Variety On the Town

Madonna's World of Wonder

Calling all Madonna fans: Variety's Michael Williams brings you this report from Hollywood's new exhibit, Dial M for Madonna, which runs through June 23 at the World of Wonder Gallery.

The World of Wonder Gallery celebrated its Dial M for Madonna group art exhibit with champagne, Kabbalah water and eye candy galore. Curated by World of Wonder Prods.’ Steven Corfe and James St. James, the May 23 opening coincided with the release of Madonna’s “Hard Candy” album with a cadre of Madge impersonators in all shapes and sizes. The exhibit features more than 40 artists’ photos, paintings, sculptures and video tributes to the Queen of Pop.

At the opening, storefront mannequins were adorned in candy-coated outfits inspired by Madonna’s ever-changing looks, including a “Like a Virgin” wedding dress made of white Lifesavers and a geisha-inspired number from the “Nothing Really Matters” video made of red gumballs and licorice.

Dial M joins the WOW Gallery’s growing list of popular and twisted pop culture-driven exhibits that include “Warhol: Dead at 21,” a celebration of the 21st anniversary of Andy Warhol’s death; the Britney Spears-inspired show “Just Britney;” “Golden Girls” tribute “Golden Gals Gone Wild;” and “depARTed,” an homage to celebrities who died before their time. More info: worldofwonder.net

Dinosaurs Take Manhattan

"Walking with the Dinosaurs:The Live Experience" stomped into the Philadelphia Wachovia Complex last week, kicking off its two-year North American arena tour. Show, which follows dinosaurs over 160 million years of evolution featured 15 dinosaur lifelike puppets that shocked and awed the crowd full of young children and their parents. In just under two months the show comes to the tri-state area where the crowds can be picky. "Yes New Yorkers may be more critical (than other audiences)," admitted show's creator and president of Immersion Edutainment Bruce Mactaggart."They are used to things that are big and grand but this (production) is pretty big so I'm not anxious about it." (A.Morfoot)

Colorful 'Yellow' premiere

Saturday evening, Jonathan Pryce was among the cast drinking in fans’ adulation at the Disneyland bow of the third “Pirates of the Caribbean.” He played a far bigger role in “Yellow Face,” yet the British thesp was nowhere to be seen at Sunday afternoon’s opening perf at the Taper.

Pryce inadvertently set David Henry Hwang’s play into motion when he was cast as a Eurasian for the Broadway version of “Miss Saigon.” Hwang uses his own protests as a jumping off point for a highly personal meditation on race and the arts, quoting a series of press accounts (including one from Daily Variety) to propel the narrative. The cast channels a series of media and arts figures, including B.D. Wong, Jane Krakowksi and Sony homevid’s Fritz Friedman; they too were absent.

Afterward, the crowd mingled at a Dorothy Chandler pavilion fete, where “Lost” co-star Daniel Dae Kim and “Grey’s Anatomy” co-star Tsai Chin were among the revelers. The chow? Distinctly American: mini-roast beef sandwiches piled high with fried onions, chicken fingers and crudités. (D. Garrett)

PDC gets a little PDA

When star-architect Cesar Pelli originally designed the Pacific Design Center¹s (PDC) Red Building, Richard Nixon was president, Elvis was still alive and the Sylmar, not Northridge Earthquake, was a fresh memory.  On Thursday, Pelli, PDC owner/developer Charles S. Cohen, PR head Michael Nyman and several California pols broke ground in West Hollywood, with appropriately red shovels, for the 400,000 square foot, red-glass sheathed edifice.  Per Cohen, the new building will be "the ultimate creative office space," with floor-to-ceiling glass walls angled to take in Hollywood Hills and city views. The PDC's Green building is already home to major flack firms, including PMK/HBH, Rogers & Cowan and Bragman Nyman Cafarelli. And the Blue Building¹s Silver Screen Theater hosts SAG's screening series.  But showbizzers know it best for its many high-profile events like HBO's post Emmy fete and Elton John's Annual Oscar night fundraiser. The new offices will occupy two mid-rise towers, built above a multi-floor parking garage, and linked by an outdoor palm garden. Expect Hollywood's party planners to salivate over the space once it's completed in 2009, wowed by its private valet entry, high-speed elevators and above street, drop-dead views.  "I dreamed of this day for many long years; I thought it may never happen but now the three brothers (or sisters) will be complete," Pelli told the assembled crowd who noshed on a Wolfgang Puck ­catered breakfast. (K. McDonald)