Before Denzel Washington, star and director of "The Great Debaters," shoots one frame of footage in Boston later this week, he's going to be pressing the flesh to support the local arts at a cocktail gathering with VIPs and trustees of the Citi Performing Arts Center. A fitting choice for the Oscar-winner because the lobby of the Citi Wang Theatre will double for a Boston train station in the movie about the 1935 debate team from the small, all-black Wiley College that beat behemoth Harvard. Washington's movie, which is being produced by Oprah Winfrey, is slated to shoot for four days in Boston and Cambridge, including filming scenes in Harvard's Sanders Theatre. . . . And while movie scripts are usually a closely guarded secret, a few pages from "The Great Debaters" were posted on VH1 blog 24sizzler.com, prompting studio chief Harvey Weinstein to throw a fit, the New York Post reported yesterday. Weinstein contacted Viacom, VH1's parent company, and the pages were removed.

Nice reception for 'Brotherhood'

If viewers of the Showtime series "Brotherhood" have a hard time telling where reality ends and TV magic begins, the people of Rhode Island don't have that problem. Speaking about the Providence-set and locally filmed show about two brothers on opposite sides of the law, executive producer Blake Masters said the cast and crew is well-received in the Ocean State. " We get greeted with open arms wherever we go," Masters told the Television Critics Association on Saturday in Beverly Hills. "The people of Providence clearly know that we are telling a fictional story about a fictional neighborhood. That said, they have a lot of pride that we're there." But the show's star Jason Isaacs couldn't resist a perfect set-up: "I'm welcomed with open arms by all of the criminals in Rhode Island."

Sox players get in the swing of things

They had a pretty full day with the Sox hosting Toronto and the team's annual Picnic in the Park, but Manny Ramirez, Coco Crisp, and David Ortiz were trying to squeeze in a trip to the Bayside Expo Center to catch the tail end of DUB Magazine's custom auto show and concert yesterday afternoon. Crisp came by to pick up his car, which was part of the show, and he signed a few autographs. The entertainment included Rich Boy, Lil Scrappy, Sean Kingston, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony .

Dog's life leads to Broadway

She made no special demands for her Broadway debut, but Catie Copley, the Fairmont Copley Plaza's canine in residence, was the toast of the ninth annual Broadway Barks cat and dog soiree held on Saturday. Actresses and well-known animal lovers Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore presented Catie with a special services award at the event held in the Shubert Alley to benefit the ASPCA and other New York animal shelters . The Labrador retriever made the trek to the Big Apple with her faithful companion Jim Carey, the hotel's director of concierge services. Catie walked the red carpet with Peters and Moore and pose d for photos with a host of Broadway luminaries including Angela Lansbury, David Hyde Pierce, Charlotte d'Amboise, Jo Anne Worley, Christine Ebersole, and Hollywood couple Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna. However, we're told the Boston pooch showed the most tail wagging when meeting Bruiser and Rufus, the dogs from the musical "Legally Blonde."

His latest venture: producing a movie

Boston venture capitalist Todd Dagres has put on his producer's hat once again, partnering with Scout Productions biggie Michael Williams on the development of "Transsiberian" from writer-director Brad Anderson. Dagres's full-time gig is at Spark Capital, where he funds media and entertainment ventures among other projects. But working on the occasional film helps Dagres, who's landed on Forbes' "Midas List" three times, to "stay in the flow," he says. The latest flick stars Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, and Ben Kingsley .

New hotel hires chef and publicist

The Liberty Hotel, developer Dick Friedman's transformation of the old Charles Street Jail, has made a couple more hires. The hotel, which is supposed to open later this summer, named Michael Goodman as the executive chef. And Regan Dillon, who handled public relations at the Four Seasons Hotel, is now doing the same at the Liberty. Goodman spent the last five years working in Southeast Asia, Dubai, and the West Indies. Lyons Group veteran starts up a new career A fond farewell to Jeff Marshall, whose last day with the Lyons Group was Friday. Marshall, who'd been in the employ of impresario Patrick Lyons for a whopping 21 years, is off to become VP of programming for an entertainment/media portal called HOBNOX. (Never heard of it? Neither have we.) The German start-up is apparently positioning itself to compete with webTV companies in the United States.

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More celebrity news

--Compiled from wire reports

Rapper pleads not guilty

Grammy-nominated rapper Remy Ma pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other counts yesterday in the shooting of a woman in a trendy Manhattan neighborhood. At the rapper's arraignment, a judge granted the prosecution's request for bail to be set at $250,000. Martin was jailed while the judge reviewed her bail offer. Police found a woman with a gunshot wound to her lower torso early Saturday in the Meatpacking District, which is usually crowded with late-night revelers on weekends. Three blocks away, officers discovered a luxury SUV owned by Remy Ma, whose real name is Remy Smith. The vehicle was involved in a single-car crash and abandoned, police said. The victim, Makeda Barnes-Joseph, 23, was hospitalized in stable condition yesterday . Prosecutors said she and the rapper knew each other. The New York Post reported that Barnes-Joseph is an alum of the Berklee College of Music. Remy Ma turned herself in Saturday night. She was charged with attempted murder, assault , and weapon possession. "I ask everyone to keep an open mind," said Scott Leemon, her attorney. "Things are not always as they seem." (AP)

'Simpsons' site leaves pol in a bemused state

Oregon congressman Peter DeFazio is still piqued that his hometown wasn't chosen to host the premiere of the upcoming animated film "The Simpsons," particularly since "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening is an Oregon native. In fact, he smells a rat, and has asked US Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to investigate -- sort of. In a spoof letter from DeFazio's office to Gonzalez, he points out that Springfield, Ore., with around 52,000 residents, lost out on the right to hold the premiere to Springfield, Vt., which won a contest sponsored by 20th Century Fox, despite having only 9,000 residents. Springfield, Mass., was also among the contenders. "Unless they passed a law giving cows the right to vote, this smacks of election fraud," DeFazio writes, tongue planted firmly in cheek. "It also once again highlights the need for electronic voting with a valid paper trail. Was Diebold in any way involved in tabulating the results?" (AP)

Romijn, O'Connell wed

Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell were married Saturday in Los Angeles, Romijn's rep Lewis Kay told People magazine. "Rebecca and Jerry were married on Saturday evening in an intimate ceremony at their home surrounded by family and close friends," he said. Romijn, 34, wore a Ralph Lauren gown and jewelry by Neil Lane as she and O'Connell, 33, exchanged vows in front of 100 family and friends. "It was a perfect celebration and Jerry and I couldn't be happier," Romijn said. Romijn currently stars in ABC's hit comedy "Ugly Betty." O'Connell will star in ABC's new comedy "Carpoolers" this fall. (PEOPLE.COM)

Gore's daughter a bride

Al Gore's youngest daughter, Sarah, was married Saturday night at the Beverly Hills Hotel, according to a family spokeswoman. Sarah Gore, 28, married Bill Lee, 37, a Los Angeles businessman, said spokeswoman Kalee Kreider. Kreider declined to give any further details. The daughter of the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee is a Harvard graduate and a medical student at the University of California at San Francisco. (AP)

For Trump's daughter, a board position awaits

Heiress and former runway model Ivanka Trump , 25, is joining the board of Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., the gaming company that bears her flamboyant father's name. "She's been outstanding in everything she has done, and she will be an outstanding board member," Donald Trump told The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) for Saturday editions. (AP)

Sarah Rodman of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.