The Tangent

By Emily Hulme

The Mighty Boosh

It’s hard to describe exactly what The Mighty Boosh is. British comedians Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt have been working under that name for about a decade, doing their act live and on radio and television.

The show centers around the absurd adventures of Vince Noir and Howard Moon as they get stranded on desert islands, fight kangaroos, etc.

A comedy sensation in their home country, the Boosh has gathered a growing following stateside.

We spoke with the pair about their act.

After 10 years, what keeps you attached to the Mighty Boosh?
Fielding: We’re rubbish at everything else. Sometimes we say we’re going to take a break and do something else, but I can’t repair cars; I can’t do anything else. We always end up coming back together.

Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy,

For an interview with director David Yates, go here.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Thanks to his role as Harry Potter’s foil, Draco Malfoy, in the “Harry Potter” films, 21-year-old Tom Felton has gotten to work with many top British actors.

“A lot of people ask, ‘Have you been to acting school?’ and in a lot of ways I really have,” said Felton, who saw his role in the films increase with “Prince.” “For us it’s been a huge learning experience working with the cream of the crop of English actors.”

Daniel Radcliffe and Michael Gambon in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

For an interview with Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton, go here.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

David Yates, the director of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” has a lot of sympathy for one of the film’s stars.

Rupert Grint, who portrays the flame-haired Potter pal Ron Weasley, spent hours on his broom while filming tricky scenes of Quidditch, the wizard sport.

“Poor Rupert Grint had to sit on this broom with a bicycle seat that seriously damaged his chances of having children in later life,” Yates laughed. “And he did it so patiently and so gracefully.”

By Emily Hulme
• Invader's "Top 10" is at Jonathan Levine Gallery; opening reception Saturday 6-9 p.m.

You may have seen Invader’s works around town without even knowing it.

The French artist made his name in the ’90s by installing mosaic-style “Space Invaders” — like the classic video game — in public places in cities around the world, including New York. He currently has a show at Jonathan Levine Gallery, “Top 10,” in which he recreates his top 10 favorite album covers using Rubik’s Cubes.

We spoke with him about the project.

You must be pretty proficient with a Rubik's Cube. How long did it take you to master that?
I only use one side of the cubes to create these pieces, which is much easier than if I was solving all six sides of them.

Were you ever tempted to just pop off the tiles and put them back on where you wanted them to be?
It would actually take much longer for me to pop off the faces than just twisting them by hand. Half of the pieces I am showing in this exhibition use 400 cubes/piece... Can you imagine the time it would take if I had to pop off the tiles for each of them?

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
2.5 stars
Directed by Michael Bay
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro

By Mina Hochberg
amNewYork movie critic

The experience of watching “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is akin to the experience kids might have when playing with the Hasbro toys on which the movie is based: It provides momentary thrills, but soon it’ll be tossed into a mental trash bin filled with all the other manufactured movies that have been seen, fleetingly enjoyed and forgotten.

This sequel to the 2007 blockbuster delves into the mythology of the Transformers, who existed on Earth thousands of years ago and even had their own civil war, which ultimately established the Autobots (the good robots) and the Decepticons (the bad ones).

By Emily Hulme • ehulme@am-ny.com

A photo from "Courting Equality." Keith Maynard and Chip McLaughlin were one of the first couples to file for a same-sex marriage license in Cambridge, May 2004. (Photo courtesy Marilyn Humphries)

The gay marriage debate has been raging in this country for years, but in recent months the movement to leagalize it has gained real traction.
The following books aim to foster discussion, encourage activism or just celebrate gains made for LGBT rights. Read with pride.

The New Essential Guide to Gay & Lesbian Weddings
by Tess Ayers and Paul Brown, September
Ayers, married to her partner of 15 years, and Brown, an event planner, walk prospective brides and grooms through the minefield that is wedding planning. They offer tips on everything from picking out the rings to financial advice to how to enjoy the big day itself.

The Straight State: Sexuality and Citizenship in Twentieth-Century America
by Margot Canaday, available now
The book is a comprehensive overview of how federal legislation relating to the treatment of gays and lesbians in America has affected the perception of the LGBT community. It addresses marriage in the larger context of how regulation shapes society’s view of homosexuality.

When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
by M.V. Lee Badgett, August
Badgett took a field trip to the Netherlands, where gay marriage has been legal since 2001. Her book is a look at how the move affected homosexual relationships specifically, as well as on society in general. Her findings are surprising.

By Ed Condran
Special To amNewYork
• Darlene Violette appears Wednesday at Carolines. 9:30 p.m., $18.

Stand-up comedy doesn’t mean everything to Darlene Violette but it’s certainly a part of the Brooklyn based performer’s varied repertoire.

“It’s something that’s always been important to me,” Violette says. “But there are other things that I focus on as well.”

By Emily Hulme
• The Pirate Party Pig Roast is at Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City on Monday (rain date Tuesday).

When artists throw parties, odds are you’re going to experience something a little out of the ordinary.

Arts organization chashama, which is good at making things happen with little money, is holding its second annual Pirate Party Pig Roast on Monday, complete with a DJ, fire-breathers, jugglers, burlesque acts and more.

“We’re going to have a hair sculptor,” said Anita Durst, founder and principal of chashama. “Her name is Edisa Weeks, and she puts these beautiful flowers or mousetraps or merry-go-rounds, just beautiful things in your hair, and everyone’s walking around with these great sculptures in their hair.”

At an economical $20 a ticket, the festivities also include an open bar and barbecue — both vegan and non-vegan.

Founded in 1995, chashama matches artists with affordable studio, gallery and performance space by working with landlords who are between tenants and have temporarily available space.

After getting into the party game last year with its first pig roast, chashama is expecting to double the turnout with 1,000 people for this year’s festivities, Durst said.

“I think I personally throw very good parties. I love to see many people coming out and having a good time, and there’s a certain vibration when people are enjoying themselves,” she said.

The guest of honor is Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas, program director of grant-giving organization Rockefeller Brothers Fund, but the party is a chance for everyone to kick back and celebrate.

“We’re honoring Ben for the work that he does for the community and the culture,” Durst said, “and it’s also a way for us to thank the artists and to thank our funders and our landlords.”

By Ed Condran
Special to amNewYork
• Ben Bailey is at Comix Friday and Saturday

Most taxi drivers don’t give money to passengers just for taking a ride. However, Ben Bailey, driver of the “Cash Cab” is not most taxi drivers.

The host of the Discovery Channel’s Emmy Award-winning show, Bailey picks up unsuspecting passengers, who end up as contestants on a game show navigating the bumpy streets of Gotham.

We caught up with the veteran standup comic.

Were you a cabbie or comic first?
Comic. But I’ve been a driver for years. I’ve delivered prescriptions, flowers and food. When the word spread through Manhattan clubs that a producers were looking for a comic to drive in this show, people in the clubs said, “That’s something for Ben Bailey.”

