Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Happy Anniversary - My Blog is a Year Old!!

Ok actually it's a year and a week, I just haven't had a second to write about it yet. Here is the first photo I took of a celebrity after I arrived in the Big Apple for my year long business trip. It was taken on August 2, 2005. Most of the early photos were just shared with friends via email, I wasn't familar with blogs or anything, but by the time my adventure ended in NYC, I knew what a blog was, a Perez Hilton, I would become a regular contributor to Gawker Stalker, they would feature my blog on their site at least five times, I would gain national attention for breaking a big story and I would be listed on MTV's Best Week Ever. I learned a lot about celebrities, events, the paparazzi, and the crazed fans during this time enough to fill the book my friends keep urging me to write. But most importantly, I met a lot of great people that are still my friends today and keep me in the loop of celebrity stories and scandal. Johnny Knoxville leaving the stage door of Good Morning America after promoting The Dukes of Hazzard movie.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Ought Oh, Harry Potter Grows Up

First Britney shocks us when in 2002 she shows up on the MTV Music Awards with a skimpy outfit on and a snake around her neck; then Dakota Fanning gets raped in her new movie "Hound Dog" and now Daniel Radcliff of Harry Potter fame is nude in the West End Play of "Equus" ***** Last August in NYC, over 7,000 fans showed up to hear J.K. Rowling read from her Harry Potter books at Radio City Music Hall. I shot the crowd in hopes of writing something someday, bingo today's the day. By the time I got to the stage door, most of these folks has already waited 4 hrs in the 95F temp to get their books signed by JK Rowling. I couldn't even wait what was supposed to be another 2 hrs for the privledge and left, as the crowd was a bit fanatical even for me. I know most of the fans are girls, but I can't imagine they would have ever imagined Harry Potter au natural?These girls want Harry Potter to stay 12 or do they want to sleep with Harry Potter, hmm?
Producer David Pugh said: "There was no hesitancy about taking off his clothes. "He has a confidence in his own appearance. With the performances that I've witnessed, when that boy takes his shirt off, Harry Potter has flown out of Hogwarts for good." The play's female director, Thea Sharrock, was impressed by his physique. Pugh told the Evening Standard: "We had never seen him with clothes off before. We all went, 'wow'. Thea went, 'Oh my God.' "For her, there was a certain relief. When we did the audition we never thought to say, 'Would you go naked for us?' We were so overwhelmed with his talent that we set that aside." Equus opens at London's Gielgud Theatre on February 27.
Equus is an emotional and psychological drama containing depictions of graphic acts of violence and scenes of nudity (in many productions). It is not suitable for a young audience. http://www.danradcliffe.com/
For other comment and photos check out my friend Scott's site - TheNYCritic page http://www.moviepicturefilm.com//

