Around The Town

With Columnist Joe Alexander & Photographer Patrick McMullan

Jennifer Lawrence claims she is getting too much attention with her newest installment of The Hunger Games franchise Mockingjay: “I get photographers hiding in my bushes. We’re way past autographs. We’re into being stalked and followed.” Her co-star Josh Hutcherson reveals, “I like girls who can go out and play sports with me and throw the football around, but you don’t want a girl who’s too much tougher than you.” Julianne Moore confesses, “You never have sex the way people do in the movies. If anybody ever ripped my clothes, I’d kill them.”…. Jake Gyllenhaal, who’s in the edgy thriller Nightcrawler about the underbelly of local TV news, said, “Being a star doesn’t last. That’s not what life should be about. It’s a complete illusion that really has nothing to do with you.” His older on screen love interest Rene Russo muses, “Maybe it’s that I’m naive, but I don’t think of myself as an age.”…. Hoteliers Brandon and Hank Freid unveiled an exotic Moroccan Haven Oasis atop The Sanctuary Hotel on West 47th Street. Fans of the hotel include Jenny McCarthy, Donnie Wahlberg and Carmen Electra. Haven Rooftop’s new décor reflects the vibrant colors and lively ambiance the father and son team experienced on their travels to Morocco. Among the revelers were Altaneve prosecco’s David Noto, Merchant Solutions Group’s Billy Morrissey and Brittany Brown and Nicole DiCocco. havenrooftop.com …. The cast of Birdman reveals their inner selves. Michael Keaton: “You don’t have to be especially weak to become extremely self-involved in this business.” Bombshell Emma Stone: “It’s a scary thing for a woman to put yourself out there and look like an idiot. Look at Lucille Ball. She said, ‘I’m not funny. What I am is brave.” Zach Galifianakis: “Being popular is poison. My mom and dad are like, ‘You’re not enjoying any of this.’ I say, ‘It’s your fault for not raising me up to be superficial.’… Dale Noelle’s TRUE Model Management hosted the “Fashioned in America” style event in Phoenix featuring U.S.A.-made fashions. Designers showing their lines included Oscar de la Renta, J. Mendel, Wes Gordon, Monique Lhuillier, Anna Sui, Ralph Rucci and Nanette Lepore as well as pieces by up-and-coming designers, including a Rosie Assoulin gown worn by Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery at this year’s Emmy Awards. truemodel.net

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Matthew McConaughey and the stars of the blockbuster sci-fi film Interstellar talked about themselves: “I’m a loner and proud of it. I can be the world’s most sociable guy but being alone is where it’s mostly at for me.” Jessica Chastain: “I don’t talk about my dating life. But in this business it’s very tough to maintain a relationship because we’re like gypsies – always on the move.” Anne Hathaway: “I look my best after an entire hair and makeup team has spent hours perfecting me. When do I feel my best? When I haven’t looked in a mirror for days, and I’m doing things that make me happy.” … Animal Advocate Michele Riggi kicked off her Adopt Don’t Shop campaign for the holidays at her home in Saratoga to draw attention to all our four-legged friends who need a loving home. The party that drew over 5,000 guests to her front door was done in conjunction with Homes for Orphaned Pets Exist (H.O.P.E), The Saratoga County Shelter and The Saratoga YMCA. hopeanimalrescue.org … The Theory of Everything’s Felicity Jones: “I think the main trap not to fall into as an actress is not to play the love interest too much.”… Artist and etiquette expert Michelle-Marie Heinemann toasted fashion designer Victor de Souza at the Pierre Hotel after he named her his new muse. Guests included Barbara Regna, Bettina Bennett, Alessandra Emanuel, Donna Soloway, Cassandra Seidenfeld, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Nicole Noonan, Tina Storper, Boo Grace, Aimee Marcoux Spurlock and Robin Cofer. … Fabolous celebrated his birthday at Liberty Theater at 236 West 42nd Street where Swizz Beats jumped on the mic with him. Among the 500 guests cheering them on were DJ Khaled, Raekwon, Mace, Lil’ Mama, Teyana Taylor and actor Dennis L.A. White. libertytheaterny.com
St. Vincent’s Naomi Watts: “There’s a lot of skeletons in my closet, but I know what they’re wearing. I’m not gonna act all ashamed of it.” Bill Murray: “The truth is, anybody that becomes famous is an ass for a year and a half. I give everybody a year or two to pull it together” … The Rubin Museum of Art hosted a screening of Thomas Morgan’s Waiting for Mamu: The Story of Pushpa Basnet. Following the film, a conversation was held with Founder of the Early Childhood Development Center, Pushpa Basnet, designer Prabal Gurung and the film’s Executive Producer Morgan Spurlock. Susan Sarandon was among the film’s supporters. Leading the applause were the Director of the Rubin Museum Tim McHenry, filmmaker Angela Bernhard Thomas, Dianne Bernhard, Franck Raharinosy, Hillary Weldon, Jonathan Bricklin and Susan Duffy. waitingformamu.com/film …. Filmmaker Richard Ledes and Dr. Paola Mieli hosted Animal Zone International’s Fall Benefit at Thalassa Restaurant. The reception, honoring Jean Shafiroff, raised money to aid the cats, dogs, goats and other animals on the Greek island of Amorgos. Benefit Committee members included Kick Kennedy, Cornelia Guest, Christine Schott Ledes, George Ledes, Morgan O’Connor, Leesa Rowland, Lorenzo Borghese, Lisa Anastos and Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin. animal-zone.org ….. The Fault in Our Stars’ Ansel Elgort, Adventure Club and Nicky Romero took turns spinning for New York’s biggest dance party at Pier 94 hosted by RPM and Eddie Dean, the owner of NYC mega club Pacha. pachanyc.com …. Veteran event marketer Herb Karlitz, the CEO of Karlitz & Company, produced The MICHELIN Guide Star Galas in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. The galas celebrated the success of each city’s culinary elite and the release of this coming year’s The MICHELIN Guides. NYC winners of the coveted star included America’s most expensive restaurant Masa, Aquavit, Alex Raij’s La Vara, Carlo Mirachi’s Blanca and Anna Hieronimus and Elise Kornack’s Take Root. karlitz.com