Celebrities were ALL OVER New York Monday, April 21—they just kept popping up everywhere.This morning at 11:30am I came out of the subway station at Columbus Circle and as I stopped at the red light on Eighth Ave. & 58th Street, I noticed a petite little blond standing to my left wearing a cute little red leather jacket and cap. It just happened to be Broadway dynamo Kristin Chenoweth. As we both stood there waiting for the light to change, I said “Are you Kristin?” She gave me that big smile and said in a chirpy little voice, “Yes I am…who are you?” I introduced myself and informed her that we had a friend in common from her home state of Oklahoma…Rosemary Martinez (now Baker), a drama teacher who I became friends with because she’s brought groups of high school students to New York for over a decade and I’m always her favorite guide. Rosemary has spoken for years about her former close friendship with Kristin (she calls her Kristi—her real name is Kristi Dawn Chenoweth. “Kristin” was dreamed up by her agent to sound classier). Kristin’s eyes got huge and said…”Oh my gosh, what a small world…I was just thinking about her and her recent marriage and how I’ve got to send her a gift!” I said yes she finally married Randy Baker, a fellow teacher and they are building a new house in Oklahoma City and are very happy.” Kristin and I continued to walk and talk down Eighth Avenue for several blocks, chatting like old friends, about people we knew in common. I reminded her that I had met her ever-so-briefly years ago before she was famous and followed her career and seen most of her shows since she’d been in New York, at Rosemary’s insistence. She always said Kristi was going to be famous and she was right. When Kristin first moved to New York, she helped out my friend Cheryl (along with Rosemary) at School Tours of America, running around picking up tickets, kids, running errands, etc. and going on auditions. I remembered when Kristin was in the Broadway shows STEEL PIER, YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN, and of course WICKED, the show that launched her into stardom. I asked Kristin if she was still a Republican and isn’t that hard in showbiz when SO many people are Democrats. She said “Yes, I am and it’s so hard…you just can’t talk about politics with most actors because they are all Democrats and can only see one side of any issue.” After another block, we each turned our own way and said goodbye…another great New York moment. As columnist Cindy Adams would say: “Only in New York!”
Later in the day I was in Greenwich Village near the building used on the TV show FRIENDS and spotted a movie shooting in the streets. Julia Roberts was starring in a new film with the working title “DUPLICITY” and there she was on Bedford Street shooting a scene. They are currently filming at least six major Hollywood movies around New York right now including Isla Fisher in CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC. Meryl Streep just finished filming DOUBT, playing a nun that suspects a priest is seducing children (based on the 2004 hit Broadway play).
Later I met my friend David for dinner in Chelsea and I could barely make it into David’s apartment building without getting shouted at by a crew member from a movie shooting IN FRONT of the building called “JULIE AND JULIA” about Julia Child. There were the stars: Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, all made up and filming a simple scene at the wine store at Seventh Ave. and West 20th Street. What a crowd it takes to film a simple scene…no wonder movies cost so much to make. And it was during Monday evening Rush Hour! I once filmed a small scene with Meryl Streep in the movie SHE-DEVIL and she’s a lovely, warm person…a total professional. I had met Meryl years before when I was a teenager and Meryl was appearing in the Broadway musical THE HAPPY END…I was backstage visiting an older actress friend and met Meryl and SHE REMEMBERED…(or said she did).
Ahhh….Spring in New York….when everything blooms and the warm weather brings Hollywood back to the Big Apple!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Celebrities in New York...another reason to take the Rich & Famous Tour
One of the main things that puts the sparkle in the Big Apple are the large number of celebrities scattered around town, and the sooner a guide discovers this and
capitalizes on the readily available celebrity information, the better your tours will be. As a licensed guide for over 20 years, I discovered early on quite by accident that celebrity information can spice up any tour and add that "special something."
Call it the magic of creatively name-dropping but it works. One day on my step-on bus tour many years ago, I remember being stuck in a horrendous downtown traffic mess and after exhausting my New York knowledge of history and architecture of that particular SoHo block, I began listing celebrities I knew positively lived in the neighborhood.
I probably have many more celebrity stories than the average NYC guide because of my various jobs and friends over the years. As a young person I sold souvenirs
and programs at the Broadway show ANNIE and became acquainted with a LOT of Broadway people, including 13-year-old Sarah Jessica Parker and her family, Laurie Beechman, Andrea McArdle, Alice Ghostley and others.
