'Broadway' stars kick back and karaoke
With barely a week of filming left, the ''On Broadway" bunch blew off some serious steam Saturday, throwing a wild wrap party at An Tua Nua on Beacon Street. Fresh-faced former New Kid Joey McIntyre -- the lead in director Dave McLaughlin's movie about an Irish-American playwright staging a show in the back of a pub -- treated the crowd to a rousing karaoke rendering of Elton John's ''Tiny Dancer" while his wife, Barrett Williams, beamed. Eliza Dushku was up next. Introduced as ''straight outta Watertown!," the oft-downloaded actress grabbed the mike to sing Madonna's ''Like a Prayer." (Lovely as she is, Dushku should keep her day job.) But the ''Buffy" beauty did display decent beat-boxing skills, leading the cast and crew on a version of ''Poison" by Boston's own Bell Biv DeVoe. (Talk about keepin' it real!) Also in the house were ''On Broadway" actors Bob Wahlberg, Peter Giles, Lucas Caleb Rooney, and Jill Flint, who'd just raced back after auditioning in the Big Apple for Dick Wolf. The film wraps Friday and, with any luck, will screen at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
KISS of approval
Saturday's KISS 108 concert was a mutual admiration society. Waiting backstage at the Tweeter Center, the burbling, barely clad Rihanna couldn't say enough nice things about fellow performer Ne-Yo, who just happened to write her hit single ''Unfaithful." Likewise, Rihanna, Ashley Parker Angel, and Nick Lachey were gaga for Dan Gorski, the 21-year-old Lowell lad who walked away with $10,000 after winning Matty Siegel's ''Idol"-inspired talent contest. Gorski's cover of Usher's ''Yeah" got the crowd going crazy. Lachey kept an uncharacteristically low profile, refusing to address the media backstage. (When Billy Costa asked who'd like to join him for a private interview with Jessica Simpson's ex, Channel 5 reporter Gail Huff frantically waved her hand.) At the after-party at Game On!, Natasha Bedingfield showed up, staying for about 30 minutes before being carried down the street by friends. Lachey was rumored to be on his way, but he hadn't made it by 1:45 a.m.
There’s plenty of action in Boston
Word is ‘‘Daddy’s Little Girl,’’ starring The Rock as a pro football-playing single father, is about to start shooting in Boston. The little girl hasn’t been cast, but we’re told Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw, who appeared in ‘‘Failure to Launch’’ with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker, has been offered the role of the coach. . . . Roxbury-bred Victoria Rowell, who was back in town briefly last week, has joined Samuel L. Jackson and 50 Cent in the cast of ‘‘Home of the Brave.’’ . . . And keep an eye out for Ben Affleck, who’s expected to start shooting ‘‘Gone, Baby, Gone’’ in and around Southie starting today.
A hero to Tufts
The Tufts PR department was doubtless overjoyed yesterday when Tour de France champ Lance Armstrong opened his robe to reveal a Tufts cycling jersey.
Playwright Tony Kushner received an honorary degree at Brandeis yesterday. . . . Looking at the security around him at Suffolk University yesterday, you'd think Rudy Giuliani already was president. . . . Kathie Lee Gifford attended the Nantucket Wine Festival's charity gala Saturday, and Pats coach Bill Belichick sampled the spirits at yesterday's grand tasting. . . . Pats linebacker Tedy Bruschi, Cambridge-bred ''Baywatch" babe Traci Bingham, and ''CSI: Miami" actor David Caruso participated in Saturday's Best Buddies bike ride in Hyannisport.
Meredith Goldstein of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253. 
