A busy playmaker

Fight fan Mark Wahlberg was sitting ringside with Jack Nicholson (both at right) at Saturday's junior welterweight title fight between Filipino Manny Pacquiao and Brit Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (Pacquiao stopped Hatton in the second round.) Not coincidentally, we're sure, Wahlberg is set to play Lowell-bred brawler "Irish" Micky Ward in "The Fighter."

There were familiar faces in the stands Saturday to see the Celts dispose of the Bulls, among them Obama adviser David Axelrod, former Celtics K.C. Jones and JoJo White, Sox outfielder Mark Kotsay and wife Jamie, Pats president Jonathan Kraft, former Pat Ty Law, UFC hostess Rachelle Leah, actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse (a.k.a. McLovin from "Superbad"), actor Bill Murray, Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day, New Kid Donnie Wahlberg, and director Chris Robinson, who's in town to shoot a vid with Wale and Lady GaGa.

He's an actor and director, but Kevin Costner can also sing a little, as the Oscar winner will demonstrate Thursday when he and his band, Modern West, perform at Showcase Live. "When I'm in a community and filming . . . instead of just being a 'sighting,' I like to have authentic evenings playing with the band," says Costner, who's in Boston shooting "The Company Men" with Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, and Maria Bello. "In a positive way, my wife's been pushing me to do more of this." Initially, the "Dances With Wolves" director said he demurred. "I'm aware of what the perceptions can be and I thought, 'Do I really need that?' " he told us. "But then I said, 'Who are you afraid of?' " On disc, Costner can sound like a cross between Chris Isaak and John Hiatt, with a bit of the Boss tossed in. "We wish we were those guys," he joked. It's clear that Costner doesn't take this side project as seriously as, say, Billy Bob Thornton, who recently threw a fit on Canadian radio because he objected to being called an actor. (Thornton was promoting his new album.) "Billy had kind of run his course with those questions. He didn't want to go there," said Costner. "Billy is a friend. He's trying to create and creation is going forward not going backward." Of "The Company Men," the actor said it's "rendered so well it has a chance to be a classic," and he's reconnected with Ben Affleck, who was an extra in "Field of Dreams." "I was an extra in 'Love at First Bite.' We've all been there," said Costner. "Ben's a really smart and talented guy whose life isn't defined by Hollywood."

Oscar winner Diane Keaton used an imaginary camera to capture the crowd at Simmons College Saturday. The actress was the keynote speaker at the School of Management's annual leadership conference. (Other honorees included journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Build-A-Bear Workshop CEO Maxine Clark, and former Surgeon General Antonia Novello.) After her talk, Keaton and a friend headed to the North End for dinner at Frank DiPasquale's restaurant Bricco. We're told that Keaton, who's a vegetarian, had pasta.

Former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale dropped by Sonsie before his show at the Paradise the other night. The British rocker's better half, Gwen Stefani, wasn't with him, but son Kingston and a few friends were. . . . Who was the brunette browsing baby books at yesterday's MayFair in Harvard Square? Actress Jennifer Garner, recognizable behind her Foster Grants, was at the street fair with husband Ben Affleck and kids. . . . New Pats cornerback Shawn Springs put his feet up at Bond in the Langham Hotel the other night. . . . Listening to Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson at the ICA were Jim and Kim Pallotta, philanthropist Barbara Lee and son Zach, ICA architects Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio (who make Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people), stylist Mario Russo, Boldfacers founder Lisa Pierpont, ICA director Jill Medvedow, and board president Paul Buttenwieser.

Introduced years ago by Senator John Kerry, Charles Hotel owner Dick Friedman and the Dalai Lama have become fast friends. When he's in town, the Tibetan Buddhist leader stays at the Charles, and Friedman's on the board of the Bridge Fund, which promotes economic development and environmental conservation in China's Tibetan communities. We're told Friedman rode in the Dalai Lama's motorcade to Gillette this weekend, and sat on the stage while His Holiness spoke.