CELEB SIGHTINGS 42

7/22/15  Wonderful Olympic figure skater Tai Babilonia at the opening night of A Night With Janis Joplin at the Pasadena Playhouse.  I don’t even want to tell you how long we’ve known each other, so trust me when I tell you that girl does not age!!!  (Singer extraordinaire Melissa Manchester was there, too, that night, but I didn’t see her until the after-party.) (If you missed my review of this whole fabulous night, click here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatremusic-one-night-with-janis-joplin.)

Dick Van Dyke, alongside a stunning work painted by his grandson. Photo by INAM staff.

7/25/15  Dick Van Dyke at the Malibu Art Festival.  I was actually looking for him, (because he’s always there with his artist grandson,) to tell him how much I loved the recent video of him dancing barefoot around his house…at 89 years of age!  No wonder he has a much younger wife! I finally spotted him, but he was sitting with his fam and having a snack, so I just could not intrude on them. (If you’re curious as to why Mr. X and I were at the fair to begin with, just click here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/special-day-my-anniversary-with-la-again.)

Ioannis-Icarus Melissanidis.

7/26/15 Nathan Lane and Steve Martin, (not together though,) at the opening night of the painfully sad play Bent at downtown LA’s Mark Taper Forum. Nathan was just chatting with a pal, (rocking a hat that I hope he took off during the show, unless he was sitting in the last row, so no one would have to struggle behind him,) but Steve was being rude to a sweet young girl fan. Disappointing, although I kind-of already knew that about him. (If you missed my review of the play, click here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-bent.)

7/28/15 I was excited to meet a star in the world of the Olympics! Gymnastics floor exercise Gold Medalist from the1996 Atlanta games, Ioannis-Icarus Melissanidis,performed his one-man show, Sisyphus, in Beverly Hills, and we got to chat a bit after it. Talk about not letting yourself go! That guy should be playing a Greek god! (For all the deets on Ioannis, and his show, click here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-sisyphus.)

Lily Tomlin and Sam Elliott. Photo by Flo Selfman.

8/14/15  Very working actor Denis O’Hare, (most recently from American Horror Story,) just strolling down Argyle Avenue in Hollywood, across the street from the valet entrance of the W Hollywood.  He was just in shorts and a cap, and wasn’t walking with urgency.  Wonder where he was going on that barren street?

8/14/15  My former plane-seat-mate, Lily Tomlin, and Sam Elliott, speaking after an industry screening of their new film, Grandma, in Hollywood.  Lily was as entertaining as expected, but Sam got several laughs with just a word or two, which was surprising to me.  I’ve never understood people’s attraction to him, but the older women in the audience were going nuts over every word he uttered!

Brian Wilson, watching the Mets game on the TV at the deli. A man after my own heart! Photo by INAM staff.

8/18/15  None other than the uber-talented Beach Boy, Brian Wilson, having a bowl of soup in the awful Glen Deli in Bel-Air.  I hadn’t seen him up in the Glen Center in quite awhile, so it was good to spot him there again.  And I was having a (way too expensive) snack with a surfer girl!  How’s that for synergy?!

8/22/15  Sir Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson speaking after an industry screening of their new film, Learning To Drive, in Beverly Hills.  It was a pleasure to see two actors who are not only multiple-time collaborators, but also close friends in real life. Very charming.

9/9/15  Life Goes On actor, Ray Buktenica, at a postal center in Sherman Oaks. He was sending show biz memorabilia to a fundraising event in Ohio. Very mensch-y of him! (If you missed my column about it, please, please, please check it out here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/upcoming-eventcharity-skate-for-evans-sake.)