Cowboy chords

By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein  |  May 9, 2009

Kevin Costner has played a variety of roles over the course of his 25-year career: cowboy, ballplayer, bodyguard, and post-apocalyptic mailman. At Showcase Live Thursday night, the "Dances With Wolves" star tried his hand at singing. (Yes, like Kevin Bacon, Billy Bob Thornton, Russell Crowe, and Jared Leto, Costner fancies himself a frontman when he's not making movies.) The gig, scheduled because Costner is in town filming "The Company Men," wasn't widely advertised, and it showed: Just six people went to the pre-show meet-and-greet. (Former House speaker Sal DiMasi and wife Debbie were summoned backstage after the show.) Weirdly, the evening got underway with a lengthy highlight reel of some of Costner's memorable - and, in the case of "3,000 Miles to Graceland," not-so-memorable - screen moments. Finally, he and his band, Modern West, strode on stage. "Thank you for going to the movies all these years," the actor said after the first tune. Twice during the show Costner asked if John Wells, the director of "The Company Men," was in the house and twice the answer was no. Oh, well. Costner's daughters Annie and Lily were there, and 22-year-old Lily joined her old man for "Let Me Be the One." After 75 minutes, including a cover of "Mr. Tambourine Man," the Oscar winner signed a few autographs and then, flashing his finest movie star grin, disappeared backstage.

Richard Phillips, the ship captain held hostage by Somali pirates, has signed with one of Hollywood's top talent agencies as he sifts through book and movie offers. Variety reports that Phillips, a former Boston cabbie who lives with his wife in Underhill, Vt., has signed with CAA. Phillips was held at gunpoint for five days, and tried unsuccessfully to swim away. He was rescued on Easter Sunday after US Navy SEAL snipers killed three of the four pirates.

What's left for Diane Paulus to win? The ART's new artistic director continues to collect kudos from all corners. Not only is her Broadway production of "Hair" nominated for multiple Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle awards, but Paulus has just been honored with the 2009 Harvard College Women's Leadership Award and the I.A.L. Diamond Award, presented to a Columbia University alum in the arts.

The Boston Harbor Hotel was crawling with security yesterday. Seems King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf and Prince Faisal bin Abdullah of Saudi Arabia were there presenting a $3 million check to the World Scout Foundation, whose Danish chairman Lars Kolind and Irish director John Geoghegan were both on hand.

PUMA Ocean Racing skipper Ken Read, a BU grad and Newport native, threw out the first pitch at Fenway this week, and his battery mate was Joe Fallon, CEO of the Fallon Company. Read, one of the world's premiere extreme sailors, is in town for the Volvo Ocean Race at Fan Pier, the around-the-world sailing marathon.

Tonya Mezrich and Tiffany Dowd hosted a night of fashion and fun at the Liberty Hotel the other night. Dubbed "Fashionably Late," the event highlighted the handiwork of designer Michael De Paulo, one-of-a-kind jewelry creations by Mezrich, and shoes by Jerome C. Rousseau. The crowd included Sox owner John Henry and fiance Linda Pizzuti, Sox chairman Tom Werner, hotelier Dick Friedman, Boston Ballet's Mikko Nissinen, Mizu owner Elan Sassoon and wife Adriana, Channel 7 anchor Frances Rivera, Moxie owner Karen Fabbri, Amy Chien-Bailey of Beauty Mark, Boston Common editor Janice O'Leary, Doris Yaffe, photographer Cheryl Richards, and Erica Corsano and Michael Diskin of Stuff magazine.

Playboy Playmate Stephanie Larimore was behind the bar at McFadden's the other night, doling out drinks to raise money for the Alliance for Animals in South Boston. Because of her allergies, Larimore confessed that she can't actually have pets, but then who needs a puppy when you've got dozens of drooling, Financial District frat guys following you around. (Yes, as you might have expected, Larimore was a favorite of the fellows at McFadden's.) The model told us she makes a lot of paid appearances and sometimes she drinks too much. Maybe some food would help? "I ended up giving my dinner to a homeless person," Larimore said.

In-demand designer Dennis Duffy has teamed with Chandler Inn owner Cliff Long to give the South End landmark a hip, new look. Duffy said he had an Armani suit in mind when he redesigned the guest rooms. "We wanted them to be sophisticated and tailored with a subdued sensibility and staying power," he said. But at $189 a night, the boutique rooms cost you a lot less than an Armani.

Developer Steve Karp was honored the other night by the National Association of Corporate Directors' New England chapter. Karp was named director of the year for leadership in nonprofit corporate governance for his work as chairman of the board of Children's Hospital.

Globe correspondent Rachel Zarrell contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.