Be a Star

We've always thought the downside to being a celeb must be dealing with the paparazzi. Who wants to go out for the morning Starbucks in sweats, sans makeup and get photographed? But we must admit we're intrigued by the Celeb 4 a Day personal paparazzi service.

Basically you hire your own paparazzi for an hour ($250) or an evening (up to $1,500) and a pack of photographers follow you around, shouting out questions (you supply them with appropriate dirt, like crushes, jobs, vacations, etc.). We imagine this must give you an edge when it comes to getting in a club. (Though following our guidelines accomplishes the same and you don't have to spend $250.)

Our SO would definitely get a kick out of this--he was just joking around with his friend the other day that he would make better fodder for US and Life & Style than most of the celebs. (He would!) We considered surprising our friend Heidi with the service on her upcoming birthday, but unfortunately the service is only available in Austin, LA and San Francisco at the moment. Fame will just have to wait!

Priscilla Queen of the Desert Manolo Blahnik's

Priscilla Queen of the Desert is now a Broadway musical, filled with eye-popping costumes, the best 1970s dance tunes and fabulous dance numbers to go along with them. In Australia, where it takes place and the show opened, it holds the record for the most successful musical ever.

In celebration of all that glam, Manolo Blahnik created a silver patent leather Mary Jane high-heeled shoe with a Swarovski crystal button. A giant version of the shoe makes an appearance in and on Priscilla (the van), and you can buy one in your size at the flagship store in New York.

A Manolo Blahnik-designed silver shoe charm is available at the Palace Theater, Priscilla Queen of the Desert's home.

A portion of the sale of each benefits Bette Middler's New York Restoration Project. The group is near and dear to us as it takes care of the park down the street from our home.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert opens on March 20. Buy tickets here.

Shoe photos are courtesy of TheaterMania.com

Priscilla Queen of the Desert Review

Thanks to Swarovski, we had the opportunity to catch the Saturday night performance of Priscilla Queen of the Desert on Broadway. It's a fun-filled romp that follows three drag queens on a road trip across Australia. The costumes were created by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, the same folks who won the Oscar in for the costumes from the film in 1994. (Lizzy, as you may remember, wore a dress she made out of American Express gold cards.) The duo must be the shoo-in for this year's Tonys as there are countless costume changes including Divas, a Tina Turner impersonator, Madonna, and giant cupcake dresses to name a handful.

It would take too long to note all the fabulousity in this show: the giant disco ball, the techno-color Priscilla bus, the over-sized Swarovski-sequined Manolo Blahnik atop Priscilla and the out of this world costumes. But what we loved the most was all the scantily clad boys who were shaking their groove thing through the first act (you can catch a glimpse of what we're talking about about 10 seconds in on the left side of the video above). The boys are still there in Act 2, but, unfortunately, are wearing more clothes.

Most of the songs in Priscilla are familiar crowd pleasers, including with "It's Raining Men", "Material Girl", "I Say a Little Prayer," and "I Will Survive". The story is sweet as the lead Tick/Mitzi, played by the hunky Will Swenson, frets about meeting his young son for the first time and fellow drag queen Bernadette falls in love. A few of the jokes were over our straight heads, though it may have been related to the Australian accents and not our sexual orientation.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert would make a great first stop on a bachelorette party or a birthday night out in NYC. All those nearly naked boys are far hotter and more entertaining than at any strip club we've ever been to.

The only thing we missed was the Manolo necklace charm that we wrote about previously. We thought it would be on sale in the lobby, but none of the clerks knew what we were talking about. We're investigating...

Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig Live and On Stage

Last night we went to see A Steady Rain with Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig. We'll be honest and say we only went to see the show because of their combined hotness. And the stars--who both made People's Sexiest Men Alive 2008 list--did not disappoint. We went in liking them both equally. We left understanding why Hugh was on the cover of last year's issue or People and Daniel was relegated to the inside. Simply put: He's beautiful.

As for the play...meh. It was the two of them, and the two of them only, on stage for 90 minutes in a cop drama. The acting was strong, but the plot was weak and predictable. We could tell what was going to happen about 15 minutes in. What impressed us the most, aside from Hugh's backside, was that neither Hugh nor Daniel required a glass of water throughout the entire play. Now that's endurance!

After the show, Hugh and Daniel remained on stage to do their pitch for Broadway Cares, Equity Fights Aids. To raise money, they auctioned off the sweaty wife beaters they each wore under their shirts throughout the show. (Yes, we were dying inside.) Included in the deal was a backstage tour and they also offered to autograph their tank tops. We tried to convince our friend, Laura, that the wifebeaters would make a perfect wedding gift, but no dice. (She didn't think our fiancé would appreciate them.)

