Written by:
Demetria Daniels

P: 212-332-9991

718-885-6576 A chatty, informative column of New York events featuring places, people and personalities and celebrities. demetriadaniels@gmail.com

 
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A JOYFULL NEW YEAR FILLED WITH PEACE AND HARMONY.

Recently, at an art opening the AMBASSADOR OF RWANDA - DR. ANASTASE GASANA and his beautiful wife spoke about peace and how important it is for the United States to convince our allies that we want Peace.

At the Sundaram Tagore Gallery there was a reception for ISHMAEL MERCHANT of the famous IVORY MERCHANT team that has brought us Remains of the Day with CHRISTOPHER REEVE, whom we all love and admire and who has been chosen to bring in the YEAR 2003 at Times Square. The reception was in honor of his new book MY PASSAGE FROM INDIA about his journey from India to Hollywood. Look forward to a private intrview with him on GOTHAMGOSSIP.

At this time last year I was at the NYU 35th anniversary of the Tish school. Among its notable alumni that joined the celebration were BILLY CRYSTAL and ALEC BALDWIN who does great events for breast cancer in Long Island. I have also met Alec at the Creative Coalition's dinner hosted by ROBIN WILLIAMS,and at RIVERKEEPER.

We see YANNI is coming to Madison Square Garden in the Spring. So to all my Greek Friends including the Counsel in New York - MR. PLATIS- and AMBASSADOR LOUCAS TSILAS of the ALEXANDER ONASIS CENTER and to U.S. AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE,"kalla christouyennia".

I hope Santa brought you all lots of presents. He brought me a new dog - a white poodle named RUFFI.

This column is for PRECIOUS.
posted by Demetria at 7:14 PM

 
20th Century FOX's President JAMES GIANOPULOS was in New York receiving accolades from the Greek Chamber of Commerce. at a very private dinner at the Metropolitan Club hosted by JOHN CASIMATEDES, the supermarket tycoon and his beautiful and talented wife, MARGO. - they made the movie Moulin Rouge starring NICOLE KIDMAN.He danced and spoke brilliantly. I also met this week the film's very talented director, the wonderful BAZ LUHRMAN, who is also directing the new opening of LA BOHEME (in Italian) on Broadway. He told jokes at Barnes & Noble and signed lots of books about the opera. He pranced around filled with vital energy and humor. Keep watching this column in the coming weeks for an interview with Mr. Luhrman and learn his secret to success.

  

Hosting a brilliant evening at Laura Belles was ROSIE O'DONNELL (she loves to tell jokes) and FRANK MCCOURT (he loves to tell stories) for THE MOTH. That is a literary society which spins tales and tells stories at its events around town. They have storytelling workshops and they have worked with hoemless men and women, at-risk teenagers, children touched by AIDS. They are going national with the television series THE MOTH; AN EVENING OF STORYTELLING, Channel Trio.

  

Starting the holiday season, FLORENCE BOCARIUS held a unique musical celebration for Switzerland. A black-tie formal event in her home was attended by AMBASSADOR JENO C.A. STAEHELIN of Switzerland who called her a "bridge" to peace and love; also attending - the AMBASSADOR of UKRAINE; I chatted with the COUNSEL GENERAL OF INDIA, PRAMATHESS RATHA- we spoke alot about the Mahabarata. As the holidays approach lets all go to church, synagogue or mosque to pray for peace and an end of war.

This column is always written and dedicated to my dog PRECIOUS.
posted by Demetria at 3:23 PM

 
STEVEN SPEILBERG had a huge white tent set up at the South Street Seaport to preview his new television series about abductees- TAKEN. That means people that have claimed to have been abducted by alien space ships. The series will air in December. As you entered the tent there were headphones and each one had its own story. The abductees came from all over and each story was different and very believable.

To scare us a bit, the crowd was invited into a room with a facsimile space ship in the center ceiling with lots of light and sound beaming down on us. Also we could speak into a machine that sent out our sound waves; nearby was a chart showing the different planets and how long it would take for the sound to travel the solar system. I read a poem about PRECIOUS my dog - now he is universal in space. There were lots of give-aways - a magazine, CD's etc. So stay tuned for more science fiction or science fact - you can decide. By the way - his new movie CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - starring LEO DE CAPRIO is a hoot.

MARVIN HAMLISH hosted a benefit at CARNEGIE HALL for breast cancer. He is sensitive to the cause. He played the overture from "Chorus Line". The guest celebrities included the amazing ITZAK PEARLMAN and ROBERTA FLACK. It's a great cause. We are waiting for BOB DYLAN to play there this month.

This has been a very political month. Congratulations to GOVERNOR PATAKI for another term in New York State. SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON was at the celebration for ATTORNEY GENERAL SPITZER, who spoke brilliantly along with his wife who also spoke brilliantly. After the party everyone in the room headed to the nightclub NYLA - owned by BRITNEY SPEARS - to dance the night away.

posted by Demetria at 1:15 PM

 
A moment of mention for my dog PRECIOUS who died and all the 9/11 victims. I attended the concert in Central Park. --MERYL STREEP--read selections to music, and-- BILLY JOEL-- played his piano and made us sing again.

  

New Yorkers are resilient and there are events and parties every night. Most recently was the meeting of the United Nations general assembly. By accident i wound up at a party hosted by the AMBASSADOR FROM JAPAN. When a tall man wearing a purple and green satin robe that looked like a tent and a caftan whirled into the reception. It turned out to be THE PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTAN – HAMID KARZAI. I showed him my card for Gotham Gossip and he smiled. We talked about peace between our countries. He is a man of love and compassion and the country is lucky to have him lead.

The highlight this month was at CHRISTIES. There was an auction of magnificent jewelry. Who's jewelry? - it belongs to the most beautiful woman in the world, the queen of Hollywood - ELIZABETH TAYLOR. And it was a benefit for THE ELIZABETH TAYLOR AIDS FOUNDATION. She looked lovely in an orange caftan. - bejeweled with blond hair and those most beautiful violet eyes. She said that 'tonight is about love - my love for my family' - the most important things are my grandchildren’ the 7.40 emerald and diamond ring that RICHARD BURTON gave her sold for $80,000 and was "my commitment to AIDS to let it go.'

  

Next to her on the podium was SIR ELTON JOHN. When I shook his hand, I told him I had been at his concert in Central Park to hear him play and he smiled and said "well that was a long time ago'.

I also spoke to JOAN COLLINS, who looked glamorous in a silver suit. She thought the event was 'simply fantastic.'

posted by Demetria at 11:33 AM