Star Power

Actor William H. Macy, will offer a bit of Hollywood glamour to a documentary about his home state. According to the Cumberland Times-News, Macy is going to appear in the Maryland Public Television production "Our Town," which takes a look at Cumberland and Frostburg. Macy graduated from Allegany High School in 1968, the paper says. “Getting Bill Macy was beyond our wildest dreams,” Rick Lore, vice president of MPT told the paper, adding the program will open and close with the actor, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Fargo.

In 2013, Summerslam might have been the best pay per view of the year, with two Match of the Year candidates. While it might not reach that level, the card this year certainly has the potential to be memorable. Last year, both the Brock Lesnar/CM Punk match (which was my pick for match of the year) and the John Cena/Daniel Bryan match were showered with praise both from fans and critics. They were the top of a great pay-per-view, which also included an overlooked match featuring Alberto Del Rio and Christian.

New York, New York (deep in Cuomo territory) -- With only a few moments to deadline, this reporter breathlessly topped a story with scenes from a fundraiser the James Hotel in SoHo Thursday evening. Not all of the good stuff made it into the paper, so here are some extras from the notebook. The event was a fundraiser for Maryland's same-sex marriage campaign. The idea for it was hatched at a dinner a few months back with Gov. Martin O'Malley , actor Josh Charles and Brian Ellner , who ran the New York pro-same-sex marriage battle.

You can't say IndyCar lacks for stories. There's Helio Castroneves, the photogenic Brazilian driver who won "Dancing With the Stars" and currently leads in his quest for a first season championship. There's his countryman, Tony Kanaan, an affable veteran who brought tears to the eyes of many racing lovers when he finally won the Indianapolis 500 this year. Yet IndyCar faces a vexing question as drivers prepare for Sunday's third Grand Prix of Baltimore. Why aren't Castroneves, Kanaan and their peers perceived as national stars on par with their NASCAR counterparts or past greats such as Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt?

In 2013, Summerslam might have been the best pay per view of the year, with two Match of the Year candidates. While it might not reach that level, the card this year certainly has the potential to be memorable. Last year, both the Brock Lesnar/CM Punk match (which was my pick for match of the year) and the John Cena/Daniel Bryan match were showered with praise both from fans and critics. They were the top of a great pay-per-view, which also included an overlooked match featuring Alberto Del Rio and Christian.

Paula Campbell can't remember the last time there was a bigger hip-hop show in town. Salt-n-Pepa played 1st Mariner Arena in February, but though they're pioneers in the genre, they're now better-known for their reality TV show. Wu Tang Clan performed in Baltimore in December, but that was at Sonar , not an arena. Wiz Khalifa sold out two nights at Rams Head Live in December, but he's still an upstart. The last time there was this much star power on stage, Campbell said, would have to go back to the start of the decade, when Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr. Dre and the recently deceased Nate Dogg played the arena on their Up in Smoke Tour.

Book lovers in the Baltimore-Washington area should circle September on their calendars, to save dates for a pair of big festivals. The Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held Sept. 21 and 22 on the mall in Washington. The event always attracts an all-star lineup of authors, poets and illustrators. In 2012, featured authors included T.C. Boyle, Geraldine Brooks, Junot Diaz, Patricia Cornwell and Jeff Kinney. The Baltimore Book Festival will follow a week later in the city's Mt. Vernon neighborhood.

New York Fashion Week kicked off last night with a star-studded bang. Celebs were in full force attending shows and parties in the name of good fashion. It started pretty early -- 5 p.m. to be exact -- at the Joseph Abboud menswear show at the New York Public Library. There,  Kellan Lutz ("Twilight" series), Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, Hunter Parrish ("Weeds"), Daniel Gillies "Vampire Diaries") and Alexander Ludwig ("Hunger Games") provided the star power for the iconic menswear designer.

It's a busy Friday in the newsroom. So what are we doing? We're wasted time arguing about stupid stuff, of course.  The topic of today's debate: Kristen ("K-Stew") Stewart and her relative worth to society.  b music guru Wes Case misguidedly made up the sole member of the office's pro-Kristen Stewart faction. His reasoning? "She's a great actress. She has depth. She has star power. When she's on screen you want to watch her. Also, she smokes weed, which makes her one of us. " Assistant editor Jordan Bartel and I, however, failed to see Stewart's value in movies or, well, any other area of life.  That was the case until I saw the below video.