The tanks eventually sold for $3,000 to two lucky bidders who generously agreed to take one wifebeater each. We think Hugh's should have sold for more!

Gap's All American T-Shirts to Celebrat the Met Ball

When you're in the Big Apple later this month for a Sex and the City screening add a visit to the Metropolitan Museum, to view the American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity collection. It opened last night to much fanfare during the the Costume Institute Gala Benefit's co-chair, Oprah Winfrey and Patrick Robinson. Patrick is the creative director for the Gap and to celebrate, he created a limited edition line of "All American" T-Shirts that echo the different displays in the exhibits.

That's the Screen Siren, above. It looks just as good coming as it does going. The T-shirts are available at the Gap.

Glee on Tour!

Thanks to NYMag for alerting us to the very exciting news that Glee is going on tour! True Gleeks will want to follow Rachel, Finn, Quinn, Mercedes, Puck, et al on the four city tour that starts in Phoenix on May 18 before heading to L.A., Phoenix, then ending at NYC's Radio City on May 28 and 29th. Don't Stop Believin'! Tickets go on sale March 13!

Rodarte Exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt

Headed to NYC for Fashion Week? Make sure to spend some time at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum to check out the Rodarte exhibit. The funky designs of Kate and Laura Mulleavy, who established their line in 2005, belong in a museum, the sisters have various design influences from California Condors, Boris Karloff as Frankenstein, land art and Japanese horror films and perhaps the Amargosa Opera House.

The exhibition runs February 11 through March 14.

Fela! Review

I went in to Fela! with high expectations.  When I mentioned on my Facebook status update and on twitter that I was headed to the show, numerous people responded enthusiastically that they loved it, had told friends about it, that it was AMAZING. I've also heard Fela! is popular with celebs--Jay-Z and Jada Pinkett and Will Smith are all producers. One Facebook friend said she saw Gayle King, Alan Rickman and Spike Lee in the audience. We spotted Denzel Washington one row behind us.

Fela! is more of a interactive, multimedia experience than a traditional Broadway musical. The entire theater is set to look like a club with lights strewn all about and patrons are encouraged to take cocktails to their seats. The actors dance through the aisles and part of the stage extends into the seats (We were lucky enough to be seated right next to this catwalk.). There's a portrait that moves (think Harry Potter) and film clips and subtitles are shown throughout the show; at times it was hard to know where to focus my attention with so much going on.

The dancing and athleticism is BEYOND. It's truly a delight to watch Fela's "queens" who represent his 27(!) wives shake their booties and shimmy their hips. Each woman has her own body type (athletic and short, tall and skinny) and it's a pleasure to watch them move. The guys are just as sexy, with six packs to spare and one gent shows off impressive lung power by singing while hanging upside down from a ladder. My hubby and I both felt inspired to get our butts to the gym--guess that's why Crunch gym created the Fela! class.

The music, the majority of which is Fela's own, is impossible to sit still to. In fact, Fela gives a dance lesson to the audience and you're also invited to sing a long at parts. While I enjoyed this, I couldn't help but wonder how this went over on the older members of the audience.

My big gripe with Fela is that the story barely scrapes the surface. Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musical revolutionary. (I don't want to even get into telling his story because I'm sure I won't do it justice. Read the New York Time's recap of his life.) For example, when Fela asks a group of several women to marry him, they initially scoff, then form a huddle, then say yes after taking less time than Drew Brees to call a play. The time line was hard to follow with flashbacks and dream sequences. I know I wasn't the only one to feel this way; a woman behind me asked after the end of Act I why there was no curtain call. The play has two acts.

In the end, I guess the spirit of Fela is more important than the details and this show has personality, energy and passion in spades.

On Our Radar: Cartier at San Francisco's Legion of Honor

Cartier is celebrating 100 years in America with a drool-inducing retrospective of the house's most famous jewels at San Francisco's Legion of Honor. Among the jewels on display in the Cartier in America exhibit are Wallis Simpson's Flamingo brooch, made of diamonds, emeralds, rubies and citrines, given to her by the Duke of Windsor, the "Tutti Frutti" diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire necklace once owned by Daisy Fellowes, the Singer sewing heiress, and the bracelets worn by Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard.

The exhibit runs through April 18, 2010. There are no current plans to show it again, so catch it while you can!

Thinking about going? Check out the Taj Hotel's Campton Place Jewels and the Crown package. It includes two nights at the hotel, two VIP tickets to the Cartier in America show and daily breakfast starting at $498.

Barbie Has Cankles?

Our jaw dropped when we read in Monday's WWD that shoe designer Christian Louboutin was redesigning Barbie—she of the 39-21-33 figure—because, as his spokesperson says, "He found her ankles were too fat.” While we might covet the mini Louboutin boxes for the shoes that reportedly come with the trimmer Barbie, we definitely won't be buying this doll for any of the girls in our life. Louboutin should stick to designing shoes—and champagne glasses for variety.

