Nicki Minaj played the Wawa Welcome America! concert on the Parkway July 4. / Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Screenwriter David Bar Katz, son of Philly bon vivant Harry Jay Katz, confirmed he has two major films on deck. First is an untitled comedy directed by and starring Jason Bateman, which came to Katz through his agents. “Jason was looking for a take that wasn’t broad comedy, as previous versions [of the script] were,” Katz says. “He wanted something with an ‘Argo’ tone.” Katz liked the idea of gritty reality based on a true tale, a story with “real jeopardy and high stakes. The comedy in my take is reality-based — FBI agents dealing with life-and-death situations having to stage a wedding. It’s ludicrous, but it happened, resulting in one of the most successful sting operations of all time.” Another Katz script, “The Man in the Rockefeller Suit,” is for Fox Searchlight and director Walter Salles.
Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segal married his partner of 10 years, Jason Villemez, Saturday in a celebration at Prime Rib, “with no press, celebrities or elected officials,” he writes — just a judge, Segal’s nephew as best man and Villemez’s sisters as maids of honor. “We swore everyone to secrecy,” writes Segal, who hopes to hold a reception this fall.
Puff Daddy’s video for “I Want the Love” features three Philadelphians’ work: rapper Meek Mill, University of the Arts alum Sean Paulsen as associate producer and University of Pennsylvania grad Michael Ratner, whose One Big Ball Pictures created Puffy’s video.
Seen on the scene
Ed Rendell, Jo Anne White and Caryn Kunkle stand in front of Kunkle’s Bill and Hillary Clinton painting. / Natalie Grygo
• Where does Ela owner/ “Top Chef” contestant Jason Cichonski dine when not eating staff meals? Radicchio, where he was spotted Sunday.
• Watch “Power Your Life with Dr. Jo Anne White” July 9 for the unveiling of a Bill and Hillary Clinton portrait from Philly artist Caryn Kunkle commissioned by Ed Rendell.
• Nicki Minaj switched from the Ritz-Carlton to the Four Seasons before the 4th of July Jam, while “RHONYC”’s Aviva Drescher made a few Philly switches of her own. The Drescher family had plans to show up at certain spas and restaurants, but “They canceled plans, lied and blew off people across town,” says a local publicist. They cancelled “on three clients of ours, plus those of other PR firms. Out-of-town owners came to Philly during July 4 vacation to meet them and were lied to. … Hours later, the Dreschers tweeted from other Philly restaurants.”
