Jeter has his mansion on Davis Islands, Kim Kardashian partied at Aja, LeBron James hit the Venue, Mary J. Blige and Liza Minnelli hawked their wares at HSN.
Big names all. But who were the really cool celebrities who passed through town this past year — the people who left a lasting impression?
We asked Tampa Bay A&E folk to share their favorite brushes with celebrities in 2010. Here's who they chose.
CHELSEA HANDLER Paul Bilyeu, Straz Center for the Performing Arts: "Handler, who is riding an enormous wave of popularity right now, was great fun to have at the Straz Center. An equal opportunity offender, her observations cut across all social, economic, racial and sexual lines — and our audiences responded by toasting her with laughs, applause and a whole lot of vodka! Handler is a big friend to the gay community and delightfully and happily personalized her book Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang for my partner John and me. Go Gays!"
PAUL STOOKEY OF PETER, PAUL AND MARY Paul Wilborn, Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College: "Paul Stookey appeared last Feb. 19 at the Palladium. It was one of his first appearances since the death of Mary Travers. He played for a packed house, talked lovingly about Mary, and we recorded his show for a TV special. He sang and played for almost two hours, then moved downstairs to an after-party. Gail Trippsmith, a local singer-songwriter, was playing for the party and he joined her to do the PP & M hit 'Leavin' On A Jet Plane.' It was a pretty magical moment."
WEIRD AL YANKOVIC Nicole Landry, Progress Energy Center's Mahaffey Theater: "He is this larger-than-life character who is just as funny, quirky and tell-it-like-it-is in person as he is on stage."
AASIF MANDVI Tara Schroeder, Tampa Theatre: "Cutiepie Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) made a special trip to Tampa Theatre for a Q&A after a screening of his film, Today's Special. Aasif graduated from USF and still has lots of friends and family here, so it was really sweet to see them all so proud of their local guy done good. He's smart, hilarious and very down to earth — and now a Tampa Theatre member."
TOM NOWICKI Andy Orrell, American Stage: "Tom Nowicki was on our stage playing the Devil in The Seafarer this past summer. He starred in the movie The Blind Side and in the upcoming Dolphin Tale. … As well as being a respected Hollywood actor, Tom helps run a shelter for abused and abandoned dogs in Orlando that gives free hydrotherapy to injured animals. The shelter was going through some hard times over the summer, so Tom was driving back and forth between St. Petersburg and Orlando in between performances of The Seafarer to raise money to help keep the good work they do from ending. Due to his dedication, the shelter's doors are still open."
LAINIE KAZAN Scott Pinsker, The Club at Treasure Island: "What I really liked and admired about Lainie Kazan was that she came to The Club at Treasure Island under the weather and not feeling her best, but still delivered an amazing, emotionally charged show like a true professional — and stayed throughout the entire after-party, signing autographs and posing for pictures until the end of the evening. Through sheer grace and determination, she turned a potential off-night into an unforgettable experience for everyone in attendance."
MELISSA ETHERIDGE Paul Bilyeu, Straz Center: "She's a rock and roll hero. A cancer survivor. A mother. A human rights activist. Those are a few of the labels I'd associated with Melissa Etheridge. And after her visit to Tampa, I'd have to call her a good sport as well! Etheridge threw out the first pitch at a Rays game. The pitch probably wasn't a strike, but she certainly gained some new fans that night — and the next night, she hit a grand slam home run at her Straz Center concert.
CHRISTOPHER LLOYD Tara Schroeder, Tampa Theatre: "We booked Back to The Future for our Sunset Cinema feature at River Tower Park in Sulphur Springs and one of our staff members, Kelly Prata, happened to see that Christopher Lloyd would be in town at another event that day. Great Scott — what a coincidence! Anyhoo, he graciously agreed to stop by after the movie and take questions from the audience."
MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN Eric Polins, Gasparilla International Film Festival: Duncan, well known for his starring role in The Green Mile, visited Tampa for the Florida premiere of the independent film Black, White and Blues, helping out four local non-profits including the Gasparilla filmfest. "The local students from Academy Prep Tampa were so happy to get the chance to walk the red carpet and mingle with him," says Polins.
CROWDED HOUSE Katie A. Pedretty, Ruth Eckerd Hall: The Australian band Crowded House had its heyday in the '80s and '90s and is probably best known for its winsome love song "Don't Dream It's Over." The band went on a long hiatus after the death of drummer Paul Hester and regrouped to tour, performing at Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall. "The most memorable moment about it," remembers Pedretty, "was looking to one section of the venue and seeing every one of the music critics for the Tampa Bay area papers sitting together having a great time."
This article appears in Dec 30, 2010 – Jan 5, 2011.