So you had to get your hack’s license?
Yes, I did. It was well worth it.

What’s the wackiest response you’ve received after you explained the rules of “Cash Cab”?
The funniest reaction I’ve gotten from people is no reaction at all. They just keep doing what they’re doing.

By Emily Hulme

“Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion,” ca. 1944

Francis Bacon was an artist who was never shy about letting his inner turmoil spill out onto the page.

From his early painting, “Crucifixion” (1933), a response to his burgeoning atheism, to the later “Tryptic – In Memory of George Dyer” (1971), which commemorated his lover’s suicide, Bacon put his personal conflicts out there for the world to see.

On the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Met looks back at the body of work Bacon left behind.

WWE wrestler Edge holds CM Punk in a leg lock. (photos by RJ Mickelson/amNY)

Column by Scott A. Rosenberg
• WWE 'SmackDown' airs Friday at 8 p.m. on My9.

They are not gladiators or warriors or even broken-down actors climbing their way back to the top.

They have the strength and might of a Mack Truck, with muscles built on muscles, and colorful, shiny and glittery costumes, like modern-day superheroes come to life.

By Emily Hulme
• ‘The Pictures Generation’ is at The Metropolitan Museum of Art through Aug. 2.

A video still from Dara Birnbaum's “Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman,” 1978–79

In 1977, SoHo gallery Artists Space held a group show, featuring the work of relatively unknown artists, called “Pictures.”

Since then, that exhibit has achieved landmark status in the world of contemporary art. The exhibited artists and their compatriots, the so-called “Pictures Generation,” represented a sea change in the cultural conversation of the time, and a new exhibit at the Met, “The Pictures Generation, 1974-1984,” tells their story.

At the heart of it, these artists were reacting against the abstraction of Minimalism and Conceptualism, and experimenting with the manipulative power of concrete images. They worked outside the mainstream — mostly in photography, which was a ghettoized medium at the time — and showed their work in “alternative” venues, mostly to each other.

By Lee Rosenberg
Special to amNewYork

3 Stars

For fans of the reimagined “Battlestar Galactica,” “Caprica” is a very different type of show, almost completely lacking in any of the action or science-fiction aspects of “Galactica.”

In many ways, the world of “Caprica” ($26.98) feels like it could be our world in 10 or 20 years.

By Scott A. Rosenberg
• ‘Sleepwalk With Me’ is at the Bleecker Street Theatre through June 7.

Comedian Mike Birbiglia has a well-publicized sleeping disorder — rapid eye movement behavior disorder — which has been the topic of his stand-up routine and a focal point of his hit off-Broadway show, “Sleepwalk With Me.”

Strangely enough, after years on the road dealing with the disorder — which was severe enough that he caused himself bodily harm, as he would act out his dreams while asleep — doing his show about it helped alleviate the problem to some extent.

By Emily Hulme
• ‘New at the Morgan: Acquisitions Since 2004’ is at The Morgan Library through Oct. 18.

John Singer Sargent, “Portrait of Paul-César Hélleu,” ca. 1882-85

The Morgan Library closed its doors for three years starting in mid-2003 for extensive renovations. The public exhibition schedule was halted during that time, but the Morgan’s collectors kept at their jobs.

The fruits of their labor are on view now in a small but engaging exhibit, “New at the Morgan: Acquisitions Since 2004.” The works on view range from sketches and paintings to musical scores and concert programs, and span from the 1400s to the last few years. There are pieces on view by Edgar Degas, Diane Arbus, Ted Hughes, Oscar Wilde and Johann Sebastian Bach.

But this is no jumbled blockbuster show. The exhibit is neatly organized by theme: sketches and drafts, nature, politics, etc. And housed in a one-room gallery, “New at the Morgan” feels intimate and special.

The nature of the works on view enhances that feeling. An unpublished manuscript by Ernest Hemingway features a “to-do list” on the back. Arthur Getz’s sketchbook shows off pages where the illustrator worked out potential covers for The New Yorker magazine.

This exhibit also encapsulates what is so valuable about the Morgan. Five years of collecting has yielded a strong group of works across all disciplines, underlining the museum’s wider commitment to scholarship and preservation.

This is a companion story to this one; the bios of the illustrators we spoke to are here.

Krommes, who was drawn to book illustration when she started reading to her own children, finds her kids a helpful first audience. Though sometimes they are more willing than other times to give mom’s work a look.

“They’ve seen so much of it over the years that they’re not that interested. I have to sometimes give them a quarter to look at it and give me an opinion,” she said. “But they love when they’re in the pictures”

But not everyone is so interested in hearing what the kids have to say. Notoriously, many people who work in the children’s book industry do not have little ones themselves, nor do they want them.

Smith cites Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, in addition to himself, as not having much to do with children. “I guess maybe because they’re grown up kids themselves, [it’s] too much competition.”

Jeff Kinney, author of the Wimpy Kid series, does have a young child, a kindergartener, but doesn’t yet include him in the process.

“When my wife reads the book to him, she does a lot of censoring… I think you need to be in at least third grade to understand the humor in the book,” he said. “When I created 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid,' I was writing for adults, but my publisher thought that the series would be a hit with kids. I continue to write for adults and cross my fingers that the jokes don’t go over kids’ heads.”

By Emily Hulme

Lane Smith has been working in the business for more than 20 years. He’s had a long-time collaboration with Jon Scieszka, but works with other authors as well. He also illustrates his own work.

Beth Krommes is an illustrator for hire, coming to children’s books after many careers associated with art. She is this year’s recipient of the Caldecott Medal for her work on “The House in the Night,” by Susan Marie Swanson.

Jeff Kinney is the author/illustrator of the “Wimpy Kid” series. “Wimpy Kid” was originally conceived as a comic for adults, but publishers saw the inherent appeal for children. Book four will hit stores in October.

By Emily Hulme

We spoke with Lane Smith, Beth Krommes and Jeff Kinney for this story. Read their bios here.

First come the words, then comes the pictures, then comes the book tour. That’s basically the way children’s book illustrators work.

Of course in practice, it’s far more complicated than that, and each illustrator’s process is as different as the books they create.

1a. Finding a Manuscript
If the author and illustrator of a given book are separate people, they usually get matched up by their agent or the publishing company.

“The author doesn’t really get to choose. If they really didn’t like the samples, they might be able to say so,” said Krommes.

Like in any industry, veteran artists and those who have won awards have more clout, and have more freedom to pick and choose their projects.

Smith said that he probably works on only 1 out of every 20 manuscripts he receives.

“If it’s something that clicks with me I can’t help myself from doodling in the margins of the manuscript as I read it,” he said. “Usually by the time I finish it I have like 10 or 15 little drawings around the manuscript, and that’s always a good sign.”