I'm sure Sarah doesn't remember but I helped her and family (along with her friends
Brooke and Terri Shields) clean out her dressing room suite at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon) and load the car on her LAST day as ANNIE.
A few years later I worked backstage at Radio City Music Hall at Night of 100 Stars as "Green Room Talent Coordinator" —a fancy word for Go-Fer. Basically, I fetched celebrities to and from the stage and had access to all backstage areas! Still, I met everybody including Sir Laurence Olivier, Ginger Rogers, Myrna Loy (she kissed my cheek), Whoopi Goldberg (wonderful), Grace Kelly, Carol Burnett (she helped us clean up the Green Room), Jimmy Stewart, Ann-Margret, Lucille Ball, Lana Turner, Olivia DeHavilland and all the rest, giving me enough afterdinner celebrity stories for a lifetime. As a matter of fact, I saved my dressing room assignment sheets from the clipboard because they are a hoot…all those major stars crammed together in dressing rooms designed for the Rockettes.
I became chummy that evening with singer Vic Damone who was married to Diahann Carroll at the time. Such a nice man...very down-to-earth. As we were all leaving thru the 51st St. Music Hall stage door around 4am after a long, grueling day of rehearsals and taping, Vic spotted me and offered me a ride in his limo. I declined, saying "it's OK, I only live a few blocks away…I'll walk." He responded "It's 4am…we'll drop you…I insist. Move over, Diahann." The great diva Ms. Carroll shot him a look that said "you're giving THE HELP a lift?" but still she scooted her sequined butt over. I'll never forget that look she gave him. They broke up a short time later. I wasn't surprised…she's a diva and he's a down-to-earth guy. I later read that her mother was a maid and her Dad was a subway conductor but I guess she forgot where she came from...
It's funny...at Night of 100 Stars I noticed that some of the most legendary stars (Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, Myrna Loy, Ginger Rogers, Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, etc.) were just as nice and down-to-earth as you please. Myrna Loy kissed me when I told her she was one of my favorite actresses, Lucille Ball heard my first name once and called me Jimmy all evening, Olivia DeHavilland and Esther Williams treated me like an equal, Petula Clark pushed me thru a crowded room to make sure I personally met Laurence Olivier! But the TV stars...oh brother! Talk about self-important ego-maniacs! Sitcom stars are especially the WORST, from my experience, also prime-time soap stars! The Dallas and Dynasty casts were just huge pains in the ass to deal with!
I now routinely tell many of these stories on my Rich & Famous Tour to spice things up and add a "personal" touch. Just another reason to come to New York and take the Rich and Famous Tour. http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnJpY2hhbmRmYW1vdXN0b3Vycy5jb20=
capitalizes on the readily available celebrity information, the better your tours will be. As a licensed guide for over 20 years, I discovered early on quite by accident that celebrity information can spice up any tour and add that "special something."
Call it the magic of creatively name-dropping but it works. One day on my step-on bus tour many years ago, I remember being stuck in a horrendous downtown traffic mess and after exhausting my New York knowledge of history and architecture of that particular SoHo block, I began listing celebrities I knew positively lived in the neighborhood.
I probably have many more celebrity stories than the average NYC guide because of my various jobs and friends over the years. As a young person I sold souvenirs
and programs at the Broadway show ANNIE and became acquainted with a LOT of Broadway people, including 13-year-old Sarah Jessica Parker and her family, Laurie Beechman, Andrea McArdle, Alice Ghostley and others.
I'm sure Sarah doesn't remember but I helped her and family (along with her friends
Brooke and Terri Shields) clean out her dressing room suite at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon) and load the car on her LAST day as ANNIE.
A few years later I worked backstage at Radio City Music Hall at Night of 100 Stars as "Green Room Talent Coordinator" —a fancy word for Go-Fer. Basically, I fetched celebrities to and from the stage and had access to all backstage areas! Still, I met everybody including Sir Laurence Olivier, Ginger Rogers, Myrna Loy (she kissed my cheek), Whoopi Goldberg (wonderful), Grace Kelly, Carol Burnett (she helped us clean up the Green Room), Jimmy Stewart, Ann-Margret, Lucille Ball, Lana Turner, Olivia DeHavilland and all the rest, giving me enough afterdinner celebrity stories for a lifetime. As a matter of fact, I saved my dressing room assignment sheets from the clipboard because they are a hoot…all those major stars crammed together in dressing rooms designed for the Rockettes.
