PEACH BUZZ: Player misjudged pulse of ‘Survivor’

Emory Medical School grad Marcus Lehman was blindsided in Thursday night’s episode of CBS’ “Survivor,” a classic strong player ousted despite oodles of confidence that he could make it to the final three.

Lehman, who has been living in Jacksonville the past year but is moving back to Atlanta in a few weeks, was a victim of bad luck and a strategic miscalculation. With 10 players left, “Survivor” usually merges its two tribes. Instead, they were randomly split into two groups of five. Lehman’s two closest allies ended up on the other team.

The shakiest member of his alliance, Susie Smith, remained on Lehman’s team. Smith didn’t trust him and ended up bonding with Olympic gold medal runner Crystal Cox, who also bonded with Lehman. Why? Lehman learned Kenneth Cox, one of his best friends from Atlanta, was Crystal’s cousin.

Cox, who was vulnerable in her old tribe, suddenly had power and took advantage of it. Cox promised not to write Lehman’s name during Tribal Council but lied.

Lehman’s mistake: asking Cox to take down her pal Ken Hoang instead of Smith, who learned of Lehman’s machinations from Cox.

Smith, thanks to Cox, turned on Lehman.

“I had a roller coaster of emotions,” Lehman said, when he was ousted. But overall, he said he had a great time and felt he played with integrity compared to competitors such as Cox.

“I was honored to be there,” he said, with no trace of bitterness about missing out on the show’s $1 million prize.

Celebrities go ‘Swimming’

Thursday night’s premiere of True Colors Theatre Company’s production of playwright Eve Ensler’s “Swimming Upstream” at 14th Street Playhouse had no shortage of star power —- onstage or off. Director Kenny Leon and Ensler welcomed the crowd, and onstage, actresses including Phylicia Rashad, Jasmine Guy and Shirley Knight brought the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged women of New Orleans to life.

And after?

Guests headed across 14th street in traditional New Orleans-style second line fashion for an after-party at the W Atlanta Midtown.

Marching musical accompaniment was provided by rhythm-and-blues band the Squirrelheads and the Seed and Feed Marching Abominables.

Spotted at the soiree were the evening’s co-chairs: Tony Brewer, Randi Layne, Denise Leggett and Stephanie Russell. Other attendees included Jane Fonda; Wendy Babchin; Holli Hines Easton; Shelley Serdahely, executive director of Men Stopping Violence; and Stephanie Hughley, executive producer of the National Black Arts Festival.

‘Running’ back to promote book

As most Falcons fans know, Warrick Dunn has experienced tragedy and triumph throughout his life on and off the field. At 7 p.m. Monday at Barnes & Noble in Buckhead (2900 Peachtree Road N.E.), the much-loved former Falcons player will be in town to sign copies of his new memoir, “Running for My Life: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond.” In it he talks about the day of the brutal murder of his mother, Baton Rouge, La., police officer Betty Smothers, and meeting one of her convicted killers.

The book also covers the running back’s ongoing tribute to his mom via the Warrick Dunn Foundation, through which he places single moms in need in new homes.

The book’s description posted at Amazon.com promises other revelations as well: “Dunn’s only solace was the football field, where he truly was running for his life. It wasn’t until a Falcons teammate suggested psychological counseling that Dunn began to battle the demons still haunting him from his mother’s death.”

Ex-mayor weighs in on ‘Colbert Report’

Former Atlanta mayor and United Nations ambassador Andrew Young proved a charming and comical guest during his second outing with faux conservative news blowhard Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report” in New York this week.

Young was Colbert’s first post-Barack Obama election night guest. As usual, Colbert’s segment with Young was a mix of the respectful and the ridiculous. Introducing Young during the “Civil Gripes” bit at the top of the show, Colbert cracked: “I’m not sure what we’ll talk about now that racism is over!”

When Colbert asked Young if he should be angling for a U.N. ambassador gig in an Obama administration, Young replied: “For you, it would be a cushy job. Everyone would love you.”

When Colbert inquired if, with Obama’s election, African-Americans had at last seen the promised land that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. long ago spoke of, the ex-mayor replied: “Not yet. We’re still wandering in the wilderness. This is what happens. The world got so messed up, no one else really wanted to tackle it. So they turned it over to us. That’s what happened with the cities!”

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Today: Singer Patti Page is 81. CBS newsman Morley Safer is 77. Singer Bonnie Raitt is 59. “Entertainment Tonight” host Mary Hart is 58. Actress Alfre Woodard is 55. Singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones is 54. Singer-actor Leif Garrett is 47. Actress Courtney Thorne-Smith (“According to Jim”) is 41. Actress Parker Posey is 40. Actress Gretchen Mol is 35. Actress Tara Reid (“American Pie”) is 33. Singer Bucky Covington (“American Idol”) is 31. TV personality Jack Osbourne (“The Osbournes”) is 23.

Sunday: Singer Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary is 72. Rapper Pepa of Salt-n-Pepa is 39. Rapper Scarface of Geto Boys is 39. Musician Susan Tedeschi is 38. Actor Eric Dane (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 36. Singer Nick Lachey is 35. Singer Sisqo is 30. Actress Nikki Blonsky (“Hairspray”) is 20.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“You really shouldn’t blame the victim, Diane. My finger just got in the way of his bad day.”

Reuters White House correspondent Jonathan Decker discussing his close encounter with first dog Barney Bush on “Good Morning America” Friday. Co-anchor Diane Sawyer cautioned Decker against sticking his digits in the face of a dog unfamiliar with him.

Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services

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