(Bill Brett for the Boston Globe)
Names
You could literally hear a pin drop in between Frederica von Stade's pauses as the famed mezzo soprano (above) wowed the 150 attendees at a gala to raise more than $400,000 for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's music program. Among those wearing their finest black-tie attire and skipping around the snowbanks and puddles along the Fenway were former
Story time
"Desperate Housewives" star Marcia Cross read the book "Snowpeople" to a group of children on Saturday as part of a Beverly Hills fund-raiser to benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. A Marlborough-raised mother of twin girls, Cross did her reading at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Joel helping out troops
John Gonsalves knew that his Taunton-based nonprofit Homes for Our Troops had a friend in Billy Joel, but the Piano Man's recent generosity caught even Gonsalves off guard. Joel recently announced that the net proceeds from his new anti-war song "Christmas in Fallujah" will go to the charity Gonsalves started more than three years ago to build or modify homes for those who were injured while serving in the military. "Billy has been a big supporter . . . almost from the beginning," Gonsalves told us. "For him to do this is just remarkable." Homes for Our Troops has completed projects in 20 states and is expected to turn over three more houses in Colorado, Texas, and Connecticut in the next week. As for how much the song might raise through its iTunes sales for the charity, Gonsalves won't hazard a guess. "I'm thankful for the exposure and anything that is raised," he said. "It all makes a difference. It's like I tell people, you can't build a house with a $2 box of nails."'72 Dolphins mark time
They may say they're all for the Patriots to go undefeated, but the players from the 1972 Miami Dolphins still sound a bit defensive about Bill Belichick & Co.'s perfect run - 14 games into the season. To mark the 35th anniversary of the Dolphins' accomplishment, some 500 people attended a swanky soiree the other night at Miami's Prime Blue Grille, owned by Jim Dunn's Boston-based WellDunn Management Group. (In May, Dunn will open his second Prime Blue Grille at the Natick Collection.) Among those who came were more than 30 players from the '72 squad, including Bob Griese, Nick Buoniconti, Manny Fernandez, Marv Fleming, Earl Morrall, Mercury Morris, and Garo Yepremian. "We're not a bunch of grumpy old men waiting for the Patriots to break our record," Buoniconti told the crowd, adding the Dolphins won even after Griese was hurt. "Do you think if Tom Brady got hurt that the Pats would go undefeated? No."Menino checks out Pats
Boston Mayor Tom Menino made the trip to Gillette Stadium yesterday, taking in the game in the warmth of the Reebok suite. Also spotted at Gillette: "Greater Boston" host Emily Rooney, Longwood Events owner Jim Apteker, and former Play-by-play for film
It looked like Red Sox radio announcer Dave O'Brien was doing just another broadcast from NECN's Newton studios. But O'Brien and NECN sports anchor Chris Collins were actually filming a scene the other day for "Diminished Capacity," a flick starring Alan Alda, Virginia Madsen, and Matthew Broderick. Plum Pictures needed the shot for the film about a man obsessed with the Chicago Cubs. Alas, none of the stars were on hand. Schilling home featured
Sox hurler Curt Schilling's Christmas decorations at his Medfield manse were featured on last night's "Holiday of Stars" TV special on ABC. The hourlong Celeb TV.com-produced show also took a peek inside ex-Dallas Cowboys player Emmitt Smith's home and sat with Kobe Bryant for a chat about his Christmas memories.
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