Let Rhoda in!
Security was tight outside the Donald Sewell Grand Ballroom of the Denver Performing Arts Complex on Monday night as attendees arrived over a period of hours to hear Tony Bennett, John Legend and James Taylor crooning in tribute to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The ultra-important folks were shuffled in through the special entrance, but a ticketless Valerie Harper told her friends to go ahead without her as she talked her way in at the main door with hubby Tony Cacciotti. Her pal, Charlie Wilson, was already enjoying the show, sponsored by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Just having fun
Singer Cyndi Lauper performs tonight for the Human Rights Campaign, but she made time Tuesday to drop by the jam-packed Planned Parenthood party at The Samba Room in LoDo. “They helped me when I was a young girl,” the singer said as she made her way into the bash to join Aisha Tyler and Ashley Judd. — Greg Hernandez
Breakfast and brew
Dan Rather filmed a news segment for MSNBC from a back table at Sam’s 3 Monday morning. Sure some patrons were irritated by makeup artists who took up valued seats at the counter. But an affable Rather made nice, shaking many hands over plates of hash browns and eggs. Tom Daschle, former senator for South Dakota, a state that knows from wind, sampled a new specialty beer at the Wynkoop Brewing Co. on Monday night: Windpower Wheat. Post publisher William Dean Singleton was there, too. New Yorker magazine scribe George Packer mingled at the Ritz-Carlton bar. WSJ Wonder Land columnist Daniel Henninger did the same at Ship Tavern.
Biden’s pork plan
Sen. Joe Biden got a taste of the local chow Monday, courtesy of Boney’s BBQ in Writer Square. Biden and company bought five pulled pork sandwiches and one lemonade. The three turkey legs someone on his staff had reserved went unordered, said Boney’s owner Trina Lynch. The senator’s wife, Jill Biden, said she hadn’t tasted the barbecue yet, just as a secret service agent moved her along. “We got it to go,” said the earpieced, sunglassed guard. “To go.” — Kris Browning-Blas
Gayle’s here. Where’s O?
Standing in a crowded hallway inside Pepsi Center on Monday, Gayle King confessed to being extremely nervous before her interview with Michelle Obama earlier in the day for her radio show.
“I’d been up since 4 a.m. worried about Michelle’s speech, and she walks in cool as a cucumber.”
How did King land a rare interview with the would-be first lady? “I’m not above groveling,” she admitted.
Can’t hurt that she’s Obama-supporter Oprah Winfrey’s best friend. — Greg Hernandez
Where is everybody?
A couple songs into his Monday-night set, Jakob Dylan was not enthused, playing to a chatty, near-empty crowd at the opera house. Rock the Voters were busy drinking in the lobby — until they shut down the bar. Yikes. — Ricardo Baca
Celebs on the ‘Fax
East Colfax Avenue doesn’t often see many TV and film stars. That changed in the early hours Sunday. Anne Hathaway, Alan Cumming, Richard Schiff, Josh Lucas and others found themselves at RockBar, which has been renamed BarackBar for the Democratic National Convention. Owner Jesse Morreale was the host.
He dances, too
There he was, Harold — minus Kumar — doing crowd control in a yellow DNC volunteer vest at Pepsi Center on Monday evening. The actor, real name John Cho, was better at clogging as the crowd snapped his picture. — Nancy Lofholm
Smooth landings
Though all eyes are on the small airports (you know, where private jets land), turns out that a lots of stars are flying through Denver International Airport . Daryl Hannah, Danny Glover and — wait for it — Eva Longoria passed through the gates. Hillary Rodham Clintonlanded at the cargo hangars early Sunday evening. — Dana Coffield
Private spaces
Filmmakers AJ Schnack, Morgan Spurlock (“Supersize Me”) and George Hickenlooper (the Mayor’s cuz) gave the Cinemocracy Late Night Lounge a test drive Sunday.
The super VIP space in LoDo is the love child of the folks at the Denver Film Society — and it is strictly “by invitation.” Musicians, filmmakers and hill staffers are expected to make the trek.
Daily show follies
There’s some serious political business going on down on the floor of Pepsi Center. In the hallways, not so much. Rob Riggle and Wyatt Cenac, correspondents from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” drew a crowd of about two dozen folks as they did one of their stunts in front of a closed cheesesteak stand.
They stopped California delegate Jennifer Pae, and, cameras rolling, insisted that she share her nachos with them. No problem: Pae played along nicely. — Greg Hernandez
Honoring women
One hundred women in leadership were feted in style Sunday. Colorado Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien, University of Northern Colorado president Kay Norton, retailer Molly Broeren and executive search firm owner Annamarie Larson joined other female power brokers for an afternoon social held at Palettes in the Denver Art Museum. — Joanne Davidson
Anderson takes a jab
Anchor Anderson Cooper is so over ABC, CBS and NBC. “I don’t think real political junkies turn to the networks anymore,” he said. He hit the New Orleans gig at the Fillmore on Sunday but will pass on the rest of Denver’s social whirl. “I don’t see the point,” he said. “I prefer reading.” — Joanne Ostrow
He’s been around
NBC anchor Brian Williams spent 70 minutes in the security line to get into the Pepsi Center. “Security will be a subplot at this convention,” Williams said. Just back from Beijing and NBC’s Olympic coverage, Williams launched into the convention with no sign of jet lag. “Better living through chemicals,” he said, holding up two cans of Red Bull. — Joanne Ostrow
Rocking the Rocks
Angela Bassett, Gloria Reuben,Ellen Burstyn, Alan Cumming and Tony Goldwyn all went back to Mezcal restaurant Monday morning — this time for a brunch celebrating Giancarlo Esposito’s film, “Gospel Hill.” Also attending was Dana Delany. — Greg Hernandez
This is nice
Political operative Donna Brazile, campaign manager of Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, now best known as a CNN commentator, said Monday that she owes it all to her mother. “I never thought I would see this day,” she said, reflecting on her success.”When I was a little girl growing up in the Deep South, my mother would talk to us in her bedroom at night and say we could be anything or anyone we wanted to be.” She spoke at the Unconventional Women conference at the Buell Theatre. — Colleen O’Connor
Sweet stuff
For Sen. Daniel Inouye, “life begins at 83.” That’s what the veteran Hawaii legislator told the crowd assembled for the Asian-American Pacific-Islander Vote Gala at Marriott-Denver City Center downtown. He was introducing his wife, Irene Hirano, former director of the Japanese American National Museum. They married just 14 weeks ago. — Erin Yoshimura
