CELEBRITIES IN PHILADELPHIA, recently & in the future

On Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19, 2009, the Free Library hosted its third annual Free Library Festival. Drawing our largest crowd to date–estimated at 35,000!–the Festival presented more than 50 authors, performers, and programs, and 80 exhibitors at the Street Fair and Literary Marketplace. Thanks to our Festival Sponsors, the City of Philadelphia, and the Fairmount Park Commission, to the Free Library staff, and to our more than 200 dedicated Festival Volunteers for another fantastic fest!One of the headliners was Kristin Chenoweth who read from her book A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth (and ghostwriter Joni Rodgers, which is listed on the cover too. Is it a biography then?) On the main stage she did a Q&A with Tamela Edwards. Towards the end of the session Edwards mentioned that she had heard that Chenoweth could tell the weather with her hoo hoo. Chenoweth explained that she had fractured coccyx doing a split. “The lasting legacy of the Cooter Smash is that I’m the first to know when it’s going to rain. That’s right. I both sing and predict the weather with my hoo hoo. Mozart, meteorology, plus all the usual stuff.” Edwards asked her if the Phillies would get their game in the next day before the predicted rain. She said yes, and she was correct.
I am a Christian and I don’t want there to be any confusion about what I believe or who I am. I don’t believe gay people are going to hell. I believe that judgment is left to the one upstairs and I believe Jesus is all about love. If I can live my life even just a smidgen the way God made his son for us as an example, I’m happy. I do not judge other people for what they believe, but for me, this is what works.
– Kristin Chenoweth

She met with her fans, signed and posed for photos
Three fans from the Philly area made her Chenolicious White Trash Cookies” — basically, a sandwich of cookies made from commercial chocolate chip dough with a generous slathering of store-bought vanilla cake frosting. She ate two of them on the spot.
John Quiñones is a co-anchor of the ABC newsmagazine Primetime, a correspondent for 20/20, and the sole anchor of the popular Primetime limited series What Would You Do?, which uses hidden cameras to capture people’s unscripted reactions to compelling ethical dilemmas.
Peter Yarrow. Great to see him in person, and interacting with a new generation
The largest audience had to be for the author John Green.
I never heard of him before, but I was in the minority
*Family: Married to Sarah Urist Green.
• Education: Graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, with degrees in religion and English.
• Books: “Looking for Alaska,” published in 2005; “An Abundance of Katherines,” 2006; “Paper Towns, 2008; “Will Grayson, Will Grayson,” a collaboration with David Levithan scheduled for publication in 2010.
• Online: www.sparksflyup.com
A few weeks back I took this photograph of Heidi Hamels. I wasn’t sure if it would be picked to be in the paper, but a different one of Heidi ran, but I thought 57% of my readers might enjoy this shot of the hottie Heidi. Tonight I will get to see Heidi again at the Chase and Jen Second Annual “Utley’s All-Star Animals” charity casino night benefiting the Pennsylvania SPCA. Chase and Jen are dedicated to the fight against animal cruelty and are focusing their efforts on raising funds toward ending animal abuse in Pennsylvania.
Meet JOE FRAZIER at FYE on June 4th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ 12:00 PM!!! (100 SOUTH BROAD STREET, PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania 19110)
Reese Witherspoon is not in town yet, but her people are looking for a place for her to live. Rumor has it that her ex-hubby Ryan Philippe will also be filming or baby sitting the kids this summer (a friend received a texted message and told her to get her party shoes on because it’s gonna be a wild summer. Did I mention Octo Club is opening on 6/17/09) Their time here will overlap for about 3 months. I predict a few celeb sightings as they share custody of the kids taking them to many our great Philadelphia attractions.