::: George Christy ::: From the Beverly Hills Courier

ÒWelcome Oatsie & BobÓ glowed the rainbow-colored neon sign in the hallway, and it set the bright mood for the al fresco fete honoring Marylouise Oates and Bob Shrum at the fabled Holmby Hills estate (that belonged to Gary Cooper). Our hosts were Internet tycoon David Bohnett and Hollywood commentator Tom Gregory, who bought and tore down the neighboring Barbra Streisand mansionette for additional green space. Oatsie, as Marylouise is known, lauds David and Tom for being nonstop philanthropists. She and Bob were weekending in Los Angeles on behalf of BobÕs memoir, No Excuses, Concessions of a Serial Campaigner, and for these past weeks have been feted and adored with soirees in Boston, Manhattan, Washington, D.C., with No Excuses taking off like gangbusters. For three decades, BobÕs masterminded political campaigns, winning 30 Senate seats, 20 Congressional offices, 11 governorships, and mayoralty chairs in big cities, and serves now as a professor at New York University. He and Oatsie, who wed at St. VictorÕs Roman Catholic Church in West Hollywood in 1988, live in Los Angeles, New York and Cape Cod, and many will remember Oatsie as a popular reporter and society columnist for the Los Angeles Times. A divinity scholar at Yale, sheÕs a bestselling author, having co-written mysteries, Capitol Offense and Capitol Venture, with Senator Barbara Mikulski, and next spring St. MartinÕs Press will publish her The Second Home Guide: How To, Can Do, Get Through Book. Friends marvel at her expertise in buying, renovating and selling houses, and bringing home plenty of bacon. BobÕs riding a media merry-go-round, appearing on national TV talk shows, with love letters pouring in from reviewers such as the New York TimesÕ Janet Maslin. His Simon & Schuster editor Alice Mayhew describes No Excuses as Òa provocative journey through recent history É we are there in the backrooms, on the planes and in the motorcades É why didnÕt Al Gore let Bill Clinton campaign all-out in 2000 É how did Clinton get through the first perilous week of the Monica Lewinsky scandal.Ó As racy as a detective story, No Excuses is an easy-to-read, candid and witty narrative destined to be discussed over drinks and dinners and remain an historical reference for presidential politics for years. No matter oneÕs political affiliation, No Excuses is one juicy Proustian-esque remembrance. Would that we could mention the many chums, from judges to activists, congratulating Bob and Oatsie and thanking David and Tom, ÒIÕm late because of FatherÕs Day,Ó confessed Warren Beatty, who spent the day with his four children. OatsieÕs son, television scribe Michael Oates Palmer spoke, as did David Bohnett, joking that Bob, when he was growing up, Òlived $10 million south of here in Culver City.Ó CampanileÕs Mark Peel arrived with his beautiful wife Daphne Brogdon, who discusses fashion on the TV Guide Channel -- MarkÕs daughter, Vanessa, with his former wife Nancy Silverton of Mozza fame, assisted Bob with fact-checking and research. Staying late were Mary and Joe Pichirallo (Joe oversees Will SmithÕs Overbrook Entertainment), Steve Wallace of WallyÕs Wines & Spirits, Rhoda (Mrs. Dan) Glickman, WMAÕs Ann Blanchard, Suzanne and Tibor Zada, Joan and Marco Weiss, Bombay JewelsÕ Gina Furth with decorator son Oliver, Dana Miller, who manages Diana Ross and says the MortonÕs luncheon crowdÕs gets a kick out of Diana driving a red Dodge pick-up truck, Kevin Roderick of the must-read L.A. Observed website with wife Judy and daughter Sean, Joan Luther of restaurant P.R. fame, TVÕs Jeff Melvoin with wife Martha, Rufus Gifford, Jeremy Bernard, sisters Arianna and Agape Huffington, Southwest MuseumÕs John Gray, Sue and Howie Mandel, all lapping up the Spago-catered hors dÕoeuvres of caviar and crabcakes and admiring the contemporary works of Ed Ruscha and Brad Howe and John McLaughlin. Movie buffs were bowled over with TomÕs huge wall of framed autographed photos of leading ladies and men from Hollywood past. Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, James Dean, who signed not only his name but also Cal, the character he played in John SteinbeckÕs East of Eden -- all told, TomÕs collection contains more than 450 signed portraits. After all these years, the music and lyrics remain timeless, having been sung by Ella and Billie, Barbra and Chairman of the Board Frank. And now by Michael Feinstein, Natalie Cole, Andrea Marcovicci, Harry Connick Jr., Bjork, Patti Austin, Abba, played by both big city and village symphonies, harmonized by college glee clubs like PrincetonÕs. Songs such as How Long Has This Been Going On, SÕWonderful and The Man I Love -- yet the music was trashed when it was initially performed, as Hershey Felder tells us in George Gershwin Alone at the Geffen Playhouse, running through July 22nd. Hershey takes on the persona of Gershwin, singing and playing on the concert grand piano, and heÕs been at it for 3,000 performances in 12 cities -- veteran playgoers may recall that in 1999 he premiered his workshop production at the now-gone Tiffany Theatre on Sunset Boulevard. Written by Hershey and smartly directed by Joel Zwick of My Big Fat Greek Wedding success, HersheyÕs sold out at the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway and at the Duchess Theatre in LondonÕs West End. For a refreshingly entertaining and upbeat evening, do yourself a favor and bask in HersheyÕs song stylings of genius George and his brilliant lyricist brother Ira. Hershey ends the evening with a singalong of the audienceÕs favorites, and a stirring rendition of Rhapsody in Blue. Among the premieregoers were screenwriters Amy and Adam Gershwin, whose father is GeorgeÕs brother Arthur and who supported HersheyÕs Herculean task of editing the George and Ira Gershwin oeuvre into this ÒsÕwonderfulÓ evening. Also Ginny Mancini with Jay Weston, whoÕs announced that Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson is enthusiastic about starring as Billie Holiday in the film Jay is developing (Jay produced the 1972 Lady in the Dark about Billie with Diana Ross). Former mayor Dick Riordan arrived with Carol Ferencz, and HersheyÕs wife Kim Campbell, the former prime minister of Canada had returned from seminars on democracy in Sierra Leone and visited with the Canadian ConsulateÕs Roz Wolfe, Helen Gurinow, Fransel Aquino with husband Michael Wyrzykowski. Hershey, we should note, is a Montrealer. A couple from Down Under introduced themselves to Rob Vinson during the after party at the French 75 bistro in the Century City mall, and were leaving the next day for the South of France to attend the wedding of AustraliaÕs young James Packer, worth more than $6 billion, to model/songbird Erica Baxter, whose couture bridal gown was designed by John Galliano of Christian Dior. JamesÕ dad is the late tycoon Kerry Packer. Invitees included Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, with the Hotel du Cap Ferrat and Hotel du Cap Eden Roc fully booked by the groom for the weeklong celebration slated to cost more than $5 million. Online at www.bhcourier.com.