I became chummy that evening with singer Vic Damone who was married to Diahann Carroll at the time. Such a nice man...very down-to-earth. As we were all leaving thru the 51st St. Music Hall stage door around 4am after a long, grueling day of rehearsals and taping, Vic spotted me and offered me a ride in his limo. I declined, saying "it's OK, I only live a few blocks away…I'll walk." He responded "It's 4am…we'll drop you…I insist. Move over, Diahann." The great diva Ms. Carroll shot him a look that said "you're giving THE HELP a lift?" but still she scooted her sequined butt over. I'll never forget that look she gave him. They broke up a short time later. I wasn't surprised…she's a diva and he's a down-to-earth guy. I later read that her mother was a maid and her Dad was a subway conductor but I guess she forgot where she came from...
It's funny...at Night of 100 Stars I noticed that some of the most legendary stars (Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, Myrna Loy, Ginger Rogers, Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, etc.) were just as nice and down-to-earth as you please. Myrna Loy kissed me when I told her she was one of my favorite actresses, Lucille Ball heard my first name once and called me Jimmy all evening, Olivia DeHavilland and Esther Williams treated me like an equal, Petula Clark pushed me thru a crowded room to make sure I personally met Laurence Olivier! But the TV stars...oh brother! Talk about self-important ego-maniacs! Sitcom stars are especially the WORST, from my experience, also prime-time soap stars! The Dallas and Dynasty casts were just huge pains in the ass to deal with!
I now routinely tell many of these stories on my Rich & Famous Tour to spice things up and add a "personal" touch. Just another reason to come to New York and take the Rich and Famous Tour. http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnJpY2hhbmRmYW1vdXN0b3Vycy5jb20=
SHHHH---All About the NEW Sex & The City MOVIE!!
SEX and the CITY Movie Spoiler alert! (Courtesy of the NY Post and other combined sources from around town)….Continuing to read this will tell you far more about the new movie than has been told anywhere else. "Everything is bigger," says an insider. "There's more extras, more locations and the locations are more fabulous. No one shoots inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral or New York Public Library but Sex and the City shot in both places…as well as a LOT of places off limits to other productions. Last year, the production requested shooting permits for no fewer than 45 separate locations between August and December.
According to the Mayor’s Office of Film, Sex & the City filming locations ranged from hidden, out of the way spots to Lenox Hill Hospital, the offices of Vogue, Junior's in Brooklyn, Bemelman’s Bar in The Carlyle Hotel, Bryant Park, the Duke-Semans Mansion on Fifth Ave. across from the Met, trendy restaurants like Lumi and Buddakhan in the Meatpacking District, various glamorous locations in midtown and the Upper Eastside, Flatiron District, Times Square, Rock Center, the Village, SoHo and TriBeca. Also a clifftop villa in Mexico is used in one important scene where Carrie tosses her bejeweled cellphone off the cliff into the ocean.
Fashion used includes: Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Versace, YSL, Ferragamo, Zac Posen, Dior, Cynthia Rowley, Marc Jacobs, etc.) LOTS of bling (every day the girls wore real jewels estimated at $2.5 million, from deals made with Tiffany, H. Stern and other top jewelers).
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other famous New York faces have cameos—Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, plays Louise, Carrie's assistant, who is a “label queen” and looking for love.
The plot: Carrie and Big (Chris Noth), get engaged, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) has moved to a Malibu beach house(which makes for lots of fun sex in the sand shots), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Harry (Evan Handler) get pregnant, and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Steve (David Eigenberg) grapple with infidelity. The movie starts with Fashion Week (with a re-built tent in Bryant Park), and gets “bigger” from there. Mr. Big’s full name, we discover, is John James Preston.
One of the new characters is Dante, a sexy young LA stud in his 30s who lives next door to Samantha, distracting her from her movie-star boyfriend Smith (Jason Lewis), whose career is now hot. Dante, apparently is the male version of Samantha…watch out!
Carrie’s wedding goes up in smoke and sources say that Carrie makes bitterly funny comments about her wedding gown to her friends….she calls it the perfect thing to be "jilted" in. Perhaps, she says, people have seen her in Vogue, where they may be able to touch up "pores" but not "pain."
