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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 24 > Entry
Woodruff Park ditty ready — but are we?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dearest readers, the moment we waited for all summer is finally upon us: On Wednesday, Buzz’s reader-driven theme song for Woodruff Park will have its world premiere at last.
Folks at Central Atlanta Progress inform us that the season’s final Wednesdays in Woodruff concert, in the recently rehabbed downtown landmark, will feature singer-songwriter Melanie Massell. Unless you were on vacation, you’ll recall that we rang up the “It’s Buckhead!” songstress this summer to create a theme song for the green space that recently has undergone cosmetic improvements and now boasts free Wi-Fi. Earlier this year, we noted the new tables and chairs and dedicated checkers area but wondered aloud in print if the park didn’t also require a song dedicated to its natural (and occasionally, some unnatural) wonders.
A few years back, Massell performed a similar task when her father, former Atlanta Mayor and Buckhead Coalition President Sam Massell, asked her to pen a testimonial song for the formerly bullet-riddled Buckhead Village nightclub district.
After weeks of Buzz readers sending in their lyrical contributions, Massell is ready to publicly debut the ditty. Readers who contributed ideas will no doubt want to join the toilers from Buzz Central on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the gazebo in the park for the free concert.
Melanie Massell has been kind enough to send us an advance look-see at the lyrics.
The sing’s title? “A Patch of Peace.”
Here’s a brief sample: “There was a space in downtown Atlanta, G-A that was designed as a place for all to play / Mr. Anonymous — we owe you from the start, when you originally gave us Central City Park / Now there’s a Phoenix rising in the corner there / It’s representing resurgence to people everywhere.”
Want more? We’ll be doling out more lyrical lines in Buzz each day as a preview to next week’s premiere.
Wells to get Legacy Award
In 1982, a couple of former journalists decided the time was right to start a professional theater in Atlanta’s suburbs. Thus, Marietta’s acclaimed Theatre in the Square was born. The surviving co-founder, Palmer Wells, will be celebrated this year as the second annual Georgia Arts & Entertainment Legacy Award winner. The award was announced Thursday by the service organization Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts. Wells will be feted at the Fox Theatre on Oct. 29.
Wells, a native of the Appalachian town of Cumberland, Ky., worked at a variety of Kentucky newspapers while also continuing his interest in acting and directing. He and the theater’s co-founder, the late Michael Horne, both were working for IBM when they decided to start Theatre in the Square. He currently is producing director of the theater and has overseen a renovation of the alternative Alley Stage, adding seats, regular children’s shows and experimental work.
Uncoupling
After a little more than three years of marriage, former “Friends” star Matt LeBlanc has finalized his divorce.
The 39-year-old actor has been granted joint custody of his 2-year-old daughter, Marina, with wife Melissa LeBlanc, according to court papers filed this week. Melissa LeBlanc has two children from a previous marriage.
The LeBlancs filed for divorce April 6, citing irreconcilable differences. They will be officially single again Oct. 6.
Under the terms of the divorce, LeBlanc will be financially responsible for his daughter’s education, nanny and other needs. He will also pay $15,000 a month in child support.
Calls to LeBlanc’s attorney and his publicist after business hours were not immediately returned.
The pair married in a celebrity-studded wedding in Hawaii in 2003 with several of LeBlanc’s “Friends” co-stars in attendance.
Celebrity docket
Los Angeles prosecutors are charging actor Lou Diamond Phillips with domestic battery in connection with an incident last month involving his live-in girlfriend.
The 44-year-old actor, best known for his roles in “La Bamba” and “Stand and Deliver,” could face a maximum of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor charge. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 18.
According to police reports, Phillips got into an argument with his girlfriend, and it escalated into a physical fight in the early hours of Aug. 11. His girlfriend, who was not identified in court documents, “was pushed and dragged across the house, resulting in scrapes to both knees,” City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo said in a statement.
The woman grabbed a phone, locked herself in a bathroom and dialed 911, Delgadillo said. Phillips was arrested and held for about 10 hours before being released.
A message left for Phillips’ publicist, Eddie Michaels, was not returned.
Celebrity birthdays
Today: Actor Mickey Rooney is 86. Singer Julio Iglesias is 63. Singer Bruce Springsteen is 57. Actor Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”) is 47. Atlanta rapper-producer-record head Jermaine Dupri is 34. Singer Erik-Michael Estrada of O-Town is 27.
Sunday: Sportscaster Jim McKay is 85. Actor Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules: Legendary Journeys”) is 48. Actress-writer Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) is 44. Actor Kyle Sullivan (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 18.
Contributing: Kirsten Tagami and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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