CELEB SIGHTINGS 32—WINTER 2014

Of course, spotting celebrities in star-studded Los Angeles is an every-day occurrence. But it’s most interesting to me when I see someone either out of the norm, or at an unusual location, such as a house party. (See the third one down.)

So, here are the highlights of the ones I noticed over the last two months or so:

Jane Seymour and Sue Wong.

1/31/14 Old school actress Jane Seymour at designer Sue Wong‘s historic home, the Cedars, in Los Feliz, for her Chinese New Year’s celebration. Although I don’t personally like Jane, (she was rude to me several times many years ago when I was pals with her teen-age daughters,) I have to admit that she does look great, especially for a woman in her sixties!

2/7/14 The fabulous original hot chick actress, Angie Dickinson, having dinner at a very popular Sherman Oaks eatery with adorable sitcom actor, Ray Buktenica, and a funny female friend. The three of them were laughing up a storm!

2/9/14 TV and radio host, Rob Weller, at a private party celebrating fifty years of the Beatles, in Beverly Hills. (If you missed it, you can read all about it here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/party-debbie-gendler-supniks-beatles-fiftieth-anniversary-party.)

Chelsie Hightower. Photo by Karen Salkin.

2/13/14 So many real celebrities at Doris Bergman’s fabulous pre-Valentine’s Day bash at the Fig and Olive in Beverly Hills! And I talked to all of them, including Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance, Lou Gossett Jr., Chelsie Hightower, Charlene Tilton, and the best yet–Cheech and Chong…together!!! What a coup for Doris!

2/28/14 Former astronaut (not to mention Dancing With The Stars alumnus) Buzz Aldrin, and Sex and the City star, Willie Garson (aka Carrie Bradshaw’s best friend, Stanford Blatch,) at the Wow Creations Oscars gifting suite at the Luxe Hotel in Beverly Hills. Having never seen the latter show, when one of the organizers of the event introduced us to Willie as he was walking in, I just assumed he was a press person, especially since he was so unassuming and not full-of-himself, but by the time we left the suite, my intern, Stephanie, figured-out where she knew him from, and let me in on it.

2/28/14 As I was entering the Pasadena Playhouse for a private, invite-only performance of Gene Kelly, The Legacy, I came upon Michael Feinstein and Michelle Lee having a great time giggling together.

3/1/14 Not a celebrity per se, but a newly-minted Oscar winner, Chris Munro, at the Secret Room Oscars suite at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. We noticed him because my friend thought his wife was Judi Dench. When he won the next night, I noticed the wife again, and got excited that we had almost met them at the suite.

3/12/14 Jason Alexander (sporting quite the thick head of “hair” on his bald pate,) and Airplane‘s Julie Haggerty, (though not together,) at LA’s Ahmanson Theatre on opening night of the new musical Harmony. But the big excitement of the evening came at the curtain call when composer Barry Manilow came out to address the crowd, telling us that it was one of the happiest nights of his life.

3/23/14 This one is for those of you who were fans of ’80s TV shows: At the Pasadena Playhouse, on opening night of Song of Twilight, my guest, who’s knowledgable in old-time television, spotted these peeps: Dennis Franz, Ed Begley, Jr., and Daphne Zuniga. I never saw their shows, but I know who they are for different reasons: the last one because she played Brooke’s mom on One Tree Hill, Ed because he was my first guest on a shopping show I hosted several years ago, (don’t ask—it was a nightmare experience, all the way around,) and Dennis because we hung-out a bit when I was really young and living in another country. I wonder if he would have remembered that, and I was going to ask him about it at the after-party, but I never saw him there.