Is that Michael Jackson?

It was intended as a silly stunt: Walk into the Copley Place Mall with a King of Pop impersonator and see what happens. ''It was kind of an 'Ocean's Eleven' caper," says John Hargrave, talking for the first time about the elaborate hoax he organized last month. ''It worked perfectly." It began when Hargrave, a Berklee grad who runs the comedy website zug.com, tipped off the media that Michael Jackson was wandering around the mall with an entourage that included his son. By coincidence, the Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center was holding its annual fete that night at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. ''I called the organizer, and they set up a private balcony for us," said Hargrave, laughing. ''They waited on us hand and foot. . . . Man, being a celebrity is so easy." The wannabe Wacko Jacko, who was played persuasively by Gerson Barahona, stayed at the party for about an hour before beating it. He nearly met the evening's featured performer, Gladys Knight, but then got cold feet. ''We were sweating because we didn't know what was going to happen," said Hargrave. Before leaving with his kid, played by Hugo Reyes, the ersatz entertainer made a $1,000 donation to RoxComp, using a Visa card issued to Michael Jackson. Luckily, there's a video of the whole episode, and it should be posted at zug.com by, oh, April Fools' Day.

For governor, raising dough is cake

Mitt Romney used his 59th birthday to help fill the coffers of the state Republican Party this week. The governor's birthday is March 12, but he assembled some of his deep-pocketed pals Tuesday for a soiree at the State Room. The evening raised $250,000 for the state GOP. We're told the impressive guest list included New Balance CEO Jim Davis, Pats owner Bob Kraft, Paul Palandjian, president of Intercontinental Real Estate Corp., Boston Culinary bigshot Joe O'Donnell, former Patriot Gino Cappelletti, Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz, and the WinnCompanies' Arthur Winn. The cake was courtesy of Locke-Ober's Lydia Shire. . . . Favored by some Dems as the party's next presidential nominee, Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia, will be a fellow at Harvard's Institute of Politics next month, where he'll be joined by Patricia Clarey, former chief of staff to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California.

Princess gives Liuzzo the royal boot

So much for Princess Beatrice's royal romance with the onetime roughneck. British papers reported yesterday that the 17-year-old daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson has dumped Paolo Liuzzo, who was convicted in the 2002 death of Jonathan Duchatellier while both were students at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. A spokesman for the Duchess of York confirmed this week: ''They are not going out anymore." Liuzzo, 24, is still on probation stemming from the fight that resulted in Duchatellier's death.

Kerry Healey delivered some funny lines at the annual St. Patrick's Day breakfast -- ''I'm the richest, most power-hungry Republican woman not married to John Kerry" -- but the lieutenant governor won't be at Banned in Boston, the madcap musical revue to be held next month at Avalon. Healey was supposed to be there but has canceled. The other gubernatorial candidates, Christy Mihos, Tom Reilly, and Deval Patrick, are taking part in the annual benefit for Urban Improv, joining Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Larry and Stacey Lucchino, and DA Martha Coakley, among other notable nabobs.

Speaking at Brandeis Wednesday, Sister Helen Prejean, author of ''Dead Man Walking," was a compelling storyteller.

April's a lucky month for chef Jacky Robert and partner Loic Le Garrec. On April 1 a year ago, the two opened Petit Robert Bistro in Kenmore Square, and it's been so successful they're opening a second Petit Robert in the South End. Robert, who was chef at Maison Robert for years, hopes to have the place open sometime next month in the space currently occupied by Rouge on Columbus Avenue. It'll be a family affair, with daughter and recent Tufts grad Iris Robert as the chef. Robert and Le Garrec are also looking for a place to open a French deli, perhaps in April 2007.

Alison Arnett of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.