Theo joins distinguished group

Brookline High School will be the place to be Saturday. That's when former Sox GM Theo Epstein receives the Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater. Epstein, Class of '91, is the fifth recipient of the award, joining Mike Dukakis ('51), Mike Wallace ('35), Conan O'Brien ('81), and last year's honoree, Pats owner Robert Kraft ('59). The fund-raiser for the school's 21st Century Fund has been sold out for some time, but the events of the past week have ratcheted up the interest. ''Like everyone else, we've been watching the news," said Michael Rafferty, executive director of the 21st Century Fund. ''We've discussed what's been going on, and we maintain that we're very proud of Theo and think he's the perfect choice for this year's award." Epstein, who stunned Red Sox Nation this week by declining to renew his contract with the team, will be the subject of a video tribute -- being produced by the Sox, by the way -- before he's introduced by two of his BHS classmates, twin brother Paul and his good buddy Sam Kennedy, a VP for sales with the Sox. We e-mailed Epstein yesterday to get a text of his remarks, but he didn't respond.

‘Geisha’ inspires cosmetics line

The talk was all about books and body products last night when ''Memoirs of a Geisha" author Arthur Golden showed up for a signing at Fresh, the sweet-scented cosmetics shop on Newbury Street. In time for the release of director Rob Marshall's movie based on the book, Fresh founders Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg have created a product line inspired by the bestseller, including a Flower Petal Mask, a Rice Face Wash, a Beauty Face Palette, and, of course, an Eau de Parfum. (For the record, Golden told us he's not a big fragrance fella, but wife Trudy and daughter Tess do use the products.) About the movie, the Brookline writer had nothing but praise. ''The director was really the right choice," said Golden, whose book has sold nearly 5 million copies and spent some 60 weeks atop The New York Times bestseller list. ''He's perfect." For all of the success of ''Memoirs of Geisha," Golden is gracefully unaffected. ''The fact is, when I wrote this book, I could never have predicted any of this," he said. ''But who could have?"

Big art; presidential visit

The Ellis Antiques Show kicks off tonight with a private preview at The Castle at the Boston Park Plaza, and one of the pricier items is John Singer Sargent's 1908 landscape, ''Valdemosa, Majorca, Pomegranate Trees," which is presented by William Vareika Fine Arts of Newport, R.I. Gallery co-owner Alison Vareika hung the painting the other day.

Here to speak at Harvard, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, a Greek politician and businesswoman who helped bring the 2004 Summer Olympic Games to Athens, paid a visit to Harvard prez Larry Summers.

A super treat

Even if the Pats aren't playing, stay in front of the tube on Super Bowl Sunday. ABC has decided to air a special episode of ''Grey's Anatomy" in the coveted post-Super Bowl slot Feb. 5. The show, which stars Everett's own Ellen Pompeo, was nationally the most-watched program Sunday night with 17.1 million viewers despite the fact that her home-town fans had to stay up till after the late news to see her because it was pre-empted by the Pats-Bills game. . . . Word is Gwyneth Paltrow's directorial debut, ''Dealbreaker," will be among the films shown at the Williamstown Film Festival. before it concludes Sunday. No, Mrs. Chris Martin will not be there.

Working 'Stiffs'

''Stiffs," the latest from fraternal filmmaking duo Frank and Joseph Ciota, is moving forward. The comedy, now in pre-production, is expected to be shot in and around Boston soon. The North Shore brothers previously collaborated on ''The North End" and ''Ciao America."

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