By Emily Hulme
• Eclectic Method is at (Le) Poisson Rouge tonight.

When Stephen Colbert talks, the Internet listens.

Most recently, the media megalomaniac convinced 230,539 people to vote for him in a NASA poll to name a new international space station (the results are under debate; Colbert may instead end up with a bathroom named after him).

Earlier this winter, Colbert inadvertently introduced audio-visual group Eclectic Method to the world, by way of a video challenge that invited interested parties to remix an interview with lawyer and intellectual property rights guru Lawrence Lessig.
Eclectic Method members Ian Edgar and Jonny Wilson agreed that there was an immediate response after Colbert played a clip of their video on his show.

“There’s statistical evidence of the ‘Colbert bump,’” Wilson says.

The cover to Peter V. Brett's novel, "The Warded Man."

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Most people riding the subway are reading, listing to music or people-watching. For Peter V. Brett, the author of the new fantasy novel “The Warded Man,” the subway was his writing studio.

Using his HP iPAQ smart phone, Brett, 36, turned out 300-400 words each way on his 45-minute commute to work from Kensington in Brooklyn to Times Square on the F train.

By Emily Hulme

Mothers can have a special way of talking to their adult children that is equal parts poignantly caring and hilariously clueless. And sometimes we receive missives that are too good not to share.

It was with that in mind that Doree Shafrir and Jessica Grose started the blog PostcardsFromYoMomma.com. They recently collected the best reader submissions into a book, “Love, Mom: Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home.” We spoke to the pair about the project.

What did your own mothers think when you started the web site? And
then the book?
Doree: I was super nervous about telling my mom--I wasn't sure how she'd react, especially since we'd posted a few of her gems right away. I waited about a week and then called her at work. She immediately went to the URL and started laughing hysterically. It turned out she was really excited to be on the site!

The funniest part was there were a couple emails that she was absolutely positive she'd written, but they weren't actually from her--thereby reinforcing our thesis that at heart, most moms are, essentially, the same.

Jess: My mom didn't even save the URL at first; she thought it was a passing fancy. But then we started getting written up in major newspapers and magazines about a week after we started the blog, and she realized it might be something that was sticking around. She was thrilled about the book, and pretty tickled that she was the inspiration.

Are they more careful in their communication to you now that they know
there’s a chance it could be broadcast to the world?
Doree: My mom's emails have gotten shorter, I've noticed. And every so often she'll send me an email and write at the end, "That was a Yo Momma email, wasn't it?" One habit I haven't been able to break her of, sadly, is sending forwards. She's cut back, but now when she sends them it's always with the qualifier: "This is REALLY good."

By Danielle Sonnenberg
Special to amNewYork

Bookshelves are groaning with business books trying to explain the financial meltdown. With 401(k) plans evaporating quickly, people are looking for advice about how to navigate the treacherous economy. Here are a few must-reads:

2009 Action Plan
By Suze Orman
Suze Orman’s “2009 Action Plan” is a practical guide to getting a handle on one’s finances. She offers sensible advice that is worth following during a boom or a bust. Orman, a best-selling author and TV personality, leaves readers with a plethora of ways to increase savings and reduce debt.

By Emily Hulme
• At Gallery Bar, 120 Orchard St., Thursday 8 p.m.-1 a.m.

Painter Bob Ross may have been a hipster hero ahead of his time.

The afro’ed host of the “Joy of Painting” made his own way, painting happy little clouds and trees in half an hour, and future cool kids everywhere watched him after school.

Ross passed away in 1995, but his spirit lives on. Party promoters Alex Zoppa and Misha Calvert are hosting an event in his memory this Thursday, complete with art show, dance performances and a look-alike contest.

We spoke with Zoppa and Calvert about the undertaking.

Where did this idea come from?
Zoppa: We’ve both been huge fans of Bob Ross. It’s something we’ve been planning for a little while now. With everything going on in the world, it’s nice to go back and celebrate someone who has a nicer, clearer message.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Legendary wrestler Dusty Rhodes’ son, Cody, might be making waves in the WWE these days, but in the new “Legends of WrestleMania” video game, it’s the elder Rhodes who is in the spotlight.

“It’s a great honor,” the senior Rhodes says. “It’s really cool to be one of the legendary figures of the industry, to leave some legacy, some history.”

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Director Alex Proyas, 45, has made his name directing dark science-fiction films, from the critically lauded “Dark City” to the blockbuster Will Smith flick “I, Robot.”

He’s dabbling in darkness again with his new thriller, “Knowing,” starring Nicolas Cage, landing in theaters tomorrow.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Both tell stories using the same cast week after week. Both have to move long-established characters forward while keeping the fan base excited and interested.
While fans of comic books and soap operas might be loath to admit it, the two genres are a lot alike.

“Both are serialized fiction at their finest,” says Jim McCann, author of Marvel Comics’ new miniseries, “New Avengers: Reunion,” in stores Wednesday.

By Margeaux Baulch Klein
Special to amNewYork

Jeff Lewis, "Inloveness Revisited," 2006, 14"x11". $50 at 20x200.com>

Posters may be cheap, but after the age of 20, those unframed images of movie stars and motivational kittens can lose their zeal.

However, ditching the dorm-room decor and upgrading to original artwork doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. For those looking to purchase their first piece of art, Lisa Hunter, author of “The Intrepid Art Collector: The Beginner’s Guide to Finding, Buying, and Appreciating Art on a Budget,” recommends they explore photography.

“Works on paper are much more affordable than paintings and sculpture because they’re sold in multiples,” Hunter explains. “Plus, you don’t need to take an art history course to understand whether a photo works or not. We look at photography all of the time; it’s part of our culture.”

By Emily Hulme
• 'It Is What It Is: Conversations About Iraq' is at the New Museum through March 22.
• Find supplementary material and a full schedule of participants at the project's Web site.

Artist Jeremy Deller, center, and participants Esam Pasha, right, an Iraqi citizen, and Sgt. Jonathan Harvey, an Iraq war veteran (AP)

Jeremy Deller’s “It Is What It Is” at the New Museum is thought provoking, but visually spare. That’s because the installation consists mostly of people talking.

Subtitled “Conversations About Iraq,” the show facilitates intimate discussions among members of the general public and journalists, soldiers and Iraqi nationals sharing their experiences of the country.

At the press preview Wednesday, Sgt. Jonathan Harvey, an Iraq war veteran, discussed life on his base. One surprising detail he shared with reporters: There was organized entertainment every night for the soldiers on base, including a “Guitar Hero” tournament — but he was usually too tired from the day’s activities to participate.

By Ed Condran
Special to amNewYork
• Tracy Morgan is at Carolines on Thursday through Sunday.Tickets: $52.75

Tracy Morgan insists that he has metamorphosed.

