An upcoming E! reality show is morphing two area residents into the modern-day “Odd Couple.” Paul Wharton of Vienna, Va., a stylish models’ coach on MTV’s “Made,” and hip-hop DJ to the stars Biz Markie of Laurel, Md., are currently taping a series tentatively titled “The Biz Exchange” for the fall slate. One wonders if the show’s premise – urban DJ moving in with white family – will present Markie with a reason for his signature freestyle rhyming, especially when the rapper discovers the son of his new homies-on-the-range is half African-American. Regardless of how the show plays out, Wharton confided to me about Markie, “In person, he’s not so different from any of us.” Wharton says the pair have bonded off-camera, “but for TV we have to ham up the differences. He thought I was a white guy with a silver spoon.” But that shouldn’t be difficult for Markie to swallow – not after his Palm Beach serenade of The Donald the night before Trump’s recent wedding.
Home again
We hear that former Sen. John Edwards, the 2004 Democratic vice presidential candidate, and his wife, Elizabeth, plan to move back to North Carolina when their son, Jack, completes the year at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School. While the couple still has a private retreat on Figure Eight Island, they plan to build a primary residence in the state as well. But sit tight; their Georgetown home isn’t on the market – not yet, anyway.De-energized buddy
John Kerry’s close friend, Tim Wirth, president of the U.N. Foundation and a former senator, seems downhearted since Sen. Kerry lost his White House bid. Although their friendship remains intact, one wonders if Wirth’s malaise stems from his defunct dream of serving as energy secretary.Auditions
Obie-winning actor Chris McCann, currently appearing in “Intimations for Saxophone” at Arena Stage, read for a co-starring role in “The Jew of Malta.” If he gets the gig, McMann will play alongside Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham in the upcoming New York and London production.
Democratic wish list“We need a special assistant in charge of ‘red states,’ ” says Democratic operative Tom Quinn, an attorney. As for the new party chair, Howard Dean, “he’s part governor of Vermont and part Democratic candidate from Iowa,” and most importantly, “the press wants to give him a break!” Now, how long might that honeymoon last?
Oops
Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan may be the most important economist in the world – certainly in Washington – but you’d never know it from his security detail. As the Fed chief delivered testimony in the Dirksen Senate Office Building last week, tourists snatched a free photo op – from a “stage right” doorway that opened onto a public hallway.
Off your avant garde
California artist Ed Ruscha blew me away with the secret behind his work – gunpowder. At the opening of his “Cotton Puffs, Q-Tips, Smoke and Mirrors” exhibit at the National Gallery, Ruscha revealed, “Gunpowder has some positive aspects” as a medium in his drawing. He found he “could correct mistakes” that defied graphite. Ruscha uses cotton puffs and Q-tips as tools when drawing, as well as smoke and mirrors. While some D.C. “artists” use these latter devices to cover up their work, Ruscha says he uses them to enhance the “illusory quality.”