The comedy “It’s a Disaster” starring Julia Stiles — definitely no disaster — opens the 12th. She explains it:
“We’re four couples in LA. I play a perpetual singleton who brings my newest paramour to lunch. It’s a disaster film. The premise is the world’s ending. We have three hours to live.”
And this is a comedy?
“Yes. About how we decide to live our final hours. Everyone gets drunk and reacts differently. My character makes a homemade cocktail. I play the first responder. People are having illnesses, and I matter-of-factly say, ‘Well, I’m not on call today.’ My coping mechanism is to focus on my date.
“In real life, I’d be in disbelief. Terrified to accept reality. I’d like to think I’m great in crisis. But I’m an emotional turbulent person. Thin skin. Sensitive. In this film, I dwell in denial. On mundane things. In any case, the screening audience was laughing. They loved it.”
Then: “This filmed in LA, and now I’m here. The minute the plane flies over New York, my lungs expand. I begin to breathe. I’m now talking about maybe doing Neil LaBute’s two plays in rep. ‘Reasons To Be Happy’ and ‘Reasons To Be Pretty,’ his earlier one and later one. It would be two different shows. One at matinee, one in evening.
“I try to stay focused. I’m critical about my work and I nitpick easily. I also know to perform your best you must look your best so I try not to get fat, but I really do love a good meal.”
Julia Stiles needn’t worry. She’s stunning. And about her romantic life?
“No time.”
WHILE TV battles Leno, Letterman, Fallon, Kimmel, Conan and Seth, plus Lauer and Curry plus Stephanopoulos and Robin plus Charlie with Gayle, plus vanishing Oprah and ascending Anderson and there’s always Katie Couric and whatthehell’s CNN doing with Erin Burnett — Mrs. Judith Sheindlin or, as 10 million viewers weekly know her, Judge Judy — quietly marches on.
While other 70-year-olds are into colonoscopies, the Queen Bee of daytime’s hive just signed for four more years. The celebration? A personal guarantee that her staff, lacking a salary increase since 2009, would get a raise for each of the next years.
NYC COP-in-chief Ray Kelly’s NYC Police Foundation dinner honoring NYC builder Arnold Fisher raised $3 million. Best-dressed: Mrs. Veronica Kelly, whose “outfit malfunction” meant pulling something fast from her closet in black silk. Also NYC chairlady Valerie Salembier, who pulled a bronze ball gown from NYC’s Joanna Mastroianni. And best guest: NYC’s Jon Stewart, waving unpaid parking tickets and asking Kelly: “Do you validate?”
CHARLIE Rose on TV’s morning show kerfuffles: “We’re up 40 percent. As the new kid on the block, it caused viewers with allegiance to sample something else.”. . . For the Creative Coalition’s anti-bullying campaign, Judah Friedlander told Staten Island schoolers about his childhood bullies in Queens . . . Tania Grossinger’s kids’ book “Jackie and Me: A Very Special Friendship” is out in time for the 15th, Jackie Robinson Day. Their palship began when she was growing up at Grossinger’s.
GWYNETH won’t lessen acting but will fatten her Goop site. Plumping up, not her bones, but her lifestyle clothes output . . . Which brings up Lena Dunham, who has no desire to be a supermodel (like it’s a possibility), “But I hate to go through public life just because I have a big bust”. . . Which brings up Zooey Deschanel’s “I feel I always have to look perfect.”
CHINA’s buying up New York’s flats while New York’s buying up China’s art. Standout at Park Avenue armory’s 33rd AIPAD show — covering photography’s 170-year history — was Shangahi’s first-timer M97 Gallery. Steven Harris’ booth showed talents like Luo Dan, whose wet plate collodian process captures the simplicity of his spiritual community. US galleries show their same stuff constantly while, dealers mumble: “Nice to see something never seen before.”
HAVING once rented Paul McCartney’s house, Adele will spend more time in LA. Not necessarily bunking with his Sirness, but because “It’s good for my son, Angelo.”. . . Remember Bob Hope? His 23,000-square-foot Palm Springs house is finally up for grabs, if you can grab together $50 mil . . . “Kinky Boots” cost $13.5 mil to mount. For a B’way musical today, producer Daryl Roth says that’s “cheap.”. . . At Patsy’s celebrating her new book “Unsinkable,” Debbie Reynolds.
ARCHITECT Peter Marino, who redoes global sites like kingly palaces, dwells in East 50s splendor. Meticulous, he suddenly ruled against white floral arrangements. Accent on Flowers immediately selected coral sweet peas. Beautiful. Perfect. Inexplicably they turned white. Next delivery? Pink tulips. They slowly faded to white. Longtime florist Andy shipped in burgundy orchids. Gorgeous. As never ever before, they paled. Turned white.
Mrs. Marino said it’s a curse. Mr. Marino’s remark is not clear. However, he now has a houseful of white bouquets.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.