In some ways, the comic-actor, who is a vital part of the critically acclaimed NBC sitcom ’30 Rock’ is on the money. Over the last year, Morgan says he has become clean and sober. He also split up with his wife of 23 years.

“I’m a much more responsible and mature person,” Morgan says while calling from his Midtown apartment. “I now see morning, noon and night. Before it was just night. It’s all changed now that I’m 40.”

By Margeaux Baulch Klein
Special to amNewYork

Get a life-size cut out of Fabio here.

Despite dwindling sales and massive layoffs, one segment of the publishing industry may prove to be recession-proof: the romance novel. In 2007, romantic fiction accounted for the largest share of the consumer book market in the U.S. with more than 1.3 billion in revenue. And with more people staying home and searching for cheaper sources of entertainment, insiders are betting on romance novels to weather the economic storm.

“With the economy crumbling, we’re all looking for the lighter side to life,” says Amy Pierpont, a senior editor at Grand Central Publishing. “And romance novels are about women and men overcoming obstacles - not just with their relationship, but in life - and coming together.”

And while much of the success of the genre can be attributed to their trademark happy endings, the affordability of the books, as well as their availability at mass merchandise chains, doesn’t seem to hurt either.

By Emily Hulme
• “The IT Crowd” airs Tuesdays at 11 p.m. on IFC.

The BBC’s “The IT Crowd” centers on three co-workers and friends: Roy and Moss are two socially awkward IT nerds, and Jen is their flaky but adorable manager. Together they help each other through life, finding themselves in new wacky situations weekly.

If that seems like a somewhat traditional sitcom setup, that’s because it was meant to be. In a television landscape where our half-hour comedies have turned into witty meta-commentaries, producer and writer Graham Linehan (“Father Ted”) wanted to see if the old way could still be entertaining.

“ ‘The Office’ [BBC version] was such a success that everyone thought that was the way it was going to go,” Linehan says. “I just felt that I didn’t want to see the death of the studio sitcom, so I really wanted to see if I could keep it alive, you know?”

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork
• “The Panic in Needle Park” is at Film Forum through Feb. 5. 209 W. Houston St., btwn Sixth Ave. and Varick St.

On paper “The Panic in Needle Park” — a romantic drama about two drug addicts living in and around Sherman Square, known in the early 1970s as Needle Park — should never really have worked.

When it was released in 1971 director Jerry Schatzberg was known primarily as a photographer. The screenwriters, Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, were essayists and novelists. They cast as their leads unknown stage actors named Kitty Winn and Al Pacino.

Now Film Forum is reviving the film. amNewYork spoke with Winn, long since retired from acting, about her memories of the production.

How did “The Panic in Needle Park” come your way?
I was performing in George Bernard Shaw’s “Saint Joan” at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and the producer Dominick Dunne came up and saw that production and then came back afterward with the script. He handed me the script and asked me if I would read it and I did.

By Emily Ngo
• “The Spy Factory” is on “NOVA” 8 p.m. tomorrow on PBS.

Amid swirling speculation about how the Obama administration will change surveillance policy comes “The Spy Factory,” a documentary about the National Security Agency and its wasted potential to prevent the 9/11 attacks.

The NSA, a secretive group with seemingly limitless surveillance capabilities, is charged with amassing wiretapped information about the hijackers, then failing to collaborate with the CIA and FBI. “The Spy Factory” is a fascinating look into “turf wars” of intelligence agencies.

Interview subject Mark Rossini, a native New Yorker and former FBI agent, was barred from sharing intelligence on two 9/11 attackers as he monitored them in Nairobi, Kenya. Rossini told amNewYork he would always regret his decision not to break the rules, leak the information and help to prevent the horrors of 9/11. “There is not a day in my life that I do not think about it,” he said.

Communication has improved since 2004, when Rossini co-founded the National Counterterrorism Center, but still up for debate are the ethics of warrantless wiretapping. Rossini said in the documentary: “The possibilities are endless once you can peer into somebody’s life.”

Gavin Creel (Claude) from "Hair" (AP)

By Julie Gordon

We’re pretty sure President Barack Obama’s social calendar is booked solid, but hopefully he’ll consider this plea from a cast member of the upcoming Broadway revival of “Hair.”

“I’m going to hang [Obama’s] picture on my mirror and stare at it every day and will him to come to the show,” actor Gavin Creel (Claude) told us at a meet-and-greet with the cast on Friday. “Then I’ll invite him to my dressing room for a glass of wine and we can talk about marriage equality and things that are important to me.”

Hair, dubbed "The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical," opens on March 31, with previews starting on March 6.

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

The Russian & Turkish Baths (RJ MIckelson/AMNY)

Unless you really love winter, the months of January and February are the bleakest on the calendar. The holidays have ended, spring is still far off and bitter cold greets anyone brave enough to step outside.

Fortunately, these NYC spots have come up with ways to cheer you up — taking your mind off the freezing weather with reminders of warmer, happier days.

New York Aquarium
502 Surf Ave. at W. Fifth St., Coney Island, 718-265-FISH
Adults $13, seniors $10, children (3 to 12) $9, groups (reserved two weeks in advance) $6, children under 2 and members FREE.
The diverse collection of marine life on display at the New York Aquarium offers the perfect opportunity to pretend you’re taking a walk on the beach or snorkeling somewhere in the Caribbean.

Russian & Turkish Baths
268 E. 10th St., btwn Ave. A and First Ave., 212-473-8806,
$30 for one-day admission pass.
A classic communal bathhouse experience, this East Village institution (around since 1892) boasts a Russian sauna, a redwood sauna, a Turkish room and an Aromatherapy room. It offers a great opportunity to escape the cold in a unique environment.

By Emily Hulme
• ‘The Third Mind’ is at the Guggenheim through April 19.

"The Letter," Mary Cassatt, 1890-91

One could probably spend at least half a day taking in “The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplate Asia, 1860-1989” at the Guggenheim.

The exhibit is a historical survey of American art, highlighting the Asian influence within. It’s a big theme applied to a wide-swath of history, and it brings together artists as diverse as Alfred Stieglitz, James Whistler, Yoko Ono, Robert Rauschenberg and Laurie Anderson.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

What could Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History and director of the Hayden Planetarium, have done to garner hate letters from countless elementary school children?

He was the head of the committee that demoted that far-out ice ball in the outer solar system, Pluto, from its status as a planet.

Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet (which is not considered a type of planet) and part of the Kuiper Belt, which is similar to an asteroid belt.

Recently, Tyson took what he knew about Pluto and turned it into a new book, “The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet.”

By Scott A. Rosenberg

• “Food Detectives” airs on Food Network Tuesday at 9 p.m., with “Chopped” following it at 10 p.m.

Octopus, duck and animal crackers.

Tofu, blueberries and oysters.

