April 9 – 10 - Big happenings in the Big Apple the past two days. Hollywood types Richard Gere and wife Carrie Lowell, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Liev Schrieber and Julianna Margulies (are they dating?), Stanley Tucci and Edie Falco (dating?) and Chicago producer Marty Richards turned up to ogle Antonio Banderas in the Broadway musical NINE. Banderas’ wife Melanie Griffith stayed backstage but joined the crowd at the after party. Rave reviews.

At New York radio station 102.7 FM’s launch party, Mariah Carey’s handlers told security guards shooing away autograph-seeking fans, “Let them stay. We can’t afford the bad publicity.” Also on hand for the mayhem were country music superstar Shania Twain, Michelle Branch and fashion designer Betsey Johnson.

Some birthday parties are better than others. Willie Nelson celebrated his 70th with friends. His friends are Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain, Nora Jones, Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, Kris Kirstofferson, Lyle Lovett and other talented folks. They all jammed with Willie, and the Live and Kicking concert will be broadcast on TV. Oh, and Bill Clinton said a few words. And we were expecting cake and ice cream.