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By Jean Horne, FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
"When Pittsburgh calls, I'm there," declared Rob Marshall, native son and director of the Oscar-winning film "Chicago," at Saturday night's throw-a-rock, hit-a-talent blowout bash at the Andy Warhol Museum. The call he took came from a band of Pittsburghers who have launched the Steeltown Entertainment Project to bring Hollywood back to Mister Rogers' neighborhood.
Where "Rob learned All that Jazz, Shirley Jones found her Music Man, George Romero rose from the dead, and Flashdance got its Flash!"
Founded by femmes fabulous Ellen Weiss Kander, prime-time TV producer/writer Maxine Lapiduss (she and Rob went to the Allderdice prom together) and "St. Elmo's Fire" dynamic screenwriter/visiting Pitt professor Carl Kurlander, the project aims to create a mini-Sundance Festival here. And turn the region into an entertainment capital.
Earlier at WQED's studios, they staged a summit bringing together our show-biz expats who are generating billions in Tinseltown with investors and politicos who can help make it happen by creating the same tax incentives that have filmmakers flocking to Canada. We're talking talents with Hollywood heat and the power to use it. Even money says they can shift projects from the West Coast to Pittsburgh. And they paid their own way here to tell us that. Why? Because, as Rob allowed, "You never stop being a Pittsburgher."
If it's all about location-location, at 500 fans the scene was standing-room-only at the hippest party venue in town. Legendaries Lenora Nemetz (Rob was prez of her fan club!) and Joe Negri supplied the Broadway beat. And get this. Along with chi-chi hors d'oeuvres, you could dig into Mineo's pizza, Primanti's sandwiches, Isaly's chipped ham and pierogies. There was a forest of white orchids on tables and Lemon Blennd containers spiked with red gerbers. Do you love it? But the reel buzz was the premiere showing of the documentary, Pittsburgh: Hollywood's Best Kept Secret," created by award-winning docu-filmmaker Laura Davis and hubby Tjardus Greidanus that showcased the project.
If it's all about proud parents wanting to see more of their kids back home, they were sharing the spotlight with their high achievers. Folks like Thelma Gold Landay (she booked talent for the old Holiday House) with son Eric Gold, manager of Jim Carrey and Ellen Degeneres; Babs Widdoes with her sitcom producer son Jamie; "Matrix" producer Bernie Goldmann, son of Rita Seltman and Stan Goldmann; "Ice Age" screenwriter Peter Ackerman with father Alan; and Ruth and Alan Garfinkel with son Asher of Readers Unlimited.
Amid the bytes and bits, the stories and scoops, intriguing folks cropped up everywhere ... from home plate to Hollywood. Actor David Conrad ("Miss Match") was there; as was "Lizzie Maguire" creator Terri Minsky; Jack Smith, "The Young and the Restless" producer; Christine and George Romero; "Chicago" and Oscar-awards entertainer Billy Hartung with Sharon; "The Nanny" writer and Maxine's sister Sally Lapiduss (their fab mom, entertainer Esther, was not well enough to attend); Louisa Rosenthal (her son Mark heads the MTV network); Oscar-winning director ("Traffic") Steven Soderbergh's mom Midge with Jack St. Martin; Ailene Lange (her son George is an award-winning photographer); filmmaker Charlie Humphrey and producer Henry Simonds; Richard Rauh; CLO's Van Kaplan; Dawn Keezer; Lisa Frankovitch; Canice Kennedy; Ellen's hubby Greg Kander; Sally Levin (her son's into furniture); and Mario Melodia (Rob and sister Kathleen were his students).
As well as Diane and Glen Meakem; Teri and Damian Soffer; Jim Rudolph; Carl's wife Natalie Kurlander (the reason he's here); Susie and Gregg Perelman; Anne and Eddie Lewis; Sydelle Kessler; Edie Engel; Judith Dorian; Caroline Stewart and son Charlie; Joan and Jerry Apt; Drs. Ellen and Loren Roth; Shelly Tolo (working behind the scenes); Brenda and Boris Weinstein (Eric Gold is his nephew); agent Deb Docherty and Evan Schapira; PCTV chair Barry Hamlette and Kyra Straussman; Caryl and Dominic Mineo; Ida Mae and Jim Rich; Judith Thomas; City Councilman Bill Peduto; Gladys Burstin; Josie Palmer and Bert Sokol; Dr. Andrew Miller; the Marilyn Kanes; Leslie Merrill McCombs; Dr. Donna Durno and Dan Torisky; Julie Morris; Nancy Polinsky and David Johnson; Judy and David Ehrenwerth; Deb Schiller; and Barbara Rackoff with Dr. Richard Wechsler.
Ready for a DeMille-worthy closeup.
Original Article: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_162034.html
Copyright © 2003 By Trib Total Media. All Rights Reserved.
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