Monday, January 29, 2007

See Fashion, See Celebrities, See Chaos - Fashion Week is just about to begin

Twice a year the Tent's rise on Bryant Park and Fashion Week Begins. I hope to steer you through a successful celebrity sighting week of fashion. At the end of today's blog will be a list of shows I believe will be celebrities wall to wall events.
This is the front entrance on 5th Ave between 40th and 42nd streets. Occasionally a celebrity will use these doors to go into the fashion shows, but if they do they have to be prepared to mix with the common folk. Most of them use the Stage door which takes them down a private hall to the VIP waiting area where food and drinks are served. (Later this week I will show you photos of the inside the Tents)
This is the path that models and VIP Celebs have to take to get to the stage door. It always surprised me how horrible the set up was organized. There's always people waiting around to see who might show up. Even in the rain people will wait to catch a glimspe of their favorite star, or some surprise celebrity. During the VIP fashion events like the Heatherette Show or Baby Phat it will be a circus with paparazzi's and fan's vying for celebrity attention.Many Celebs comply, even biotch D- Lister Foxy Brown and stud A- Lister P. Diddy And I personally heard former Backstreet Boy AJ invite 3 underage girls back to his hotel room for a party. They declined. If you want to see a celebrity these are the shows I would recommend you go to the Stage Door to catch a peek of them going in:
Friday Feb 2 11am Heart Truth (The Women's Heart Disease Benefit Fashion Show [last year Debbie Harry, Nelly Furtado, Elaine Stritch, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Michelle Phillips) Bryant Park, the Tent
8 pm Baby Phat first show. Expect a lot of celebs as there's no other party tonight. Celebs could go in the front door or the back door which is located on 35th Street. Roseland Ballroom
Sat Feb 3
8pm Baby Phat (Kimora Lee Simmons and friends) Bryant Park, the Tent
Sun Feb 4
4pm Diane von Furstenberg Bryant Park, the Tent
Feb 5 (the event of the fashion show every year)
8pm Marc Jacobs (Last year Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, $.50, Victoria Beckham) New York State Armory, 68 Lexington Ave., at 25th St.
Tue Feb 6
9pm Heatherette (Paris Hilton, Lydia Hearst, Lindsey Lohan) Bryant Park, the Tent
Thur Feb 8
11am Badgley Mischka (The Olsen Twins) Bryant Park, the Tent
8pm Zac Posen (Rhianna) Bryant Park, the Tent
Fri Feb 9
3pm Child Magazine ($.50 kid, Lohan Kids) Bryant Park, the Salon
5pm Tommy Hilfiger Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 W. 34th St., at Eighth Ave.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in Philly

The last time a royal couple came to Philly was in 1680, so I was more than thrilled to read that the Prince and Dunchess were coming to Philly. Unfortunately at the last minute I had to sit this one out as I have a wicked cold and fever. So here is a link to the local paper with photos. http://inquirer.philly.com/slideshows/News/070127royal/

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Sex In The City or as the long time reader knows, my obsession with SJP

The only thing I knew about celebrities when I arrived in NYC was that "Sex in the City" was filmed there, and that SJP was a New Yorker and I would make it my business to see her in person someday.
About a month after my arival, and with no SJP sightings under my belt, I was delighted to see this advertisement put up on the side of Lord & Taylor on my way to work one day. I reported my sightings to the secretaries who then told me that SJP would be signing her perfume bottle at lunchtime there.
The girls were game and willing to go along with me on my outing to see the iconic Carrie Bradshaw. We passed a few girls passing out samples of Lovely (BTW best wishes to Christine who is moving to Wisconsin today to find love and happiness)There were over 500 fans inline, so I skipped getting the bottle signed and my personal meet and greet would have to come at later date. (That evening I saw the signed bottles were selling on ebay for $250) A few months later at the 1st preview of the Broadway show "Rabbit Hole" starring Cynthia Nixon and Tyne Daly, I got an autograph and photo of Miranda and Charlotte. It was all very exciting. At the nick of time as the sands of time were running out, I was able to catch Chris Noth at an event held at this club Plumm located on 14th and 8th Aves. In September I saw Kristen Johnson who appeared in my favorite episode "Splat". She was the perennial party girl who didn't realize the party days had ended for everyone but her as she fell out a window trying to catch a smoke at a non-smoking party. As most of you know, I went on to see SJP more than a dozen times, even sitting next to her at the first preview night of her husband's play "The Odd Couple". Here's a shot I got of her at the premiere of the Devil Wears Prada held at the Loews Theater near Lincoln Center. That was one of the most amazing things of my trip, if you could find out where there was a movie premiere, you could maybe catch the celebrities going into the theater, but most of the time there were security gates up and security. If you waited til after the movie was over, the security gates were gone, security was more permissive, and you would be able to get the celebrity to sign something for you and sometimes even pose for you or with you. The movie theater was open for other shows so the theater was full of movie patrons, who were also fans. Here I anticipated SJP to walk forward, but a fan called out to her and she turned towards her, which she soon regretted as the fan had friends and in the next moment surround SJP asking for autographs and pictures.
Later during my trip and I found the street and steps that were featured for Carrie's apartment. They were only about 2 blocks from where SJP lived in real life. The only time I saw Kim Catrell she turned me down for a photo. It was early in my career and I abided by her wishes. Nowadays I don't think that would have happened.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Tarzan Opens on Broadway, LAST YEAR!!

