Fenway plans fail to materialize

At least for now, our dreams of watching Madge get freaky at Fenway have been dashed. Madonna finally announced the deets of her summer tour, and the Material Girl will not be boogieing at the ballpark after all. A few months back, select fan sites had reported that the pop star's ''Confessions Tour" was aiming to play Fenway in June while the Bosox were out of town. Alas, it's not so. The itinerary announced yesterday includes exactly one Boston date, and it's at the TD Banknorth Garden July 6. (The divine Mrs. M, who'll be costumed as usual by designer Jean Paul Gaultier, will also be mesmerizing the masses in Chicago, San Jose, Phoenix, Fresno, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Miami, Montreal, and New York.) Not to worry. The Fenway concert series begun by Bruce Springsteen is continuing this summer. Dave Matthews and Sheryl Crow are set to rock the house July 7 and 8.

Malkovich treasures his private time

On Sunday, being John Malkovich meant being at the Boston Design Center. The actor, who calls Cambridge home these days, was among 3,000 or so folks who showed up for the Design Center's annual treasure hunt, when several of the chichi showrooms are open to the public and the luxury samples are for sale. ''He paid his $10, got his badge, and walked in," said the Design Center's Alexis Contant. ''He was not interested in getting star treatment." We're told Malkovich spent some time checking out the custom tiles in the Ann Sacks showroom, as well as the Asian antiques and goodies in the Artifacts showroom.

Sokolove works his way onto ‘Sopranos’

Something sound familiar during ''The Sopranos" Sunday? While James Gandolfini's character was clicking through the channels, Jim Sokolove's ceaseless TV pitch came on -- and it may not have been an accident. ''About a year ago, I spent a lot of time researching product placement," said the Boston barrister. ''My best guess is that one of the companies I talked to . . . made the placement." Sokolove, who was among the first lawyers in the region to advertise on TV, said he'd be more than happy to represent Tony Soprano. ''If Tony needs a really good lawyer, he can give us a call," he said.

Two chefs cook up some attention

Pino Maffeo of Restaurant L in Boston and Mary Dumont of Dunaway Restaurant at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, N.H., are two of the best new chefs of 2006, according to Food & Wine magazine's 18th annual list. Maffeo, who grew up in East Boston and cooked in California and New York before returning here in 2003, is known for his eclectic, sometimes edgy style. Dumont, a New Hampshire native who also has cooked in California, concentrates on local ingredients in her New American-style menu. She's the first New Hampshire chef to be selected.

The Hurricane Katrina track cut by locals Catie Curtis and Mark Erelli is the grand prize winner of the International Songwriting Competition. The two were judged best by a panel that included Tom Waits, Loretta Lynn, Sonny Rollins, John Scofield, and Macy Gray for their collaboration on the song ''People Look Around," which addresses the impact of the disaster and the need to look at the larger truths revealed. . . . Hotshot college hoopsters Tye'sha Fluker from Tennessee, Lisa Willis of UCLA, and Baylor's Sophia Young are expected to attend this afternoon's screening at AMC Boston Common of ''The Heart of the Game," a documentary about a girls high school team in Seattle.

MTV's Damien Fahey is back in Boston today to talk to kids at his alma mater, Northeastern University, about juggling school and work. (Fahey was a weekend DJ on Kiss 108 while in college.)

It's a sweet story: Garrett Sorenson comes to Boston with a broken heart, but during rehearsals for the Boston Lyric Opera's production of ''Eugene Onegin," he falls hopelessly in love with his leading lady, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Batton. A year later, the couple is engaged, and at Friday's opening-night party for the BLO's ''La Traviata," in which Sorenson plays Alfredo, the two were lovey-dovey. . . . Pats linebacker Tedy Bruschi will be the special guest at the Lenox Hotel's roof party for the Boston Marathon.

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