oyelowo and Gayle King in a huddle

Alan Cumming and Monica Lewinsky—where else but in Hollywood can you find such an unlikely duo?

Best supporting actress winner Patricia Arquette (for “Boyhood”) seated, but clutching her trophy and several copies of the Golden Globes program

Nominee Uzo Aduba and girlfriends dancing the night away

Toward the night’s end, I came across Kathy Bates. I asked, “How are you?” “Fine!” she answered with a smile, like nothing happened earlier, as she headed to a party.

(E-mail the columnist at [email protected]. Follow him at https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.)