Carrie’s failed wedding, Samantha’s sex with the neighbor, Charlotte's pregnancy and Miranda's marital woes provide key dramatic plot points.
Also, Carrie tells Samantha at one point she's completely revamping her life, right down to her cellphone area code. She's now "347," she complains (referring to the new, additional cellphone area code). Samantha tries to comfort her with a reminder that 347 is "the new New York."
In one scene, the four friends sit drinking Cosmopolitans. Charlotte remarks on how delicious they are. Miranda then wonders why they ever stopped drinking them in the first place. Carrie responds sharply, they had to after the rest of the world started.
Miranda catches Steve in marital infidelity, prompting her to move back to Manhattan from their Brooklyn home in Park Slope. One particularly moving scene is when Miranda breaks the news of her marital issues with Steve to his dementia-stricken mother. When she tries to explain the situation, his mother (Anne Meara) asks, "Who's Steve?" Carrie then does a classic, irony-drenched "SATC" voice-over, quipping that her friend is starting to see the positive side of Alzheimer's.
As Samantha and the girls leave a Fashion Week tent, a PETA activist jumps out of nowhere, spraying her with red paint. "God," Samantha wryly says after a beat, "I miss New York!"
According to the Mayor’s Office of Film, Sex & the City filming locations ranged from hidden, out of the way spots to Lenox Hill Hospital, the offices of Vogue, Junior's in Brooklyn, Bemelman’s Bar in The Carlyle Hotel, Bryant Park, the Duke-Semans Mansion on Fifth Ave. across from the Met, trendy restaurants like Lumi and Buddakhan in the Meatpacking District, various glamorous locations in midtown and the Upper Eastside, Flatiron District, Times Square, Rock Center, the Village, SoHo and TriBeca. Also a clifftop villa in Mexico is used in one important scene where Carrie tosses her bejeweled cellphone off the cliff into the ocean.
Fashion used includes: Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Versace, YSL, Ferragamo, Zac Posen, Dior, Cynthia Rowley, Marc Jacobs, etc.) LOTS of bling (every day the girls wore real jewels estimated at $2.5 million, from deals made with Tiffany, H. Stern and other top jewelers).
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other famous New York faces have cameos—Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, plays Louise, Carrie's assistant, who is a “label queen” and looking for love.
The plot: Carrie and Big (Chris Noth), get engaged, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) has moved to a Malibu beach house(which makes for lots of fun sex in the sand shots), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Harry (Evan Handler) get pregnant, and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Steve (David Eigenberg) grapple with infidelity. The movie starts with Fashion Week (with a re-built tent in Bryant Park), and gets “bigger” from there. Mr. Big’s full name, we discover, is John James Preston.
One of the new characters is Dante, a sexy young LA stud in his 30s who lives next door to Samantha, distracting her from her movie-star boyfriend Smith (Jason Lewis), whose career is now hot. Dante, apparently is the male version of Samantha…watch out!
Carrie’s wedding goes up in smoke and sources say that Carrie makes bitterly funny comments about her wedding gown to her friends….she calls it the perfect thing to be "jilted" in. Perhaps, she says, people have seen her in Vogue, where they may be able to touch up "pores" but not "pain."
Carrie’s failed wedding, Samantha’s sex with the neighbor, Charlotte's pregnancy and Miranda's marital woes provide key dramatic plot points.
Also, Carrie tells Samantha at one point she's completely revamping her life, right down to her cellphone area code. She's now "347," she complains (referring to the new, additional cellphone area code). Samantha tries to comfort her with a reminder that 347 is "the new New York."
In one scene, the four friends sit drinking Cosmopolitans. Charlotte remarks on how delicious they are. Miranda then wonders why they ever stopped drinking them in the first place. Carrie responds sharply, they had to after the rest of the world started.
Miranda catches Steve in marital infidelity, prompting her to move back to Manhattan from their Brooklyn home in Park Slope. One particularly moving scene is when Miranda breaks the news of her marital issues with Steve to his dementia-stricken mother. When she tries to explain the situation, his mother (Anne Meara) asks, "Who's Steve?" Carrie then does a classic, irony-drenched "SATC" voice-over, quipping that her friend is starting to see the positive side of Alzheimer's.
As Samantha and the girls leave a Fashion Week tent, a PETA activist jumps out of nowhere, spraying her with red paint. "God," Samantha wryly says after a beat, "I miss New York!"
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