March 29, 2005

Ms. Houston, of Course, Is the Well-Known Pop Star

s. Houston, of Course,

Is the Well-Known Pop Star

We're thinking that the way you regard ISAAC HAYES has to do with an age thing. To the 24-year-old friend we brought to the opening of "All Shook Up" on Broadway the other day he's Chef, the cartoon character who serves up raunchy songs on "South Park." We, being both more mature, if only in years, cannot separate him from the song "Shaft." That being a song that takes about three days to get out of your system, that is not necessarily a good thing.

Mr. Hayes was looking cool at "All Shook Up," which is, of course, built around the songs of ELVIS PRESLEY. He wore shades and a black and yellow leather Manassas High School jacket emblazoned with a huge tiger. A baseball cap covered his bald head.

(Uh, excuse us, Instant Message from a Columbia J-School Young 'Un: If you think everyone "of course" knows what the show is based on, why are you explaining it?

Our Reply: It's a newspaper thing. We firmly believe, and we like to believe, that LAURA BUSH, the first lady, would support us on this, that the news should be understood by the least informed person on the planet. Also, it slows down the narrative, which is essential in newspaper writing. Are you sure you're going to classes? This was one of the first things we learned. )

Mr. Hayes said he knew Elvis and that the two of them used to drive motorcycles together in the early days of Elvis's career.

Was he fast? "He was good," Mr. Hayes said. "He had a Black Cat and I had a Black Hawk." They rode, Mr. Hayes said, late at night in Memphis. "Not in the daytime, attract too much attention. You had a helmet on, but, you know, you take no chances while you're on the highway."

To our question of the night: Elvis's favorite snack was a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Did Mr. Hayes have a guilty pleasure?

"It was women," Mr. Hayes said.

"Still is," said the very attractive lady with Mr. Hayes, who he later explained was an associate.

"No, no, no," Mr. Hayes said. "Snickers is my guilty pleasure, but I stopped that."

Who's the cat that's gonna split

'Cause he just can't take no more of this banter?

Mr. Segue Man! Can ya dig it?

Who's the dude that's got an itch,

To do something else even though he is fic-tion-al?

Mr. Segue Man! Can ya dig it?

"All Shook Up" stars CHEYENNE JACKSON, as a pompadour-wearing, motorcycle-riding, hip-shaking stranger and JENN GAMBATESE as the grease monkey who loves him.

Attending the opening Thursday night: MARIO VAZQUEZ, who of course got all that attention by leaving "American Idol" and had come to the opening with his own publicist; MARIO CANTONE; BRIAN DENNEHY, who attended with his 12-year-old son, CORMACK; and SHERRY LANSING, who is of course the former head of Paramount. Asked before the curtain went up how she was keeping busy, Ms. Lansing told us that she is on the board of the Carter Center, the human rights center, which of course was founded by JIMMY CARTER, who of course was once the president.

What does Ms. Lansing think of all the turmoil at Paramount? (BRAD GREY, who is of course the new chairman, just recruited GAIL BERMAN, who was of course at Fox Entertainment.) "I wish everybody the best," Ms. Lansing said a little haltingly and laughed.

At intermission, when we found ourselves together again, she said it again. "Make sure you got that part about wishing everybody the best," Ms. Lansing said.

We also saw CLIVE DAVIS talking to ANDY LACK, the chief executive of Sony BMG.

"TWYLA THARP wants to do with BOB DYLAN what she did with BILLY JOEL," we overheard Mr. Davis telling Mr. Lack, which is, of course old news.

Mr. Davis gave us the brushoff when we tried to speak to him. We wondered if he was in a bad mood because WHITNEY HOUSTON just checked into rehab and he had been handling her comeback. Later, however, he came over and apologized, saying he didn't like giving opening-night interviews. We admired his shoes, which appeared to be reptile-based.

"Prada," Mr. Davis said.

- With Paula Schwartz