Season of hope is in his cards

By Mark Shanahan & Paysha Rhone, Globe Staff  |  March 24, 2009

Pick up a pack of Topps baseball cards and you might get an artsy surprise inside - a one-of-a-kind "sketch" card by Brian Fox. The Somerset artist, who specializes in renditions of sports stars, created 50 unique cards for the trading card company, and said other artists have done the same. The cards are slipped into the regular card decks. "I guess it's popular and the value of them is pretty high," Fox said. Of course, he picked all the Red Sox on the list of players that the company gave him to choose from. "I did Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia, a few of Big Papi, David Ortiz . . . Josh Beckett (above), Jacoby Ellsbury." He even did the now much-maligned Manny Ramirez, in his Dodgers uniform. The 2-by-3-inch cards were fun to work on but tough to make, he added. "They're really, really small, so I had to use a magnifying glass and jeweler's glasses. I looked like a wacko with all that head gear." Fox, by the way, has donated paintings to both Beckett's and Curt Schilling's charity auctions.

Grandma the Clown has a new trick: rescuing the media from a broken-down Duck Boat. The Big Apple Circus star, who has driven a Duck in the Charles River to celebrate the tour company's spring launch for the past few years, had to throw a rope to journalists on another vessel yesterday; the media crew was along to cover the promotional tour, which also highlights the circus opening April 4 on City Hall Plaza. "The photographers were successfully taking shots," recounted spokeswoman Kathy Rochefort, who was along for the ride. "And as we were steering into the [Charles River] basin, our driver realized he had lost the ability to steer." Luckily the boat just turned in circles and didn't crash, she said. Grandma, who was driving a boat full of passengers behind the press vessel, tossed a rope to the driver and pulled the stranded photographers back to the launch dock. "We were all so comforted Grandma was there," Rochefort joked.

Here we go again; People magazine reported yesterday that newlyweds Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen are getting married - again. And this wedding, planned for Costa Rica on April 4, will have a bigger guest list than their stealthy California nups in February. (Some sources have reported that ceremony was for the benefit of baby John, whose mama - Bridget Moynahan - is reportedly not keen on him leaving the country.) "Sources" told People the couple has invited friends, family, Patriots teammates, and Bundchen's model pals to a dinner on Friday, April 3, followed by a wedding ceremony and reception the next day. The celebration has been planned for months, but will still be low-key and cozy. "It's going to be an intimate affair," the source said.

Davio's owner Steve DiFillippo, NECN "TV Diner" host Billy Costa, and Legal Sea Foods CEO Roger Berkowitz spoke to several hundred restaurant owners and vendors at the New England Food and Lodging Show at the Boston Convention Center yesterday. Their keynote topic (sounding much like the rest of the country): "Getting Through a Tough Economy." "The whole thing was packed," DiFillippo said. "We talked about getting your house in order, making sure your food costs are right." He's definitely observed customers spending less at his four restaurants, he said, but he's hopeful things will pick up. "We've been through recessions before," he said. "We're giving more service now. We heart every customer that comes in."

Wanna be an "Idol," or at least get close to one? Aspiring singers between ages 17 and 25 are invited to the Strand Theatre today to try out for "Community Idol," a Boston tribute to the hit TV talent show. The four winners will perform during intermission at the Strand's upcoming performances of "Ain't Misbehavin,' " opening April 10 and starring "American Idol" champ Ruben Studdard and show contestants Frenchie Davis and Trenyce Cobbins. Judging today's sing-off will be Berklee's Lynette Gittens; Tyrone Sutton, a musician and teacher at Boston Arts Academy; and WGBH arts and entertainment reporter Jared Bowen. Sorry, no Simon or Paula.

What began as an idea for the big screen will be tried first on the small screen. NBC says it's creating an a cappella version of "American Idol" based on a movie script shopped around by Newton filmmaker Sam Weisman. The show, called "The Sing-Off," will follow contestants as they compete in a cappella singing matches. Unlike "Idol," acts will be vocal only, with no backing band or other instrumentation. "It comes from a movie script we've been working on for years that's set in the world of college a cappella singing," Weisman told us yesterday. "The producer we were dealing with thought it'd make a great reality show. Sony Pictures Television has been working on it, and sold it to NBC." Though he'll get an executive producer credit on the show, Weisman won't be involved in the nitty gritty of casting and production. "I imagine they'll want a celebrity host or judges," he said, adding that contestants are likely to be a mix of college groups and individuals. Weisman, whose credits include "Bye Bye Love" and "Dickie Roberts," isn't surprised TV is tackling this idea first. "The movie business is in a state of complete and utter paralysis," he said. "Unless you've got a movie that revolves around a star, it's difficult to get someone to move on something." Weisman's co-producers are Joel Gallen, of MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" fame, and Deb Newmyer.

Happy 33d birthday to Reese . . . Burlington comic and new mom Amy Poehler led actor Seth Rogen and husband Will Arnett in singing the birthday song to Reese Witherspoon at the premiere of "Monsters vs. Aliens" Sunday in California. All four do voices for the animated film, which also features Newton's John Krasinski, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Ed Helms, and Renee Zellweger.

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.