Avocado, tahini and bran flakes.

With lists of ingredients that could just as easily be for a “Fear Factor” cooking episode, “Chopped,” the new Food Network show, quickly separates itself from other cooking competition programs.

The show is hosted by Ted Allen, who rose to fame on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” before going to Food Network, where he was a recurring judge on “Iron Chef America” and the star of “Food Detectives.”

By Emily Hulme

• “Year of Fashion” part one is at ICP through May 3. Featuring “Edward Steichen: In High Fashion, The Condé Nast Years, 1923-1937,” “Weird Beauty: Fashion Photography Now,” “This is Not a Fashion Photograph” and “Munkacsi’s Lost Archive.”

Martin Munkacsi, "Tibor von Halmay and Vera Mahlke", ca. 1931

Flip through any style magazine, and you’ll see that contemporary fashion photography is about more than just the clothes.

Featuring stylized posing and deliberately contrived situations — chasing that “ugly-pretty,” as Tyra Banks says — these photos are as much about storytelling as selling clothes and accessories.

At least that’s the thesis of “Weird Beauty: Fashion Photography Now,” at the International Center of Photography.

The exhibit, which kicks off the “Year of Fashion” at ICP, examines the overlooked craft of fashion photography from both a historical and modern perspective.
Curator Vince Aletti makes the argument that fashion magazines possess “an incredible wealth of material that is very accessible to the public,” but don’t enjoy the attention that journalistic and artistic photography do.

By Julie Gordon

At this point, if you don’t already have plans, visiting D.C. for Barack Obama’s inauguration is out of the question. Not to worry. Plenty of New York organizations are throwing inaugural balls, parties and events on Tuesday.

Brooklyn Inaugural Ball
Tuesday, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The Bell House, 149 Seventh St., btwn Second and Third aves., Gowanus
Buy tickets: TicketWeb.com
$75
Help the community while you show your support for Obama. Proceeds from the Brooklyn Inaugural Ball benefit PS 261, a magnet school for the arts in Boerum Hill. The evening will feature a re-broadcast of Obama’s speech, wine, food, a show from spoken-word artist Karen Gibson Roc and live music.

White House Project Brunch and Watch Party
Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Caroline’s on Broadway, 1626 Broadway, btwn 49th and 50th sts.
RSVP: 212-261-4752 or kford@thewhitehouseproject.org
Donations accepted
Sure, Hillary Clinton didn’t win the Democratic presidential nomination, but her supporters will appreciate this Inauguration Day brunch and watch party held by nonprofit The White House Project, which seeks to train 36,000 women to run for office by 2013. The event, hosted by “Daily Show” creator Lizz Winstead, includes food and mimosas.

By Ed Condran
Special to amNewYork

• Sommore is at Carolines Friday through Sunday., Fri. 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Sat. 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.; Sun. 8 p.m., $45

There’s less of Sommore these days. The actress-comic dropped 11 pounds in 2008 courtesy of the reality series “Celebrity Fit Club.”

“I loved doing that show,” says Sommore, aka Lori Ann Rambough. “I got to have fun and lose weight.”

When the Trenton, N.J., native returns to Manhattan, she’s expecting more of the former and less of the latter.

A scene from "Mary and Max."

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

As the American economy falters and the film industry downsizes, it’s comforting to know that the Sundance Film Festival is still going strong. The 2009 edition of Robert Redford’s annual mountaintop paean to independent cinema features a robust selection of 118 feature films and plenty of accompanying star-studded events.

Look for our coverage of the festival, which starts Thursday and runs through Jan. 25, in print and on amNY.com. Here are five of the most hotly anticipated films premiering in Park City, all of which should find their way to NYC theaters in the coming month:

Ann Coulter (Getty)

By Julie Gordon

The women of “The View” are seething over the show’s main guest Monday — conservative pundit Ann Coulter.

“Why are you such a b----?” is the question co-host Joy Behar wants to ask Coulter, she said at an event for the New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend.

Co-host/comedian Whoopi Goldberg took a low blow at Coulter — literally.

“Are you blond on the top and on the bottom?” Goldberg sarcastically said of the question she’d pose to Coulter.

Coulter is on the ABC talk-show to promote her controversial new book “Guilty: Liberal ‘Victims’ and Their Assault on America,” whose second chapter focuses on how most of society’s major problems are the result of single motherhood.

Always the diplomat, “View” co-host and executive producer Barbara Walters said Coulter was invited on “The View” to represent a variety of opinions.

On the other end of the guest spectrum is Tom Cruise, who the five “View” co-hosts could not praise enough. Cruise was on the show last Friday to promote his new World War II-era film “Valkyrie,” took photos with and signed autographs for everyone in the audience who wanted one.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is getting a new crime-fighting partner – President-elect Barack Obama.

In issue No. 583 of “Amazing Spider-Man,” coming out on Wednesday – inauguration day - Obama and Spidey team up to battle long-time villain The Chameleon in a story by writer Zeb Wells and artist Todd Nauck and a special variant cover by Phil Jimenez.

By Ron Bishow
Special to amNewYork

If New Yorkers think the Rangers are tough, they’ve never seen a cowboy get thrown off and then stepped on by an angry animal. But that can all change this weekend when the Professional Bull Riders bring the Built Ford Tough Series Invitational to Madison Square Garden.

How it works
The competition is the elite series of the PBR, featuring 45 of the best bull riders in the world trying to stay on the back of a 2,000-pound bull for eight seconds.

Eight seconds may not sound like a lot, but it’s an eternity on top of a bull — and, if a rider can’t stay on that long, the score doesn’t count.

(Photo by RJ Mickelson)

For more with Henry Alford, click here.

Henry Alford is at Barnes & Noble Upper West Side on Thursday at 7 p.m.

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Wisdom is a nebulous term.

“There are nine million cajillion definitions,” says Henry Alford, author of “How to Live: A Search for Wisdom from Old People (While They Are Still on This Earth).” ”I think William James nailed it when he said, ‘Wisdom is knowing what to overlook.’ That gets as close to it. It’s such a big squishy topic that it’s really hard to nail it down into a succinct definition. It’s like saying, ‘What is beauty? What is truth?’”

But that didn’t stop Alford, 47, from his search. For his book, he spoke with more than 200 seniors in an attempt to discern wisdom, including the famous - Edward Albee, Doris "Granny D." Haddock – and regular people, including his mother and stepfather, who become major players in the book.

By Scott A. Rosenberg'

Westsider Books is your classic over-stuffed used bookshop (Ryan Thatcher)

From 1890 through to the 1960s, the area along and surrounding Fourth Avenue between Union Square and Astor Place was known as Book Row and was littered with countless used bookstores, large and small, filled with millions of secondhand tomes.

