THE RAITT STUFF
Malibu’s Bonnie Raitt and her father, John Raitt, were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in an evening that will surely rank among the summer’s most memorable. The Raitts joined fellow inductees Marilyn Horne, Stevie Wonder and the Monty Python comedy troupe for a star-studded opening night gala.
The festivities began with a splashy VIP cocktail party and ended with a fireworks spectacular that could rival anything on the Fourth of July. Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Robin Williams and Smokey Robinson were among the superstars who took the stage to introduce this year’s nominees. Bonnie delighted fans with her famed “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” while John wowed the crowd with “If I Loved You.” The father-and-daughter honorees then teamed up for a duet of “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better,” as their closing number.
Robin Williams, as always, provided the laughs, musing on everything from Monty Python–“A group of men who are to comedy what Barbra Streisand is to rap and what George W. Bush is to language”– to the threatened walkout by Hollywood actors: “L.A. is the only place on Earth where the unemployed go on strike.” The introduction of Monty’s Eric Idle was followed by a collection of Python clips and a plaid-clad rendition of “The Lumberjack Song,” complete with a Canadian Mounted Police chorus.
Stevie Wonder rocked the house with the classics “My Cherie Amour,” “Living for the City,” “Overjoyed” and “Superstition.”
The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, under the baton of John Mauceri, capped off the unforgettable evening with a rousing “William Tell Overture.” It was all topped off by a firecracker of a grand finale, which lit up the night sky. Together with an all-star cast, the Raitts gave ’em “something to talk about” for years to come.
MARRIAGE BOND
It looks as if wedding bells will finally be ringing for Malibu’s Pierce Brosnan and longtime love Keely Shaye Smith. The two reportedly plan to wed next month after Mr. B made a secret trip to Ashford Castle in the west of Ireland. The Bond man met with top celebrity party planners at the estate to make all the first-class arrangements. The actual ceremony is said to be taking place at a quaint country abbey 20 miles away. The star-friendly British glossy Hello! is expected to snare exclusive photo rights.
WEST WINGING IT
Martin Sheen and the cast of the “West Wing” are back to business as usual. Four members of the ensemble cast have returned to work, but are holding out for new contracts. Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer and Bradley Whitford reportedly want to triple their current paycheck to approximately $90,000 per episode.
Commander-in-Chief Sheen and co-star Rob Lowe take home six-figure salaries, but to fans they’re worth every penny. The critically acclaimed series captured nine Emmy awards last year and is sure to be a contender in the next round, tying the Sopranos with a whopping 18 nominations.