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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > November > 24 > Entry
New Year’s Eve swan song for Libby’s Cabaret
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If the annual Christmas show at Libby’s Cabaret is a tradition for you, picking up some advance tickets might be a good idea. This year’s month-long run opening Dec. 1 will be the final show booked in the supper club touted as “a tradition as old as the century itself” on Northside Parkway.
This week, the club’s owner and main attraction Libby Whittemore confirmed to Buzz that the club will cease to exist when 2006 makes way for 2007. The club’s final show, set for New Year’s Eve, is officially sold out, even at $175 per person.
“A skilled businessperson would have taken one look at the books and closed this place down four years ago,” Whittemore said. “I’m so in debt, it’s crazy.”
Through thick and mostly thin, the Atlanta-born singer and actress has played the role of business owner since 2000, when the Atlanta cabaret vet opened the room. She had attracted an investor for the club after a profile of her ran in the AJC in 1999 lamenting the lack of stages for talented local performers (Whittemore was toiling at a Blockbuster at the time the story was published).
“It’s so bittersweet,” Whittemore reflected. “But I’m not going to miss the stress of running a business. I’m going to miss the performers, the faithful regulars and our staff. To have that stage to give to other performers, and for me to play on as well, has been a great gift. Someone asked me the other night, ‘Where are you going to open your next club?’ I told them, ‘You open it and run it, and I’ll show up and sing for you!’ “
For tickets and info about remaining shows, www.libbyscabaret.com or call 404-869-4748.
Publix pilgrims shipping out
When one of our prized cans of pumpkin puree threatened to roll away from us the other night, we first encountered the grim signage at our local Publix. This will be the final holiday season for the grocery chain’s insanely popular pilgrim couple, their offspring ‘lilgrim and the Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers. Atlanta Publix spokeswoman Brenda Reid confirmed that Publix’s familiar Thanksgiving and Christmas spots featuring warm and fuzzy family moments will end after this season.
“We’ll be refreshing the campaign in 2007,” Reid told us. “But these two spots have been incredibly popular with our customers. People write and tell us they’ve become part of their holiday traditions.”
Addressing our one gripe — Publix was piping in Christmas music as we shopped for Thanksgiving staples — Reid told us: “It’s very subtle, and we rotate the songs so you don’t hear the same things. And come on now, you know you have those Christmas CDs out at home, don’t you?”
Well, maybe just the Loretta Lynn album… .
Get onboard new pink ‘Peach’
When we saw former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell out the other night, naturally the Buckhead Coalition president had a new project to fill us in on. Massell and MARTA have combined efforts to create a pink-hued bus. And while it’s not exactly like a ride on the Pink Pig at Lenox Square, MARTA’s new “the Peach” bus route (No. 110, to be precise) will make holiday travel a lot more convenient this season.
Massell says the line is the first one-seat bus service on Peachtree connecting downtown to Buckhead in 30 years. The former Hizzoner suggested the line to MARTA officials “to improve connectivity along the Peachtree corridor.” Previously, MARTA riders had to transfer buses or take part of the trip on the train. Predicted Massell: “It will be like the good old days when we had a streetcar connecting downtown and Buckhead.”
Fare is $1.75, and the bus runs every 30 minutes 6 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week.
E-mail scam targets Oprah’s fans
Online thieves are using the lure of tickets to “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to rip off the identities of consumers, officials said.
The thieves have been sending unsolicited e-mails asking people to send them personal information, verify financial information or wire money to a third party for tickets to the show, Illinois State Attorney General Lisa Madigan said.
The show, taped in Chicago, doesn’t sell tickets. It takes reservations to attend the free tapings.
Madigan’s office couldn’t say how widespread the messages had become.
“With the large number of Oprah’s fans worldwide, we are concerned that their excitement at the opportunity to attend a taping of her TV show may result in fans responding to this unauthorized offer,” Madigan warned this week in a news release.
The e-mails were reported to the state by lawyers with Oprah’s Harpo Productions Inc., Madigan spokeswoman Cara Smith said.
“The goal with this alert is to not have any victims, because once consumers respond to this or send money, it’s very, very difficult to make them whole,” Smith said.
Quote of the day
“I’m going to be Mama Bear now. Rosie [O’Donnell] is one of the kindest, most sensitive people I know. So is Kelly Ripa. Rosie and Kelly talked after the show Tuesday. Rosie and Clay [Aiken] also talked after the show. All is right with the world. Let’s move on.” — “The View” head mistress Barbara Walters at the top of Wednesday’s show, effectively ending the week’s drama stemming from O’Donnell accusing Ripa of being homophobic on air while inadvertently labeling Aiken as gay.
Celebrity birthdays
Former Beatles drummer Pete Best is 65. Bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn of Booker T. and the MG’s is 65. Actor Stanley Livingston (“My Three Sons”) is 56. Record producer Terry Lewis is 50. Actor Colin Hanks (“Roswell”) is 29. Actress Katherine Heigl (below) (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 28.
Contributing: news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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