OK enough with the personal photos, as I approach my year anniversary of the blog I will spend the next couple weeks to do my best to tell my story of my celebrity stalking and thoughts on celebrities in NYC. Disney Theatrical Productions brings the classic story of a boy raised in the wild by animals to the Broadway stage with Tarzan, landing on Broadway in March 2006. Adapted from the hit 1999 animated film of the same name (with songs by pop star Phil Collins), Tarzan promises to be a high-flying hit! (OK actually this paragraph should be in past tense. When it opened, it slipped by without me writing about it as I was busy with the Spring Fashion Show, which this year opens on Feb 2 with the American Heart Association Red Dress Fashion Show...expect Beyonce and Jessica Simpson)
This event was attended by many of Broadway's who's who, and plenty of professional autograph seekers or "Dealers" or what I like to call them, the "autograzzi's", professional fans who want "photo's with" celebrities, and fan paparazzi's (Simon & I). Here is the front of the Richard Rodgers Theatre at - 226 West 46th Street. When a broadway show opens, there is usually a "red carpet" where the VIPs strike a pose for the paparazzi. Sadly many of the paparazzi's that I hung out with in NYC didn't bother with these events as for the most part no one that "Sells a magazine" ie Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton show up at these shows. Tonight it was different. Enough that the autograzzi's arrived early to claim their place on the "Red Carpet" ok it's green. I will go into much more discussion of these fascinating people, doing my best not to hurt anyone's feelings that I may have met during my 17 months in NYC. Before I got to know some of them personally, I had written a lot of observations in my journals, and now that I know a couple of them on a more personal level, my observations have not changed, but my personal feelings for them have. Unfortunately, Phil Collins wasn't in the mood to stop to sign for them. I on the otherhand was thrilled to get this shot, as Phil walked the half block to the Marriott Marquis for the afterparty. Where we again all waited for another 3 hrs for him to leave, but as luck would have it he left through the parking garage and no one got him. Merle Dandridge an actress in the show arrives for the afterparty, along with... Jean Gambatese, I think?

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

I was wrong...it's a boy

Mother, son and picture taking husband are doing fine. (I'm sure my sister will kill me for posting this shot; the good thing is I doubt she will be checking the blog for a few weeks)

CRISTA'S IN LABOR THIS MORNING!!! I got a call at 7AM

Crista at Five - 1981 Bachelorette Party March 2005 Wedding Day, May 14, 2005 Christmas Concert at the Kimmel Center - Dec. 18, 2006We joke that if it's a girl they're going to call her Hughwena - LOL

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Colleen's Surprise 30th Birthday Party

The real surprise was when Mike and I went down to the garage to get our car to go to Colleen's surprise party, there was Colleen in her SUV beeping and waving us over. Yes Colleen lives in our building, but that is not how I know her. I have known Colleen since she was a little girl, she is my sister Crista's best friend. When I moved out on my own I spent a good deal of time visiting mom and dad just about every night at dinner time. Almost like clock work Mom would say, "HughE could you drive Colleen home before dinner?" And for many years Colleen from age 8 and I would have a 10 minute conversation all the way to her house. I am even more thrilled that as a adults, I can continue those conversations anytime I want as Colleen lives only a few floors away. Her family had the clever idea of having the guests hold up faces of Colleen through the years, as Colleen walked through the door to her party. She was surprised, screaming "OMG, OMG"
Colleen greeting her guests Mike, Colleen and OMG somewhere along the way I got short and fat?
It was someone elses' birthday too... Some of the guests got a little wild The only one missing was my 9-month pregnant sister Crista who lives in Boston. Somehow I will be turning the next three pictures into a panoramic shot
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