Baltimore-made "House of Cards" brought some extra Hollywood star power to the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night in Washington. Here's Kevin Spacey starring in the "House of Nerds" spoof video (above) that topped the event. He's superb. Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer gets some nice face-time as well in the video. #sigshell { float: left; width: 320px; height: 52px; margin: 20px 0px; display: block; } #sigheadshot{ float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; }

Baltimore-made "House of Cards" brought some extra Hollywood star power to the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night in Washington. Here's Kevin Spacey starring in the "House of Nerds" spoof video (above) that topped the event. He's superb. Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer gets some nice face-time as well in the video. #sigshell { float: left; width: 320px; height: 52px; margin: 20px 0px; display: block; } #sigheadshot{ float: left; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; }

When a program captured five national championships - most recently in 2011 - it's almost impossible to be ignored. But that's how Virginia has been feeling this season. Despite a 5-1 record, the No. 13 Cavaliers have been coasting through February and March without much media scrutiny or fanfare. And that doesn't bother coach Dom Starsia one bit. “This is a year in which we're better served to be able to work on ourselves for a while before we step out,” he said Friday morning.

Book lovers in the Baltimore-Washington area should circle September on their calendars, to save dates for a pair of big festivals. The Library of Congress National Book Festival will be held Sept. 21 and 22 on the mall in Washington. The event always attracts an all-star lineup of authors, poets and illustrators. In 2012, featured authors included T.C. Boyle, Geraldine Brooks, Junot Diaz, Patricia Cornwell and Jeff Kinney. The Baltimore Book Festival will follow a week later in the city's Mt. Vernon neighborhood.

At Tark's Grill, diners arrive early for a shot at Table 601, with views of the patio scene and the goings-on at the bar. At Hampden's hot new Food Market, regulars have started zeroing in on the two quiet tables by the front window. And at Kali's Court, regulars are willing to squeeze eight people around Table 2, which comfortably seats four. How does a table go from run of the mill to top of the heap? A beautiful view helps. In this clubby business town, it's still see-and-be-seen, and many hall-of-fame tables put diners front and ever-so-slightly off-center.

New York, New York (deep in Cuomo territory) -- With only a few moments to deadline, this reporter breathlessly topped a story with scenes from a fundraiser the James Hotel in SoHo Thursday evening. Not all of the good stuff made it into the paper, so here are some extras from the notebook. The event was a fundraiser for Maryland's same-sex marriage campaign. The idea for it was hatched at a dinner a few months back with Gov. Martin O'Malley , actor Josh Charles and Brian Ellner , who ran the New York pro-same-sex marriage battle.

New York Fashion Week kicked off last night with a star-studded bang. Celebs were in full force attending shows and parties in the name of good fashion. It started pretty early -- 5 p.m. to be exact -- at the Joseph Abboud menswear show at the New York Public Library. There,  Kellan Lutz ("Twilight" series), Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, Hunter Parrish ("Weeds"), Daniel Gillies "Vampire Diaries") and Alexander Ludwig ("Hunger Games") provided the star power for the iconic menswear designer.

No one can accuse ESPN analyst Mark Dixon of being limited strictly to the men's game as he will call Wednesday night's women's contest between Towson and No. 20 Johns Hopkins, which will air Wednesday at 5 p.m. on ESPNU. The former Johns Hopkins midfielder, who can be followed on Twitter via his account @dixonlacrosse, will contribute to the network's coverage of No. 11 Syracuse at No. 2 Johns Hopkins March 17, but he shared his thoughts on the college lacrosse season thus far. What's the significance of No. 1 Virginia's 14-10 victory over [No. 11]

Summer arrives early in the state capital with the opening of the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre's 46th season of presenting "theater under the stars," which begins May 24 with Cole Porter's classic "Anything Goes. " The musical, the updated, 2011 Tony Award-winner, will run Thursdays through Sundays through June 24. Following it are two shows that have never been performed at Summer Garden. Taking ASGT's outdoor stage July 5 to July 29 is "Avenue Q," the 2003 surprise Broadway hit that captured three Tony Awards, including best musical.

Actor William H. Macy, will offer a bit of Hollywood glamour to a documentary about his home state. According to the Cumberland Times-News, Macy is going to appear in the Maryland Public Television production "Our Town," which takes a look at Cumberland and Frostburg. Macy graduated from Allegany High School in 1968, the paper says. “Getting Bill Macy was beyond our wildest dreams,” Rick Lore, vice president of MPT told the paper, adding the program will open and close with the actor, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Fargo.

Summer arrives early in the state capital with the opening of the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre's 46th season of presenting "theater under the stars," which begins May 24 with Cole Porter's classic "Anything Goes. " The musical, the updated, 2011 Tony Award-winner, will run Thursdays through Sundays through June 24. Following it are two shows that have never been performed at Summer Garden. Taking ASGT's outdoor stage July 5 to July 29 is "Avenue Q," the 2003 surprise Broadway hit that captured three Tony Awards, including best musical.