Charm City

Hometown fans and film workers shred their garments and tore their hair when producers decided to shoot Hairspray the movie musical - based on Hairspray the Broadway musical, based on Hairspray the 1988 John Waters film - in Toronto instead of Baltimore. But the moviemakers have put a sheen on Charm City. Though it's debatable they had to go North to do it, maybe it took their outsiders' eyes to bring out the Emerald City in East Baltimore. HAIRSPRAY PREMIERE / / With John Waters, Adam Shankman, James Marsden, Nikki Blonsky, Amanda Bynes, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Next month's Charm City/Big Apple Challenge at the Baltimore Arena is being billed as The Old Guard vs. The Young Turks.The boys portion of the event will pit three teams from the New York Catholic League against Baltimore city's elite -- Dunbar, Southern and Lake Clifton."

There isn't a playoff format to decide which boys high school team is the best in the country. But the Charm City Classic is shaping up to be the closest thing to that.Three of the past four mythical national champions -- Dunbar, Simon Gratz of Philadelphia and St. Anthony's of New Jersey -- will be showcased on Friday and Saturday at the Towson Center.Overall, five teams currently ranked in the USA Today's Super 25 will be playing -- Simon Gratz, ranked No. 1, No. 4 St. Anthony's, No. 6 St. John's Prospect Hall, No. 9 Dunbar of D.C. and the Poets, ranked No. 10."

Baltimore may not be Hollywood East, but once again, the Oscars include a distinctly Bawlamer element. Craig Bartholomew Strydom, writer of the Oscar-winning documentary "Searching for Sugar Man," lived in Baltimore until last year. Read about his involvement with the film here . With some luck, maybe he'll return to Baltimore for his next project? Perhaps a documentary on Frank Zappa? Now there's a documentary that needs to be done...  

Hometown: Baltimore Current members: Prince Charming Chazz (aka Chazz Keener) is backed by the Charm City Underground, which consists of a backup singer and DJ who go by the monikers William Hazze and Unkie Unkie Blamm, respectively. Founded in: 2002 Style: Rap Influenced by: Dr. Dre, Eminem, Metallica, N.W.A., Elvis Presley and the notoriously vulgar punk singer G.G. Allin. Notable: The Hampden resident and self-proclaimed prince of hardcore rap retired late last summer from the local music scene.

It was about "The Program."The Dunbar Poets have established a standard for basketball excellence over the past 20 years, winning three national championships and producing a number of collegiate and professional players.But yesterday they found themselves going against Lincoln of Brooklyn, N.Y., in the consolation game of the Southeast bracket at the First National Bank Charm City Classic.In its last five games at the Charm City Classic, Dunbar had gone winless, including a 68-66 loss to St. Anthony's of Jersey City, N.J., on Friday night.

Wouldn't you think that Baltimore, by now, would be recognized as the premier producer of basketball talent it is?I mean, every time you turn on TV and watch an NBA game it seems as if somebody from Dunbar High is starring in it.And, hey, isn't Dunbar the reigning national high school champion? Answer: yes. And didn't Dunbar win the first Charm City Classic? The Poets have won 55 straight games, the longest win streak in the country.Isn't this enough to convince people everywhere that Baltimore is best?

The Charm City Fair was created to pick up where the old Baltimore City Fair left off, but yesterday some of the fair-goers said it would take more than food, games, and thrilling rides to make the event an acceptable replacement."

New York -- Only at the cast party for a Broadway musical inspired by John Waters would you find impeccably coifed and gowned drag queens rubbing shoulders with movie stars. Sometimes you could even tell them apart. Thursday's bash celebrating the opening of Cry-Baby attempted to re-create Baltimore circa 1954 (when the musical is set) in what now is a tony New York venue known as The Mansion. But Waters remembers when the joint had a seedier reputation. "In the '70s, this was a great S&M club," he says, his eyes misting over nostalgically.

Fortune has smiled on Baltimore.In its Nov. 11 issue, which hits newsstands Monday, Fortune magazine ranks Baltimore No. 12 on its list of Best Cities for Work and Family in the United States.Baltimore earned its ranking -- ahead of 13th-ranked Boston and New York, which didn't make the cut -- despite having the highest crime rate of the 15 cities on Fortune's list."I think that's pretty astounding," said George Figg, owner of the Orpheum Cinema in Fells Point. "I'm amazed that Baltimore made the muster."