Parties add afterglow to the Emmys

The party was at capacity, the buffet tables were bare and nearly everyone in the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd held a pastel-colored cocktail. Even the waitresses were dancing. At the Skybar-turned-”Entertainment Tonight” set, Paula Abdul and her tiara leaned over a railing to watch the Bangles perform while in a nearby corner the show’s hosts, Bob Goen and Mary Hart, taped the next day’s intros.

“We all picked the coolest party to come to!” shouted Bangles guitarist Vicki Peterson. An appreciative crowd whistled and shouted its agreement.

The post-Emmy bash hosted by “E.T.” and Glamour magazine was certainly among the more lively of the evening’s after-parties. Then again, maybe it was a matter of timing. At this hour, nearly midnight, most guests had recovered from the three-hour-plus stand-up routine that was the 55th Annual Emmy Awards. In the ladies room, women flocked around a table of free cosmetics, compliments of Glamour, testing lipsticks and rouges on their palms.

The cast of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” milled about, drawing small packs of fans wherever they went. Carson Kressley and his publicist stood near the stage tallying up the party’s celebrity count. Rob Lowe and Mike Myers had just left. George Lopez was heading in. Penny Marshall, wearing sneakers and a ponytail, staked out a spot near the sound booth.

“It’s been really surreal,” said Kressley of his first Emmy night. (FYI: He wore Roberto Cavalli and Yves Saint Laurent.) “Everybody’s better looking in person than on TV.” Of all the stars, however, he gave Christina Applegate’s pale blue chiffon number the highest wardrobe rating. “She was Emmy-licious!”

By comparison, at the Governors Ball, guests wore confused expressions, as if they’d just awakened from a strange dream. After a few mouthfuls of lobster, they recovered enough to realize they should head to another party. At HBO’s tent at the Pacific Design Center, an air of entitlement spoiled an otherwise big night for the cable channel. (Nominated for 109 awards, HBO won just 18.) While “The Sopranos” cast and crew created a winners circle wherever they went, Peter Krause and Lauren Ambrose of the most nominated show, “Six Feet Under” (which earned just one win for casting), blended into the crowd.

Outside at the limo drop-off area, meanwhile, “Sex and the City’s” Kim Cattrall sat in her limo chatting with a woman about her recent appearance on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show. Dozens more limos lined up around the block, waiting for her to move on.