Virgin America's Fly Girls

Back when we were teens, we wanted to grow up to be flight attendants. Our mom talked us out if it. (Fortunately? Unfortunately? We're still not sure.) Regardless, we'll def be tuning into Fly Girls on the CW when it premiers later this year. According to one article, the show "will take place over eight half-hour episodes, looking at the on-the-go lives of five Virgin America flight attendants who jet to locations such as Las Vegas, Miami and New York." We can't wait!

Bachelorette Party Ideas: Shows and a Night Out in Vegas

We've booked our plane tix to Vegas for Annie's bachelorette party, now we're trying to figure out what trouble we'll get into while we're in town, a Thursday through a Sunday. Our group on Thursday looks to be the smallest, so we're considering a show.

Of course when you think show in Vegas, Cirque de Soleil comes to mind first. Annie has already seen "O", so that was ruled out. After that, we're concerned about which casino the show is in. Getting cabs can be a pain when casino hopping, not to mention a buzz kill. We know we want to go somewhere we can multi-task: See a show, eat dinner and hit a club.

Topping our list is Criss Angel's Believe (or it was til we found out Criss is off the night we're in town). The show, described as a, "haunting exploration deep inside the inventive mind of mystifier Criss Angel as he hovers between the land of the living and a surreal," made the cut because it's at Luxor and we're curious to check out the new Cathouse Lounge.





Next on the list is KA, at the MGM Grand. Its acrobatic feats, Capoeira dance and martial arts sound sexy. Plus, we would like to dine at Joel Rubuchon's restaurant at the MGM and there are enough clubs in the hotel, we're bound to find one we like.






Then there's Le Reve at the Wynn. It's created by Franco Dragone and we don't know much about it, though the photo below almost convinces us it would be worth our while to see. Plus, we know the clubs and restaurants at the Wynn are all winners--especially the dreamy Tryst.


For some silly, sexy fun, we're considering checking out Peepshow at Planet Hollywood. Aubrey O'Day has joined Holly Madison in the singing, dancing, stripping extravaganza. Add in that we could start the night with spicy tuna on crispy rice at Koi and we may just have our winner!



Of course, if Cher were in town when we were, all bets would be off. We would head over to see her faster than you can say Diva.

The Lost Symbol

Summer may be over, but that's no reason to stop reading fun beach reads. We've already put our name on the wait list for The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown's sequel to the DaVinci code. It features Robert Langdon in what is sure to be another page turner. We don't know more than that as review copies have been kept under lock and key a la a Harry Potter novel. We do know The Lost Symbol releases on September 15. Reserve your copy now!

For a more in depth look at what may be in The Lost Symbol, check out New York Magazine's piece: How Dan Brown Feeds the Brain.

Georgia O'Keeffe: Abstraction

We're looking forward to viewing Georgia O'Keeffe: Abstraction at the Whitney Museum in NY. It's the first ever show concentrating exclusively on O'Keeffe's abstractions throughout her long career, as opposed to other shows which have focused on particular subjects or comprehensive reviews of her lifetime's work. While O'Keeffe is well known for her flowers, animal bones and landscapes, she was also one of the earliest American artists (and notably a woman) that experimented with abstract art.

The exhibit features over 100 paintings, watercolors and sculptures. It will also include excerpts from the recently released huge collection of love letters between O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz and a selection of Stieglitz's photographs of O'Keeffe.

Georgia O'Keeffe: Abstraction will be at the Whitney Museum September 17, 2009 to January 17, 2010, then it moves to the Phillips Collection in Washington February 6 to May 9, 2010, finally it stops at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe May 28 to September 10, 2010.

Georgia O'Keeffe, Series 1-No. 3, 1918, Milwaukee Museum of Art.

Harry Potter and Unicorn Tapestries

Yes, we were one of those crazy people who waited in line for hours last night to catch the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. What excited us the most, however, was not the Quidditch Game, the fight scene at the end or even our fellow Harry Potter-acs who dressed up in costume for the show (our favorite was an elfin Dobby). No, for us, it was what appeared to be a replica of the Unicorn in Captivity tapestry hanging in the halls of Hogwarts.



What's so special about this tapestry? The real one hangs in the Cloisters, the branch of the Metroplitan Museum in northern Manhattan that also happens to be our next door neighbor. The one shown in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the final of seven tapestries that displays the hunt and eventual capture of the unicorn. According to the New Yorker, the unicorn was a symbol of Christianity, immortality, wisdom, lovers and marriage. It adds an interesting layer to this film in particular, which (and we don't think we're spoiling anything here, since almost everyone has read the book) culminates with the murder of Dumbeldore.

If you ever make the trek to the Cloisters, call us! We'll meet you for a picnic after.

