Peach Buzz

It’s showtime for Blais at playhouse

Flip Boutique co-owner and “Top Chef” finalist Richard Blais today will take a stage normally reserved for the likes of the Indigo Girls and Shawn Mullins: the Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points.

He will do an interactive cooking demonstration at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 each.

“I’m nervous doing this in front of the home crowd,” Blais said by phone this week. “I want to make sure they get their money’s worth.”

He said a promoter approached him about doing the Variety show and he was intrigued. “It’s the whole chef as a rock star thing,” he said. Blais said there will be a three-course meal and, surely, some Blais-infused gastronomy techniques. “We’re not going to do any food from Flip,” his successful boutique burger joint that opened last year. “It will be more fine dining food, not burger and fries.” Over the past year, he has crisscrossed the country doing cooking demonstrations at food shows and festivals. “My show is part Gallagher, part Sea World, part Carrot Top,” he said. “There will be props and things thrown into the audience. I would advise people bring helmets and rain gear!” (We think he was joking about the helmets… .)

Perry: Give Jacksons ‘room to grieve’

Atlanta film director Tyler Perry phoned Q100’s Bert Show on Friday morning to discuss his thoughts on Michael Jackson’s passing and pleaded for fans and media to give the Jackson family “respect and room to grieve.”

Perry is set to direct Jackson’s younger sister Janet Jackson here in the sequel to his 2007 hit “Why Did I Get Married?”

Perry confirmed that Jackson was on her way to Atlanta to begin production on the film Thursday when she got word of her brother’s death. Her plane was immediately rerouted to Los Angeles.

“I spoke to her yesterday,” Perry said. “She’s a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful girl. There’s no pretense. She’s a regular, beautiful human being. I just ask that people pray for her and her family.”

Perry came out swinging when discussing the media coverage of Jackson’s death that contains regurgitations of the singer’s well-covered trial on child molestation charges.

“These are human beings, they’re human beings,” Perry said. “I wouldn’t wish the level of fame he achieved on my worst enemy.”

He added, “I don’t think there’s ever been a person that famous. Elvis and the Beatles were huge, but Michael came along at a time when there was video, which made him more famous. Now, the next person who comes along with Twitter and Facebook and all that stuff, they’ll be even more famous because it’s instant.”

Perry also indicated that the “Why Did I Get Married Too?” shoot with Janet Jackson will proceed. “Whenever she comes back to work, she’ll have everything she needs.”

‘He gave birth to my generation’

In an expanded edition of “Larry King Live” Friday, part-time Atlantan and Justin’s restaurant owner Sean “Diddy” Combs discussed Michael Jackson’s influence on him.

“My heart is just hurting,” Combs told King, who inadvertently began the interview by introducing the music mogul as “P. Daddy Combs.”

“I’m seeing all the old videos tonight,” added Combs. “This is the greatest recording artist of our time. When I hear the coverage talking about the controversies … everybody has downs in their life. This man had so much positivity, especially on my generation. I didn’t grow up listening to Elvis or the Beatles. This guy was my hero. He gave birth to my generation.”

King later corrected himself saying: “I know I called you daddy. It’s because you’re the daddy of what you do. And it’s getting late!”

Celebrity

birthdays

Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys is 67. Julia Duffy (“Newhart”) is 58. Actress Isabelle Adjani is 54. Country singer Lorrie Morgan is 50. Writer-director J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Alias”) is 43. Jo Frost (“Supernanny”) is 39. Actor Yancey Arias (“Kingpin”) is 38. Tobey Maguire (“Spider-Man”) is 34. Singer Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer) is 33. Actor Drake Bell (“Drake and Josh”) is 23. Actor Ed Westwick (“Gossip Girl”) is 22.

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Richard L. Eldredge, reldredge@ajc.com