PEACH BUZZ: ‘Wicked’ cast nice to help Park Pride

Before the cast of “Wicked” turned the Fox Theatre green twice Sunday during two performances, they used their green thumbs to spruce up Renaissance Park in central Atlanta.

Partnering with the nonprofit Park Pride, the cast members, many clad in “Wicked” hoodies, grabbed pitchforks and wheelbarrows to distribute much-needed mulch around the public park.

“We picked something manageable for them to do, since they have a long day ahead of them,” Park Pride’s Ayanna Williams told us as cast members clustered around her. “The mulch is really needed for the trees right now because of the drought. There’s a noticeable difference immediately.”

Williams says the park projects have generated many green-minded volunteers recently.

“We even have the members of a bar mitzvah party coming out to help next month,” she added.

“Wicked” cast member Maia Evwaraye-Griffin was enjoying the cool sunny Atlanta morning. Much of her family is based here, and she’s been excited to be able to perform on the Fox stage for them. Her niece and nephew are also impressed with her cool role as one of the show’s signature flying monkeys.

“When you stand in the wings, and you look up at those stars it’s really amazing,” she said. “We love doing the show here. No matter what kind of day you’ve had, when you hit the stage and you hear those cheers, everything else just goes away. Atlanta really loves this show.”

Over the weekend, the cast celebrated its 1,500th performance as well.

“It’s a story that connects with everyone,” Evwaraye-Griffin explained. “It’s great to be a part of a show like that. Plus, today we get outside and have a chance to spread a little ‘Wicked’ joy around out here for this green project. I just hope I can get through those two performances now!”

“Wicked” runs through Sunday at the Fox Theatre. For info: www.parkpride.org.

Hawks pull shift at Edgewood center

Fresh off the heels of its first playoff appearance in years, the Atlanta Hawks mixed it up with the regular folks at the Edgewood shopping center Saturday, hoping to stir up some excitement for the upcoming season.

The premise: Place the players in various jobs for an hour at Target, Best Buy and the like. A Hawks publicist said the players were not given a choice where to work, but some players did express preferences.

Forward Marvin Williams had one of the easier “jobs,” playing “Madden 09” at Gamestop while forward center Zaza Pachulia beat up 14-year-old Dylan Smith 4 to 1 in the boxing game “Fight Night 3.”

“I wish I had played better,” Smith told Buzz. (But he’ll have a great story to tell his buds today.)

Hawks star Joe Johnson bagged groceries with head coach Mike Woodson at a busy Kroger. Did Woodson make any mistakes?

“If he did,” said professional bagger Serene Grant with a smile, “I corrected him.”

Meanwhile, first-year players Thomas Gardner and Flip Murray had to don gloves and hand out burgers at Five Guys. After Gardner gave him his order, Buzz asked Glen Satell if he was a Hawks fan. He looked sheepish and said, “No. I’m with Philadelphia.” (The Hawks home opener happens to be against the Sixers.) Before he walked away, he more boldly said, in earshot of Gardner: “Go Sixers!”

New restaurant to go whole hog

Bacchanalia chef-owners Ann Quatrano and Clifford Harrison have announced that Abattoir, their “meat-centric” concept inside the old meat-packing plant in the White Provision development near Bacchanalia, will open in early 2009. Abattoir means “slaughterhouse” in French.

Joshua Hopkins, who has worked as part of the Bacchanalia family since 2005, will helm the new restaurant’s kitchen. He will serve as business partner of the new concept as well. Hopkins’ most recent post for the James Beard award-winning couple has been as chef de cuisine of Bacchanalia. He has deep roots in Charleston, S.C., where he worked at two of that city’s most popular and prominent restaurants, Slightly North of Broad and High Cotton.

The concept for the restaurant revolves around what Quatrano calls “whole animal cuisine,” utilizing locally raised (when possible) and freshly butchered fowl, fish, beef, pork and game, with a focus on total utilization of product —- so expect to see (and taste) the whole hog (etc.), from tongue to foot.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Actress Ruby Dee is 84. Actor-comedian John Cleese is 69. Country singer Lee Greenwood is 66. Author Fran Lebowitz is 58. Singer Simon LeBon (Duran Duran) is 50. Singer Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver) is 41. Singer Kelly Osbourne is 24.

Contributing: Rodney Ho, Meridith Ford Goldman and news services.