Ledger Pop Journal - Celebrity News & Sports

"The Kennedy Center Honors" writer-producer George Stevens Jr. enjoys springing surprises on the audience -- as in this year's "Proud Mary" performance by Beyonce, complete with Tina Turner-style jiggling body.

BEYONCE AS TINA: SET THE TIVO

"We don't tell anybody what we're doing. We don't publicize it.

We don't give a program out, so people don't know who is going to appear on the stage and they can feel that rush of excitement," notes Stevens, who has been godfathering the annual rite for 28 years.

"Washington is a city terribly good at keeping secrets. I think if Bob Woodward had put himself to it, he would have discovered Beyonce was going to be on the show," Stevens adds with a laugh. "But he wouldn't have told anyone."

This year's "Honors," airing tomorrow night (12/27) on CBS, include Tina Turner, Robert Redford, Tony Bennett, ballerina Suzanne Farrell, and Tony-winning actress Julie Harris.

Paying tribute, besides Beyonce, are Paul Newman, Oprah Winfrey, k.d. Lang, Willie Nelson, Alec Baldwin, Helen Mirren, Mary Louise Parker, Michelle Lee, Leslie Uggams, Tyne Daly and more.

The years of "Honors" are historic -- jammed with memorable performances by greats of the past, such as Donald O'Connor and Gregory Hines hoofin' it in tribute to honoree Gene Kelly. But past years remain unavailable. "There should be, and there must be a DVD collection at some point," says Stevens, "but the rights situation is so entangled, from film clips to music. Every time someone steps up to start clearing, the situation just looks too impossible."

BEING HIMSELF:

With the new year just around the corner, Bobby Brown -- singer, Whitney Houston's husband and Bravo reality show star -- says things are looking up. When asked what's in store, he responds, "I'm going back to the top. I've got a new album, a new series, new everything. My wife has a new album. There's so much going on." So what does he hope for 2006? "Just to stay Bobby," he says. Is he sure that's a good idea? "I want to try to be a better Bobby than I was last year," but don't expect him to change too much. After all, he reminds, "I'm Bobby Brown. I don't change for nobody."

KEEPING IT IN PERSPECTIVE:

"Jake in Progress" regular Wendie Malick definitely knows how to get the most out of her holidays. She spent Thanksgiving weekend in Tijuana, Mexico, with 26 of her pals, but they weren't there to party.

"We went to Tijuana to do this building thing for our friend," says Malick. "This year we painted and worked on a house that was donated to a friend of ours who's helping battered women and their families." Malick says the Tijuana trip became an annual tradition 15 years ago. "It's a great thing to share with people you like to hang out with. We've had as many as 50 people go down, but then it seemed like an army," she says. "And we used to pitch tents and sleep out in fields, but now we're too old for that so we do a dormitory situation and bunk beds. It's very basic, and you get to know each other very well after three days of bunking together." Malick says she and the troupe who go down each year come away with the true gifts, however. "You come out of it looking around and saying, 'Wow, I guess I do have a lot to be thankful for.'"

Meanwhile, Malick is reteamed with her "Emperor's New Groove" voice mate Patrick Warburton in Nickelodeon's animated series "The X's," about a family of superspies living incognito in suburbia. "I get such a kick out of the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. X," says Malick of the show that also stars Jansen Panettiere and Lynsey Bartilson. "I love that Mrs. X gets to sort of be like a James Bond, too. She's not like the supportive partner. She actually is every bit as strong and powerful as her husband."

GETTING BETTER:

Bass player and lyricist Pete Wentz, of the popular pop-emo band Fall Out Boy says of his New Year's resolution, "I think that I personally carry way too many negative feelings with me all the time about everything so I'd like to leave them behind and be a better person."

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)

The Beck/Smith syndicated newspaper column includes exclusive in-depth, behind-the-scenes reports on the stars, on the business of television and movie-making, and on the recording, publishing and media beats.

©2005 Creators Syndicate, Inc.