Billy and Dan, Stuart and Allan, Mike and Rudy, Brenden, Bob, Carl, and Ben, Norman and Scott, Alec, Roy, and Eric, Ken and Mike, Ralph, Sam, and before I forget Lance and his new honey. What a week with the boys of summer!
It often takes talent execs weeks of phone calls, emailing and pleading to get an A list talent to sit for an interview. But sometimes it's a little easier in Southampton.
Gina Glickman, entertainment correspondent for our Main Street Series, spotted
Billy Joel walking down the street with artist
Dan Rizzie and called out a "Hey Bill, come on in and say Hi." Within minutes our intrepid reporter had Joel miked and in the guest chair for an impromptu interview about his wife
Katie Lee. He was effusive in his praise – his daughter
Alexa's talent, his recent gig in Europe, and his favorite cause The Baymen to the delight of staff and Broadway star Christine Ebersole who was on hand for her turn in the red chair.
Hamptons International Film Festival chairman
Stuart Match Suna and brother,
Allan, have more to cheer about in addition to this year's extraordinary festival lineup. The pair who own the wildly successful Silvercup Studios in Astoria were just green lit by New York's City Council for their proposal to build a $1 Billion Silver Cup Studio East. The 2.7 million square foot mixed use development project will feature light sound stages, studio support, commercial offices, cultural spaces and over 1,000 residences overlooking Manhattan skyline and the Queens Waterfront. The largest such proposal ever, the new studio will create 3,900 foremost jobs and 2,800 indirect jobs. The current Silvercup Studios are the largest facility on the Northeast coast. Kudos to Mayor
Mike Bloomberg and Commissioner
Katherine Oliver for pushing this wonderful project through the oft mixed Council. For folks leaving from the Hamptons the view with its planned esplanades and the new studios will be as breathtaking as the one behind them.
Surf's Up - Nom de Guerre design head
Brendon Babenziens whose love of surfing is no secret to the Montauk crowd debuted his new line "Noah" on an afternoon sail. The collection is "inspired by life on the coast, wool and wax, wind and sea spray the collection features pea coats, toggle coats and sweaters rugged enough to last several lifetimes."
On Saturday eve, Lily Pond Lane was chock a block with Bentleys, Lincolns, and limos carrying media royalty over to Grey Gardens for
Sally Quinn's annual "surprise" party for husband
Ben Bradlee. The renowned former Washington Post editor, immortalized on film in "All The President's Men" for his role in breaking the infamous Watergate scandal with writers
Bob Woodward and
Carl Bernstein, turned 85 this week. Over 100 bold faced names turned out to toast the veteran journalist looking trim and tanned belying his age.
As a private party, there were no press invited to cover but the crowd itself was a veritable who's who of media and arts.
Barbara Walters,
Charlie Rose, 60 Minutes creator
Don Hewitt,
Jim Lehrer,
Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live,
Bob Woodward, Mayor
Michael Bloomberg,
Hannah Pakula,
Lauren "Betty" Bacall, artist
Polly Kraft (widow of lawyer statesman
Lloyd Cutler), ABC TV's
Lynn Sherr and more.
A special guest seated at Ben's right was Tony Award winning actress
Christine Ebersole whose tour de force performance in the new musical "Grey Gardens" has been justly hailed as one of the greatest in musical theater history. She sang two special tunes for the birthday boy, the heart breaking number "Will You" the last song of the show's first act and "I Will Love You Forever".
Norman Lear, unable to attend, had producer
Scott Perrin arrange for a surprise appearance of 14 violinists who came over the dunes serenading the octogenarian as Lear had done 25 years ago when Bradlee turned 60.
Old pal Lauren Bacall recited several loving poems she had written for him over the years. In her tribute, Sally called Ben "still the sexiest man alive" to the applause from the guests.
Over a traditional seaside dinner of lobster and chocolate cake smothered with fresh berries and sorbet, the revelers partied until almost midnight.
Proving the pen is mightier than the boards - pun intended - the writers whipped the actors and painters in the 58th Annual Artists & Writers Softball Game in East Hampton Saturday.
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Ralph and Ricky Lauren
Photo by PatrickMcMullan.com |
Alec Baldwin,
Roy Scheider,
Eric Ernst, and team got royally whipped by
Ken Auletta,
Mike Lupica, and company with the final score 18 to 9. A 14kt gold baseball mitt necklace courtesy of DK Integrity Jewelry Co. and Alchimia Marketing & Public Relations was presented to most valuable player,
Roy Scheider.
Rudy Giuliani umpired with the assist of local legend
Dan Rattiner at
Leif Hope's annual rite of summer. Broadway's Christine Ebersole, stalled in traffic missed singing the National Anthem and instead, mid game led the crowd of 2,000 with Rudy in a rousing rendition of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame".
Want to checkout the glamorous Wild West life
Ralph Lauren and family really live? You can get more than a peek in a gorgeous new tome prepared by Ralph's wife of 42 years
Ricky that chronicles their glamorous lifestyle in the mountains of Colorado, "Ricky Lauren: Cuisine, Lifestyle and Legends of The Double RL Ranch". Assouline will publish the volume this November, which will feature photographs, recipes and decorating tips from Ricky. The coffee table book will also include family snapshots, reprints of her original artwork and a history of such mountain towns as Telluride where the Laurens own a sprawling ranch.
Before I forget, congrats to a couple of our local budding talents are in order. A bouquet of roses to our friend
Karen Stanion who hangs in Amagansett when she's not treading the boards on the New York stage for her best leading actress nomination for her role as Renne in "The Palooka". And a chorus of cheers to East Hampton's
Brian McDermott who is co-producing the feature film "The Clown" and helps spread smiles to hospital bound children through Circus Remedy.
Just learned that we're going to have to re-set our alarm clocks if we want to catch our favorite weather guy the blonde, big smiled get-along-with everyone,
Sam Champion. After 18 years at WABC letting us know what kind of beach day we'll get, he's going to national audiences as weather editor for Good Morning America. Sam, one of our favorite fellas on the Hamptons benefit circuit, will he joined by another Hamptons regular
Chris Cuomo who has signed on with GMA as a legal correspondent.
Out of the closet but behind the curtain:
Dear
Lance Bass,
Sorry never got to see you on Saturday at Polo. The curtains were drawn in the VIP tent. Drawn curtains NEVER happen at Polo so you're the first. In the past, we have shaken hands, taken pictures and chatted with
Brooke Shields,
Adrian Grenier,
Luke Perry,
Jessica Alba, etc. But it seems you came to Polo only for the photo opportunity. Sweetie, I can see your pictures all over the Internet. Next time try to be a little bit friendlier - that's how we are in the Hamptons.
A Friend,
Jennifer