Much like any other classic treasure of New York City, Book Row fell to the wayside, with big box bookstores reigning supreme, though The Strand, opened in 1927, is still standing as a last vestige of a bygone time in it’s Broadway and 12th St. location it’s inhabited since the late 1950s.

Even though Book Row can only be found in the history books, New York City still has its share of used bookstores. Here’s a look at a few of the second-hand shops around Manhattan.

(Check out some of the used book store treasures we found here.)

By Scott A. Rosenberg

(Read our profile of Manhattan's used bookstores here.)

There are a lot of great deals to be found at used bookstores. Here’s a look at what I found spending less than $10 at each establishment. And I didn’t buy all of these, so keep an eye out.

• Book Off: “Wrigleyville” by Peter Golenbock ($8.50, SC) and “The Ruins” by Scott Smith ($1, SC): A nice look a the lovable losers from Chicago’s North side just in time for the upcoming baseball season, along with a great thriller from the author of “A Simple Plan.”

• Westsider: “Portnoy’s Complaint” by Philip Roth ($4, SC), “The Right to an Answer” by Anthony Burgess ($3, SC) and “Mickey Mouse: The First 50 Years” ($3, booklet): Roth’s classic is a must read and I’d never heard of that Burgess novel, so that was a nice fine. The Mickey Mouse booklet was filled with some interesting old images and is certainly the kind of think you’d never find at a Barnes & Noble.

• Housing Works: “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales” By Oliver Sacks ($6, HC), “Just So Stories” by Rudyard Kipling ($2, SC), “Trinity” by Leon Uris ($1, HC) and “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald ($1, SC): Finding Sacks’ book, in hard cover, for that price is a steal, as are the rest of these. The Uris book is a huge, thick vintage edition that will make you look smarter just by having in on your bookshelf.

• East Village: “A Complete Lowlife” By Ed Brubaker ($9, SC): Before becoming the writer who would killed Captain America, Brubaker was the writer/artist of this now out-of-print graphic novel of semi-autobiographical tales, which was a great deal at this price.

A "Sesame Street" look at the Subway

By Scott A. Rosenberg

Michael Davis is at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle Monday. 7:30 p.m., FREE.

Ask a 2-year-old who the president is and he might know. But if you ask the same child who his favorite celebrity is, he’ll likely have a red, furry answer.

“Elmo is the biggest rock star in the world for 2-year-olds,” says Michael Davis, author of the new book, “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street.” “They come out of the womb these days saying, ‘Elmo’ somehow. I don’t know how ‘Sesame’ does that.”

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

Backstage at Radio City Music Hall (RJ Mickelson/AMNY)

Millions of people go to Radio City Music Hall to see shows, but not nearly as many get to traipse through the backstage corridors walked by some of the world’s most famous entertainers.

And it’d be tough to find a New Yorker who hasn’t gawked at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, but how many of them actually know the history of the church?
This holiday season, take a behind-the-scenes tour of one of the city’s institutions.

Here’s a look at some of what the tours offer:

Radio City Music Hall
1260 Sixth Ave. at 50th St., 212-247-4777
Times: Monday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: general $17, seniors $14, children 12 and under $10
Radio City’s Stage Door Tour takes you high above Peter Clark’s renowned Great Stage into the famous Roxy Room and through the impressive Art Deco lobbies that make up the “Showplace of the Nation.”

Along the way, you’ll be treated to an informative tour, a funny video hosted by Billy Crystal and a visit from a Rockette.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York
33 Liberty St., btwn William and Nassau sts., 212-720-6130
Times: Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Cost: FREE, requires reservation, which can be made by calling, filling out an online form at ny.frb.org or emailing frbnytours@ny.frb.org
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York holds almost $194 billion of gold, and the only way to see it in person is through an official tour.

The brief but informative excursion begins in the bank’s free exhibit area and then descends five stories below street level, through a 90-ton steel door and into the vault. There, the guide explains the process with which the gold is categorized. You will also learn about the impressive security system, which transforms the vault into an impenetrable fortress.

Metropolitan Opera House
30 Lincoln Center Plaza, btwn 63rd and 64th sts., 212-362-6000
Times: 3:30 p.m. while the Met is in season (days vary)
Cost: general $15, members $13, students $8 (reservations required)
You’d never guess it from the lavish exterior or the imposing, six-story auditorium, but the world’s premier opera house also functions as a living workshop. It holds several warehouses worth of tools, props and costumes, not to mention sets from productions past and present.

On the Met’s Backstage Tour, you are given a firsthand view of the enormous behind-the-scenes operation required to put on one of the opera house’s elaborate, expensive productions.

By Ed Condran
Special to amNewYork
• DAG is at Comix Friday and Saturday, 8 & 10pm, $32.

It wasn’t easy for David Alan Grier to establish his amusing vehicle, “Chocolate News.” It took the versatile comic actor two years to develop and sell the show.

“If ‘The Onion’ and Tavis Smiley had a baby and it was funny, well, that’s what ‘Chocolate News’ is about,” Grier explains.

Comedy Central bought the concept and Grier spoofs serious news shows helmed by the likes of Smiley and Gil Noble. There are no sacred cows for Grier; on the show he has goofed on rappers and the iconic Maya Angelou.

By Scott Rosenberg

Here’s a novel idea -- instead of wasting money on some new electronic gift to give you your loved ones, why not present them with some old-school recreation: reading. Here are some tomes that will delight your friends and family.

For the bibliophile:
Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America
by Jay Parini
You’ve know the books, and likely read some of them as well. Now Parini puts in perspective, showing how books as diverse as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe to “The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care” by Dr. Spock changed the American landscape.

For the explorer:
Atlantic Ocean: The Illustrated History of the Ocean That Changed the World
by Martin W. Sandler
Sandler’s “Atlantic Ocean” is a beautiful tome that features a history-spanning look at the puddle dividing the Eastern and Western worlds. As much a history book as it is a coffee table book, “Atlantic Ocean” has some wonderful maps and images alongside the text for a nice, complete package.

For the gearhead:
The Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Archive Collection
by Darwin Holmstrom and Randy Leffingwell
Holmstrom and Leffingwell take a dip into the archives of the most famous motorcycle maker ever which is sure to make the hog lover in your life squeal with glee.

More after the jump.

By Scott A. Rosenberg
• Stella is at Nokia Theatre Times Square Tuesday and Wednesday. 8 p.m., $27.50.

NSFW

While Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black and David Wain have done well for themselves on their own, some of their finest moments come when they work together, having collaborated on “The State,” “Stella” and the cult-favorite film, “Wet Hot American Summer.”

The three funny men are reuniting for a tour of their comedy troupe Stella, formerly a nightclub variety act and a Comedy Central show that emphasized short videos.

