"PASSION IS a positive obsession. Obsession is a negative passion," wrote Paul Carvel.
I THINK this column was the first to tell you, long ago, that Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to his famous "Phantom of the Opera" would take place in New York and present the Phantom alive, having escaped from the fire. Then it would segue on to big drama amid the fairgrounds of Coney Island. (Can't tell you how many people made fun of me for this item, as if I had dreamed it up all by myself.)
So comes word that the world premiere of "Love Never Dies" opens in London next March and segues on to Broadway Nov. 11, 2010. More than 100 million people have seen the original and there's no reason they won't want to see the sequel.
Actors Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess will star as The Phantom and Christine. So there!
THE BIG news on Twitter was the announcement last week that Disney teen superstar Miley Cyrus, is getting off Twitter!
Miley says she discovered that she was wasting too many hours online, on the BlackBerry, etc., pointlessly "chatting." She wants to spend more "real" time with friends and maybe just go for a walk, think and then -- gasp -- keep those thoughts to herself. Stay strong, Miley. (Her father, one-hit-wonder Billy Ray Cyrus, wants her to stay on Twitter. Afraid she might lose a few fans?)
If a 16-year-old-girl can pry herself away from the addictive idiocy of tweeting and texting every five minutes, perhaps some adults out there will stop embarrassing themselves with Twitter. It is simply the latest way to banish privacy, anticipation, decorum, civility, proper spelling and punctuation from what appears to be a wildly indiscreet and hyper generation. Nowadays too many people seem to have ADD.
THE YOUNG star most in need of Twitter rehab is Lindsay Lohan. It's difficult to tell a person's state of mind in Twitter-world -- after all, one is allowed only 140 characters. But Lindsay's constant tweets are invariably picked up by the gossip Websites. The most negative interpretation is then put on them. Not that it would matter if Lindsay tweeted The Great American novel; cyberspace gossips want only the worst for this girl.
HOLLYWOOD DINES: Spotted at Santa Monica's tiny Italian hideaway, Capo: The eternally suave and stylishly dressed Pierce Brosnan with his beautiful wife, Keely Shaye Smith. At the next table sat an all-but-unrecognizable, heavily bearded Keanu Reeves. (Hiding out from that Canadian lady who is pursuing him, insisting Keanu is the father of one or more of her four kids?)
And right next to the grizzly Reeves was a surprisingly beefy, even slightly rotund Brendan Fraser of muscular "Mummy" and "George of the Jungle" fame. The actor looked handsome none the less, but his rapid-fire shoveling of food, did merit a few glances.
Perhaps Brendan is porking up for a new role? It's all the rage. Matt Damon did it for "The Informant." Jim Carrey is still eating for three in preparation for his role in "The Three Stooges." I keep saying, these extremes in gaining or losing weight for a movie seem unhealthy to me, but I guess that's Method acting.
Oh, all the above stars greeted each other amiably, as if they'd planned to dine out together, but at separate tables.
OUR OLD friend Michael Lewittes, who toiled successfully in gossip writing when newspapers were in flower, e-mails that he has launched something called GossipCop.com, which separates fact from fiction in this business.
If Michael is right, he will be damned busy overseeing the fiction-into-fact that is going on over much of the rest of the Web and in the weekly tabloid magazines.
Michael told me at the same time that I should know that actor Darrell Hammond has retired from "Saturday Night Live" and that "30 Rock's" Tracy Morgan joined up on Twitter the other day after some resistance. This all has to be true because Gossip.cop is busy as hell "Busting bad dish!"
BUDD MISHKIN is the NY 1 TV interviewer who has talked to just about every famous New Yorker. Recently, on board the revitalized Intrepid, moored in the Hudson River, his TV station laid on a grand party where Budd invited back just about everybody he'd ever profiled. We had a grand time and even Mayor Bloomberg dropped in to shake hands. I won't list the attendees because they were all eye-poppingly distinguished, famous or infamous. You can see panels with some of these VIPs on NY 1 come Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. and Oct. 18 at 6 and 9 p.m. There are "extras" of the event at www.ny1.com.
Has anybody other than me noticed how up-and-coming this unassuming little NYC TV station has become lately?
(E-mail Liz Smith at MES3838@aol.com, or write to her c/o Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207.)