Cirque de Soleil: Kooza

We have a theory that your first Cirque de Soleil is always your favorite. We're still partial to Alegria, which we saw at Disney World for our virgin experience with the grown up circus. But three Cirque shows later and Kooza now at NYC's Randall's Island is a close second.

It has the same chills and thrills that has us holding our breath and biting our nails in hopes that the performers make their jump on a highwire or keep their balance on a stack of 20 chairs. Watching the trio of contortionists (above) inspired us to commit to at least two more decades of yoga to work on our flexibility. What the show lacked in sex appeal, it made up for in excitement--we loved the duo on a unicycle and the "wheel of death" that had two acrobacts doing flips and jumping ropes on two wheels that spun simultaneously. We're still haunted by the Sanskrit-inspired tunes sung live.

We could have done without the goofy king and even sillier dog who "peed" on the audience. And the scene where an audience member got pickpocketed of everything from his cellphone to his wallet to his ties on stage would have been more at home on a cruise ship.

That said, Kooza is definitely worthy of a girls' night out or even a hot date. We partook of the Tapis Rouge, a VIP tent that serves appetizers before the show, desserts during intermission and cocktails throughout to make it a complete evening out.

Kooza is playing through June 7.

Confessions of a Shopaholic Movie Review

We saw Confessions of a Shopaholic and were surprised that is was actually pretty sad. (Of course everyone loved Sex and the City and it was a major tear jerker.) Maybe if the movie was released last summer before all the depressing economic conditions, we'd be able to make light of Rebecca's compulsive shopping habits; but instead the movie hit too close to home. We covet designer handbags and great shoes and struggle to keep our purchases in line with our budgets. Confessions is less of an escape and more of a timely commentary.

Things we did like: Rebecca's wild outfits, her trips to Bendel's and Barney's, Rebecca's getaway to the Hotel Victor in Miami and the lesson of financial responsibility. Isla Fisher has an amazing energy and was great in Wedding Crashers; so we look forward to seeing her in future starring roles.

Confessions of a Shopaholic-Get the Look

JSG is headed to a screening today of Confessions of a Shopaholic, courtesy of Bluefly.com. Bluefly whetted our appetite for the movie with an advance peek at the clothes from the movie, styled by the always fab and outrageous Patricia Field. Bluefly features "Rebecca's closet" where you can listen to Patricia discuss the looks and shop the funky fashions Isla Fisher rocks in the film. Though, since it's Bluefly, they're at affordable(ish) prices. We're already in love with this Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent tank

and these green satin Louboutins.


Don't live in NYC? The city's Roosevelt Hotel is offering the Shophalic Experience, complete with a guided tour of top designer showrooms and major discounts. Also included is a 3-course lunch, chocolate martinis and other goodies. Prices start at $453 per person for a 2-night stay.

Check back this weekend and we'll let you know what we think of the flick!

Oprah on 30 Rock

Did you watch 30 Rock last night? It was a hilarious example of why you should never take your friend's prescription drugs on a flight (or otherwise), especially when they're originally intended for a dog and you wash them down with a bottomless glass of Veuve Clicquot. Tina sits next to Oprah on a United flight from Chicago to NYC, (nice product placement, guys) after taking a drug that Alec Baldwin gives her. We won't spoil the episode for those who are planning to watch it on DVR or Hulu.com, except to say we've learned our lesson.

Yves St. Laurent Exhibit

We always knew fashion was our favorite art form. Over the weekend, we filled you in on the Chanel Mobile Art Exhibit in NYC. Today we have a must see for you west coasters: the Yves St. Laurent, Eternal Style exhibit which opened on Saturday at the M.H. de Young Museum in San Francisco. The exhibit is a 40 year retrospective of YSL's designs and includes 125 outfits designed by the fashion genius who passed away last June.


The exhibit includes Yves St. Laurent's sketches; a look at his early designs including the revolutionary 'Le Smoking' tuxedo jacket for women; his colorful, exotic clothes that were inspired by his travels to Russia, Morocco and China as well as his ode to pop art, including his famous Mondrian dress.



The Eternal Style exhibit is open now through April 9. To buy tickets in advance, click here.

And here's another exhibit for the east coast crowd.



Ever dream about spending a night at the museum? Those who answered yes are in luck. NYC's Guggenheim Hotel has a "Revolving Hotel Room" installation going on now through January 7. For $299 to $550 a night, you can sleep in the museum's rotating hotel room in a bed that rotates every two hours. You can wander the museum all night long, take advantage of the minibar and have a room service breakfast of croissants and coffee. Of course, you'll be kicked out of bed at 8:30 so the museum can open to the public. The exhibit is partly funded by the Waldorf-Astoria, so at least your "room" will have a robe and slippers.