Return to the Great White Way

By MARY EVERTZ

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 23, 2001

Ann Reinking is going back to Broadway, this time to dance in Fosse, the Tony Award-winning musical she choreographed and directed in 1999. She will appear March 2-April 1.

A few days before she goes onstage in New York, the traveling production of the show, which showcases her choreography though not Reinking herself, opens at Tampa's Performing Arts Center on Tuesday.

Reinking, who is devoted to keeping choreographer Bob Fosse's name and work alive, returns to the musical that has already rewarded her with accolades as co-choreographer and co-director in 1999.

She also starred in another Broadway show in 1997, Chicago, for which she won a Tony for her choreography.

In New York, Reinking will co-star with Ben Vereen, who is also one of the last remaining Fosse-trained performers in show business.

When offered the opportunity, Reinking said she thought, "I should do this."

Reinking is very much a part of the Tampa Bay area scene; each year for the past decade she has brought the Broadway Theater Project here. For three weeks each summer talented young people work with top performers who come here to teach and coach, Vereen among them. Broadway Theater Project this year is July 9-28 at the University of South Florida.

Political baggage

When actor Bo Derek was in the Tampa Bay area last month for a fundraiser, she mentioned she knew being a Republican could be hazardous to her career. It seems she wasn't kidding, if another star's experience is any indication.

Sharon Lawrence, who starred on NYPD Blue, was in Washington during the inauguration attending the Creative Coalition Ball, a nonpartisan advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. In the Feb. 5 issue of People magazine, Lawrence's picture appeared on the same page as those of President Bush and his daughters and several other Republicans. According to columnist Liz Smith, since that publication, Lawrence, a lifelong Democrat who worked for Al Gore, has received hate mail and has been confronted on the streets of Los Angeles about "being a Republican." A producer also recently said to Lawrence: "I have to ask, are you really a Republican?" According to Smith, the actor's voice quavered a bit in relating her adventures in mistaken political identity.

Show time

It all started when Mandy Cottrill saw a squib in the Home & Garden section of the St. Petersburg Times. ABC's Good Morning America was looking for the "ugliest bathroom" in America. "It had to have two entranceways, and I thought, "We have a bathroom that qualifies,' " said Mandy. The show called her last Thursday to say the Cottrills' bathroom was one of three finalists. On Friday she was informed that their bathroom took the honor. Last Saturday Ron Hazelton (of Ron Hazelton's HouseCalls) and his crew started working their magic on the Cottrills' bathroom. The segments aired this week.

As excited as she was to have the refurbishing going on, Mandy said, "It was my worst nightmare."

While workers, camera crews and reporters tromped through the house last weekend, the Cottrills, who had three sick children at the time, had to make a run to the emergency room with one of them. (He is recovering at home.)

While Mandy was administering medicine to the kids, husband Kevin at 9 p.m. was at the grocery store buying oranges at the producer's request to brighten up the kitchen.

New Miami magazine

The popular Miami magazine Ocean Drive is about to have a Latin counterpart. It's called Ocean Drive en Espanol and is the creation of Jerry Powers and Emilio Estefan. Gloria Estefan (wife of Emilio) will be on the first cover, Ricky Martin on the second.

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