People

By Josh Tyrangiel

Now and For...

ALANIS MORISSETTE may be rich, but a kind act is still a kind act. Last Tuesday Morissette's friend Paul Gorman called to tell her that the Broadway play he scored, Jane Eyre, was closing despite its five recent Tony nominations. The next day Morissette, who attended Jane Eyre's opening night as Gorman's date, called back. Says Gorman: "Alanis says, 'Listen, I have this idea. What if I gave you guys a chunk of money and we took a bunch of underprivileged kids who have never seen a Broadway musical before to come see the show?' I was blown away by her generosity." Morissette donated $150,000 to keep the production up and running for a week and purchased blocks of tickets for two children's groups. Gorman hopes the publicity surrounding her gift may help the play to hold on for a few more weeks. In other Broadway news, Seussical: The Musical announced that it, too, would be closing. Thanks a lot, Jewel.

WHO WANTS TO KISS A MILLIONAIRE?

If there are lockers in old-age homes, there are going to be some very happy lady seniors. 16 magazine (which is kinda like Tiger Beat and kinda like Seventeen, but not really as successful as either) usually fills its pages with the hottest teen stars. This month the editors decided to go a different way. A REGIS PHILBIN way. "How old are you?" Regis asks me over the phone, before saying hello. I am 28. "You are finished. I'm the only one in there who's over 28. These young studs who've been getting all the press better move over. I'm giving you fair warning." Regis inhales. "It's a thrill for me. I don't know if they're serious or not, but I'll take it." They are serious. "Regis is an icon at the moment," says 16 editor Roberta Caploe. "Granted, he's somewhere out of the normal universe of people we cover, but he's accessible and very funny. We want girls to appreciate a sense of humor too." The Milton Berle centerfold ought to be something to behold.

KICKING BUTT & BREAKING EGGS

Vice President Dick Cheney may be more powerful than his boss, but he still lacks the fire of some other seconds-in-command, most notably British Deputy PM JOHN PRESCOTT. After a protester nailed Prescott with an egg on the campaign trail, the British bulldog unloaded a left jab on the guy and wrestled him until police arrived. "I wish, of course, that the incident I was involved in hadn't happened," said Prescott. "But no one can now complain about a lack of interest in this election campaign." Actually, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, leader of Scotland's Conservative Party, complained that Prescott had ruined "a long and honorable tradition of throwing eggs at politicians." In Poland on a European speaking tour, Bill Clinton was also the target of an egg thrower. The ex-President brushed himself off, saying, "It's good for young people to be angry about something." Leave it to Clinton to teach the world about restraint.

STEALING THE SPOTLIGHT FROM MISS AFGHANISTAN

If there's one group of people you don't want to get mad, it's the Colombians. Ask their soccer defensemen, or DAVID LETTERMAN. After Letterman made a joke about Colombia's entrant in the Miss Universe pageant--"You know what has really gotten impressive? The talent competition. For example, Miss Colombia, she swallowed 50 balloons full of heroin"--the Colombian ambassador demanded an apology. Miss Colombia, ANDREA NOCETI, threatened to sue, calling the joke "an offense not just against the queen but against all Colombians." Things died down when Letterman said he had "no intention to offend [Noceti] or the people of Colombia" and invited the beauty queen to appear on his show. After Noceti made Letterman promise never to joke about Colombia and drugs again, she presented him with a signed portrait of fictional coffee grower Juan Valdez. A heartwarming example of one stereotype replaced by another, slightly less offensive stereotype.