Would you pay $170 to walk the red carpet with NeNe Leakes? The Bravo network is taking its ratings-bonanza show on the road, staging a "Real Housewives Live" tour with stops in Atlanta, Chicago and Atlantic City. The Atlanta show will be Oct. 15 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
In a bit of crafty marketing, each stop will feature cast members from various cities. The Atlanta show features only Leakes from the locally shot program. She'll be joined by Jill Zarin from New York, Melissa Gorga from New Jersey and Marysol Patton from Miami. If you want to see Atlanta "Housewife" Phaedra Parks, you'll need to travel to Chicago. She'll appear Oct. 8 at the Venue at Horseshoe Casino along with Sonja Morgan of New York, Gretchen Rossi of Orange County and Lisa Vanderpump of Beverly Hills. The Oct. 1 show in Atlantic City, at Caesars Circus Maximus Theater, features none of the Atlanta ladies. That event will feature Caroline Manzo of New Jersey, LuAnn de Lesseps of New York, Kyle Richards of Beverly Hills and Vicki Gunvalson of Orange County.
The tour is but the latest event bringing other personalities from the "Housewives" franchise to Atlanta. Former New York cast member Bethenny Frankel appeared solo at the Cobb Energy Centre in March. In July, New York cast member Ramona Singer made a couple of stops at area wine shops to promote her wine line. (If you had any doubt, in selecting Atlanta as one of its three tour stops for the fall tour, Bravo has clearly identified this market as Housewives Country.)
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday and range from $49.50 to $170 for the "red carpet package" which includes access to a pre-show cocktail party, a stroll down the red carpet and premium seats. See www.bravotv.com or www.ticketmaster.com for details.
Buzz in our ear
USA's football-themed show "Necessary Roughness" has been filming at the downtown Morton's, which seems fitting. The Peachtree Street steakhouse is where several of the Atlanta Falcons go to power up pre-game.
Celebrity birthdays
Sportscaster Frank Gifford is 81. Singer Eydie Gorme is 80. Actor Gary Clarke is 78. Actress Julie Newmar is 78. Actor John Standing is 77. Actress Anita Gillette is 75. Actress Carole Shelley is 72. Country singer Billy Joe Shaver is 72. Movie director Bruce Beresford is 71. Actor Reginald VelJohnson is 59. TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford is 58. R&B singer J.T. Taylor is 58. Movie director James Cameron is 57. Actor Jeff Perry is 56. Rock musician Tim Farriss (INXS) is 54. Actress Laura Innes is 54. Singer Madonna is 53. Actress Angela Bassett is 53. Actor Timothy Hutton is 51. Actor Steve Carell is 49. Former tennis player Jimmy Arias is 47. Actor-singer Donovan Leitch is 44. Actor Andy Milder ("Weeds") is 43. Actor Seth Peterson is 41. Country singer Emily Robison (The Dixie Chicks) is 39. Actress Rumer Willis is 23. Singer-pianist Greyson Chance is 14.
Contributing: news services
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