August 29, 2000

Jennifer Love Hewitt plays the Iglesias odds

By ROGER ANDERSON Scripps Howard News Service

STARS PLAY FOOTSIE: Here we've got a report saying that Jennifer Love Hewitt, TV nymph extraordinary, showed up for a recent Las Vegas concert by Enrique Iglesias, who proceeded to make goo-goo eyes at her from the stage.

Afterward, according to a New York Post "spy," the two were seen billing and cooing, and Enrique is said to have squired Jennifer to lunch the next day.

And how, you might wonder, did Jennifer manage to get to Las Vegas from L.A. in the first place? Why, Enrique reportedly flew her in on his private jet - that's how.

This, mind you, not long after Enrique was supposed to be hot and heavy with Christine Aguilera.

Cold water comes crashing down, however, as Jennifer's "rep” lodges this disclaimer: "They're just friends."

HOLD ON, THOUGH: Then we see a photo in the New York Daily News of Jennifer cozying up with tennis star Andre Agassi. At this point, what is one supposed to think?

That Jennifer, contrary to possible first impressions to the contrary, is in fact as pure as the driven snow, because her thing with Andre is merely about some charity effort both are involved with, according to the little bitty type that accompanies the image.

CASTING NOTES FROM ALL OVER: What top female celebrity does musical-stage creator Jerry Herman want to star in the upcoming TV version of his Broadway chestnut, "Mame"?

A:            Jennifer Love Hewitt.

B:            Farrah Fawcett.

C:            Cher.

The answer is Cher. As a matter of fact, Jerry is so eager to get the late Sonny Bono's first wife to star that he's making all kinds of immoderate statements for the record.

"I love her," he tells a reporter. "I think Cher is the best idea since sliced bread. I want her to play Mame so badly. I have never worked with Cher and I would love to."

Jerry, let us make sure we've got this right: You want Cher for the role, is that it?

"I pray every night that she'll say yes."

OM: Word is that Dennis Quaid, presumably still reeling from the fact that his missus, Meg Ryan, recently dumped him in favor of Russell Crowe, will soon be hying himself off to a fancy-schmancy yoga retreat along with a bunch of his (male) yoga friends. Pick the location of the retreat:

A:            Nepal.

B:            Beijing.

C:            Tuscany.

The answer is Tuscany. That's all assuming, of course, that there is some substance to these rumors. All Dennis' "rep" will admit is that he's going over to Europe to tout his film, "Frequency," which is only now being shown there.

"What he does after that,” says this person, whose name is Lisa Kasteler, "I have no idea." So yoga in the Italian countryside isn't out of the question.

TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT: We are looking at a print report that says Denzel Washington was having dinner recently in Toronto with Farrah Fawcett when a photographer appeared more or less out of nowhere and snapped a pic of the pair in mid-gnosh. Following is a brief narrative by Mark Burg, who, as Farrah's business associate and producer of a film Denzel is appearing in, was also present.

"Farrah looked at Denzel and said, 'Call your wife now - that picture is going to turn up somewhere.' So Denzel called Paulette (that's his wife's name) when he got back to the hotel and warned her." Denzel is a real gent, and very tactful, too.

PRODUCTION NOTES FROM ALL OVER: Patrick Swayze, he of the adorable little tiny earlobes, hasn't had a movie hit for some time. In fact, he hasn't had ANY kind of hit for some time. That's why it's encouraging to hear that he and his wife, whose name is Lisa Nemi, have a his-and-hers movie project in the works, with the two of them going halvsies on the writing, directing, producing and starring chores.

"It's a story of three concert dancers whose careers ended in a very bad way all at the same time," Patrick tells our favorite New York Post columnist, Cindy Adams, "and they have one more shot at a dream. Title is "Without a Word," although it might be "Last Dance."

Or how about "A la Recherchez du les Temps Perdu" ("In Search of Lost Time")? No?

"If the actors strike is over," Patrick goes on, quite as though anyone cares, "we start shooting in the fall. In Winnipeg." Which is in Canada, where a lot of people speak French, so maybe our idea for the title isn't so stupid after all.

Roger Anderson is arts and entertainment editor at Scripps Howard News Service.

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