Wain, 39, has made his name directing, helming “Wet Hot” and “The Ten,” as well as producing and starring in a popular Web-based series called “Wainy Days.”

amNewYork spoke with Wain, who recently rocked the box office with his latest directorial work, the raucous comedy “Role Models,” about the Stella tour.

By Edith Zimmerman
Metromix.com

On Dec. 5, 1933, the U.S. government ratified the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition. Except for the grim, gray old temperance ladies, Americans rejoiced. No more brain-eroding bathtub gin! No more lethal doses of alcoholic “medicine!”
So here we are, three-quarters of a century later, celebrating this terrific (if mostly pretend) holiday.

Thus, when the clock strikes 9 p.m. this Friday, put on your classiest ’30s-era duds and take a long, hard drink while toasting the men and women who worked hard to make that drink possible. And if you’d rather not do that in the privacy of your own home, here’s a list of speakeasy-esque bars and drinking venues where you can get your Repeal on.

By Emily Hulme
• "Pol Turgeon: Threshold of the Eye" is at Society of Illustrators through Jan. 4.

Shelter

Pol Turgeon wants to blow your mind.

The Montreal-based illustrator — who is the subject of a retrospective, “Threshold of the Eye,” at the Society of Illustrators — works in the realm of the fantastic and weird, inventing fanciful creatures that incorporate elements of the animal, vegetable and mechanical. The show is divided into three distinct parts: commercial commissions done for magazines and brochures, personal portraits and works designed for a dance performance orchestrated by performer Charmaine LeBlanc.

Whatever the impetus for his works, whether it be a commission from an airline or an illustration for a short story or even a creation for himself, Turgeon’s quirky style shines through. His figures, hybrid human/animal/machines rendered in strong reds, greens and blues, are cobbled together from a collage of parts. These creations make reference to nature, but could never exist there. To accompany a piece about computer security, the 1999 work “Guard Dog” depicts a watchdog’s head atop a wire cage holding a key. The dog stands guard in an abstract landscape that acknowledges the world of computing while taking the viewer far beyond.

More after the jump.

"The Real World: Brooklyn" cast, from left to right, Devyn (holding dog Brooklyn), Sarah, Chet, Ryan, Baya, Katelyn, Scott and J.D. (RJ Mickelson/amNY)

By Julie Gordon

There's a little online dispute about the number of "Real World: Brooklyn" cast members staying in NYC after the show ends. Well, we were at the Red Hook loft earlier today, and we got the answer: Four.

Three of them are living together — Devyn, Baya and Scott — and already got an apartment in Stuyvesant Town they'll soon be inhabiting. Here's what they, and their other former castmates, will be doing while in NYC:

Devyn, 20, Kansas City, Mo.
Wants to pursue an acting and singing career, and is signed on as a spokesmodel for an up-and-coming fashion designer

Baya, 21, Salt Lake City
Trying to be a professional hip-hop dancer

Scott, 23, Salem, N.H.
Continuing with modeling pursuits (he was already given a best abs award by Men's Health)

Chet, 23, Salt Lake City
Hopes to be a host of a "Total Request Live"-style show

By Scott A. Rosenberg
• An original manuscript of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" is on display at the New York Public Library's Humanities and Social Sciences Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street through Jan. 4. FREE. Hours: Mon. and Thurs.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tues. and Wed. 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.

Bookstores can expect a huge boost today as a new book in J.K. Rowling’s juggernaut “Harry Potter” universe is released.

“The Tales of Beedle the Bard” first existed as an invention of Rowling’s in the seventh and final volume of the series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” The author then produced a real-life, ultra-limited seven-edition run, each hand-written and illustrated by Rowling herself, distributed to six friends. The seventh copy was given to her charity, Children’s High Level Group, which sold the book in auction to Amazon.com for nearly $4 million.

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork
Melvin Van Peebles’ “Story of a 3-Day Pass” and “Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-Itchy Mutha” are screening at the Museum of Modern Art Monday. “Pass” 6:15pm; “Mutha” 8pm, $10.

In 1971, Melvin Van Peebles changed the film world forever when he directed, wrote and starred in “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” the movie credited with introducing the Blaxploitation genre.

It also provided a blueprint for the creation of financially viable independent cinema that has been followed by multiple successors.

By Ron Bishow
Special to amNewYork

(Phil S. Kropoth)

If you haven’t had a chance to visit Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because it’s, well, in Cleveland, you’re in luck. It has come to you.

A $10 million Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex, located at 76 Mercer St. in SoHo, officially opens Dec. 2. The Annex pays tribute to all the artists that have been inducted into Cleveland’s Hall of Fame while also giving special acknowledgment to New York’s music scene.

NYC’s musical influence
The “New York Rocks” exhibit features artifacts including the notebook in which Billy Joel wrote all the lyrics for “The Stranger,” the awning from CBGB, John Lennon’s Record Plant piano and clothing worn by Blondie and The Ramones. There is also a 26-foot scale model of Manhattan, which marks 24 key music locations with lights.

“We also try to trace where music began and connect it to where it is today, like how James Brown leads to 50 Cent,” said James Henke, vice president of exhibitions and cultural affairs for the museum.

More after the jump.

By Emily Hulme
• At The Morgan Library, through Jan. 4.

John Leech, "Third Visitor or the Ghost of Christmas Present," (detail) original watercolor illustration for Charles Dickens', "A Christmas Carol," first edition, 1843.

Everyone knows the story of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Whether it’s from Disney’s cartoon interpretation, Bill Murray in “Scrooged” and other countless movie versions, or a reading of the actual novella, people are familiar with the tale of a haunted miser who finds redemption on Christmas Day.

Each year around the holidays, The Morgan Library invites the public to come straight to the source with its display of Dickens’ original manuscript, acquired by Pierpont Morgan between 1890-1900. It’s a perennial favorite with museum-goers, and, in fact, the book has been popular since it was first published in 1843.

“In a week it sold 6,000 copies [the entirety of its first print run],” says Declan Kiely, The Morgan’s curator of literary and historical manuscripts. “It became a sort of instant classic.”

More after the jump.

By Ted Geoghegan
Special to amNewYork

The literary market, like all others, is stumbling in the midst of a financial crisis, but that doesn’t mean that legions of publishers aren’t still hungry to pick up the “next big thing.” Hoping to score the next Twilight or Harry Potter, publishers are all seeking success in a variety of genres, although given recent hits, nothing is currently quite as hot as horror and fantasy.

These five fresh authors are rising through the ranks on several must-read lists. Some have already appeared on the scene, while others are taking their first wary steps toward literary renown. Readers are ready for the next big thing, and all of these show potential to be just that. Will 2009 be their year to shine?

List after the jump.

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

Despite an acclaimed documentary, “The Times of Harvey Milk,” which celebrated his legacy as the first openly homosexual person to hold elected office in the United States, Harvey Milk is barely acknowledged in most mainstream historical discourse.

