'Idol' hopefuls play Foxborough

By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein  |  June 15, 2009

Ryan Seacrest graced us with his presence, albeit briefly, at yesterday's local "American Idol" audition, which brought about 7,000 wannabe pop stars to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. At a mini press conference held in the bowels of the sports complex, Seacrest told reporters that he didn't mind the rainy day. Apparently, says Seacrest, bad weather keeps folks away who aren't serious about the "American Idol" audition process. Reps for the Fox reality show wouldn't disclose how many locals moved on from round one, but we spoke to a few teens and twentysomethings who told us they had been tapped for a second audition. Christy Castillo, 21, of Lawrence said she had success singing "I Remember" by Keyshia Cole. Katie Ryan, 16, of Millville claimed she rocked Aerosmith's "Dream On." Thanks to the tryouts, Patriot Place restaurants and retail stores were packed on an otherwise gloomy Sunday. Paul Flaherty, Davio's general manager, said that on Saturday night he served dinner to a number of "Idol"-crazed out-of-towners staying at the new Renaissance Boston Hotel & Spa at Patriot Place. "They're so proud of it," Flaherty said of the customers who traveled for the audition. "They all bring it up. It's really a great thing. A lot of mother-daughter teams."

Berklee College alum Melissa Etheridge may have been the celebrity marshal for Boston's Pride events this weekend, but it was pop diva Taylor Dayne who showed up in person for the celebration. Organizers of the gay pride events said Etheridge was a no-show because of scheduling conflicts, but that revelers were more than happy to dance at an outdoor performance by Dayne, who you probably remember as the woman who sang "Tell It to My Heart" in the late 1980s (if you don't remember it, go download it). Dayne, who grew up in New York and now lives in Los Angeles, told us that even though her Boston visit was less than 24 hours, she made time for what's important. "I always have to have lobster and New England clam chowder," Dayne said of her occasional Boston visits. "If I'm at Faneuil Hall, boom. It doesn't matter. I have to have a lobster roll. I have to have clam chowder. And I had it, baby." Don'tcha just love tourists?

Future Classic promoter Jon Regan, who's known for bringing people like ?uestlove from the Roots and New York DJ Oxy Cottontail to clubs around Boston, spent his weekend hosting the first of what will be a series of summer loft parties at Pufferbellies on the Cape. Special guests at the event included the original members of the rap group the Pharcyde, who spun tunes for young revelers. Regan said next Saturday's headliner is DJ Skribble of MTV fame. Regan said he wants to bring his vibe down Route 3, but he also wants some sun for himself. Regan confessed to us yesterday, "I just don't want to be in Boston on the weekends for once in my life." Understandable.

Some of the city's heaviest hitters gathered on Long Island (the one in Boston Harbor, not the one in New York) over the weekend to raise money for Camp Harbor View, a nonprofit summer program for city youth. John and Cyndy Fish, Robert and Myra Kraft, fur lady Mary Kakas, Greater Media's Peter Smyth and his wife, Cathy, Mayor Tom Menino and his wife, Angela, Hill Holiday's Mike Sheehan and his wife, Maureen with Hill Holiday honcho Karen Kaplan, and Eileen Connors were just some of the guests at the 2d annual Beach Ball. The party, which drew more than 400 people, raised $2.5 million.

Joseph Fallon, who works at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, was named Concierge of the Year by Where Magazine at last night's 22d annual Silver Plume Award ceremony, which was held at Via Matta. Fallon's been a finalist for the award for a few years. He beat out Ronnie Lamming of the Boston Harbor Hotel and Adam Castiglioni of the Sheraton Boston for this year's honor.

High-seas hero Captain Richard Phillips has signed a book deal with ABC/Disney's Hyperion imprint and the dramatic rights to the captain's Somali pirate tale are property of Columbia Pictures, with Kevin Spacey and Scott Rudin producing. Phillips was repped in his negotiations by Boston-based lawyer John Taylor "Ike" Williams of Fish & Richardson. . . . Meanwhile, Jennifer Jordan, former WGBH anchor for NPR's "All Things Considered" and a frequent contributor to the Improper Bostonian, has signed a deal with W.W. Norton to write a book about Dudley Wolfe, a multimillionaire from Boston who was the first man to die on the world's second highest mountain, K2, in one of the earliest attempts to climb the deadly peak. Jordan was repped by Jill Kneerim, also of Fish & Richardson.

The Museum of Fine Arts was the place to be on Saturday night, assuming you're into young, professional people who look good in fancy clothes. The invite list for the MFA's Summer Party included Jenny Johnson of "TV Diner" fame, Channel 7's Sorboni Banerjee, and Ben Mezrich and his wife, Tonya Chen. The soiree was hosted by the Museum Council, which is run by the MFA's younger patrons (meaning 21- to 45-year-olds). Guests wore tuxes, gowns, and masks in honor of the Italian Renaissance show at the MFA. They also sipped Prosecco and pomegranate drinks. Yum. Other attendees included Boston Ballet artistic director Mikko Nissinen, and local designer Sam Mendoza who designed some of the partygoers' couture for the event.

Taylor Adams of Boston.com contributed. Read the Names blog at www.boston.com/namesblog. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.