Now, 30 years after his assassination at the hand of fellow San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White and amidst the polarizing debate over the passage of California’s Proposition 8, Harvey has begun to get the appreciation he’s always deserved.

By Julie Gordon

Hated “Hills” couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt finally tied the knot.
Montag, 22, and Pratt, 25, wed in a secret ceremony in Mexico on Nov. 20, gossip site PerezHilton.com reported Monday. The pair’s wedding photos and an interview are also featured in Us magazine, out Wednesday.

A rep for Montag and Pratt said Monday that reports were "news to me," and would not confirm anything.

By Kara Warner
Special to amNewYork

For most of the population, the hullabaloo over the book-series-turned-movie “Twilight” has gone unnoticed.

A teenage romance about vampires? What’s the big deal? Take it from this writer who, after reading all four books, observed 10,000 screaming girls descend upon the male-dominated San Diego Comic Con last summer. It is a big deal. Or it’s about to be, when the movie opens this weekend.

By Elaine Paoloni
Special to amNewYork

A rendering of the rink at the Seaport

Spinning on the ice in Rockefeller Center or Central Park may be what winter dreams are made of. But if you forego the iconic imagery, you can also escape the tourist crowds. So whether you can land a double axel like Michelle Kwan or are more of a human Zamboni, sweeping the ice with your rear, check out some of the city’s “other” ice rinks.

1. Long Island City
47-32 32nd Pl.
718-706-6667
Scheduled to open around Thanksgiving through May
$5 weekdays, $8 weekends; $6 skate rental
Set up on a rooftop, the brand-new City Ice Pavilion is an NHL-sized ice-skating dome. Public skating will be offered daily, and open hockey sessions will also be scheduled. In addition, there will be skating classes and a youth hockey league. Individuals and organizations can rent out the space out for special events, including birthday parties. And if you’re worried about running out of energy on the ice, rest assured there will be a coffee bar and a snack bar to refuel.

More after the jump.

By Ed Condran
Special to amNewYork
• Mario Cantone is at Carolines on Broadway Friday through Sunday. Fri and Sat 8pm. and 10:30pm; Sun 8pm, $38

This video is NSFW.

There is a certain price to pay for fame. Just ask Mario Cantone about the thrill of being recognized.

Strangers often approach the comic/actor — who scored acclaim for his portrayal of a wedding planner with attitude in the TV series and film “Sex and the City” — along the streets and tunnels of Manhattan.

Directed by: Danny Boyle
3.5 stars
Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan

By Mina Hochberg

Danny Boyle has directed two outstanding films since “28 Days Later” opened in 2002, but he’s still best known for his zombie movie and, of course, “Trainspotting.”

Which is what makes “Slumdog Millionaire,” a dazzling modern-day fairy tale set in India, that much more of an admirable feat. Once again, Boyle applies his hyper-kinetic style to snap you into a world crackling with color, danger and a seductive vitality. This time, though, the story doesn’t star druggies or corpses.

By Kara Warner
Special to amNewYork

Though David Thewlis didn’t set out to become an actor, he has enjoyed 28 successful years in the business, complete with dozens of high profile films to his credit — Mike Leigh’s award-winning “Naked,” “The Big Lebowski” and, perhaps his most recognizable role, Professor Lupin in the “Harry Potter” franchise. 

Thewlis’ in-between-Potter project is “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” in theaters now, a film based on the book of the same name, set during WWII. 

Joe the Plumber (real name Samuel Wurzelbacher) had quite the New York nightlife experience on Saturday night.

Wurzelbacher and pals got lost en route to Jay-Z’s high-class 40/40 club, stopping at Flatiron bar Live Bait for a pit stop and directions before evenutally finding their way to the club, he told us yesterday via phone from Cincinnati. The two bars are a few blocks from each other.

“Wow, it’s intense,” said Wurzelbacher, describing the city’s scene. “It’s just a lot for a country boy.”

The country’s most famous “plumber” said 40/40 was a blast, he liked the music “everybody was super nice” and his name was even announced over the loudspeaker.
Wurzelbacher was in town taping a guest spot on Mike Huckabee’s FOX News show.

By Julie Gordon

Now that Kim Cattrall has prematurely confirmed a “Sex and the City” sequel, our minds are churning with potential storylines (Though, to be fair, a rep for New Line Cinema said involved parties are “only in discussions at this point”).

1. In season 5 of the TV show, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) says, “In New York City, you are always looking for a job, a boyfriend or an apartment.” Well, in the movie, our lucky heroine gets all three, leading us to think she’ll lose one in the sequel. Since the first film focuses so much on love, we predict a Carrie work crisis will take up a chunk of sequel screen-time.

By Robert Levin
Special to amNewYork

Unless you’re a big fan of the movie “Replicant” or if just hearing the words “Wake of Death” conjures up rosy memories, you’ve probably spent at least some part of the past nine years wondering what Jean-Claude Van Damme has been doing.

From the mid ’80s through the late ’90s, Van Damme, 48, achieved international stardom with such immortal action fare as “Bloodsport” and “Street Fighter,” and one could reasonably expect that he’d headline at least one or two new theatrically released flicks each year.

Continued after the jump.

By Kara Warner

Reality TV junkies and foodies have reason to rejoice. Bravo’s Emmy-nominated culinary competition “Top Chef” kicks off its fifth New York-based season on Wednesday. To celebrate the occasion, we’re taking a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the show tick and how our fair city adds its special flavor into the high stakes drama.

For those unfamiliar with the show, each episode features chefs of various backgrounds and specialties competing against each other in two challenges. One is the “quick fire,” in which contestants have to cook a dish or are tested on culinary techniques using specific ingredients or a theme in under an hour. The second is the larger scale “elimination challenge,” which often requires one or more courses and that the contestants be divided into teams for completion.

By Ed Condran
Special to amNewYork
• Brian Regan is at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall on Sunday, 8pm, $32-$64.50.
• For a full schedule of the New York Comedy Festival, running through Sunday, log on to www.nycomedyfestival.com.

Clever, clean and unpredictable sums up Brian Regan’s comedy. The veteran observational comic, who has been on the circuit since 1980, will perform Sunday at the Lincoln Center as part of the New York Comedy Festival.

The former Heidelberg College football player recently took some time while lounging around his Las Vegas home to chat about his return to New York City.

Continued after the jump.

By Julie Gordon
jgordon@am-ny.com
• "Dancing with the Stars" is on ABC at 8pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Lance Bass has played a lot of roles as of late: Actor, dancer, singer, poster boy for gay youth.

And while the “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, 29, does feel a responsibility to speak out on behalf of gay rights, he’s most comfortable keeping his personal life relatively private.

Hence, a pledge never to do reality TV, but a desire to continue with his first creative love: Acting.

Continued after the jump.