Dan Gross: Booted Sigel still a cheflebrity

M

ATT SIGEL

keeps a stack of color photos of himself at Pizzicato (500 Rt. 73 S.), where he is executive chef.

Sigel, who was kicked off Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" on Tuesday night's episode, says people come in all the time to get an autograph or to take a photo with him. Sigel's erratic behavior and foul mouth amused and sometimes confused viewers. " I am who I am," Sigel, of Pine Hill, N.J., told us yesterday.

"I walk around Philly all the time. I had fans coming up and telling me they're rooting for me."

He did, however, cut off the tip of his thumb and joked to chef Gordon Ramsay, who hosts the show, that because he'd been circumsized as a baby, "this is the only tip I'm going to give you."

Sigel hopes to keep up with a few other contestants from the show, though right now cast members are contractually forbidden to speak with one another. He's glad to finally be able to talk about his outcome on the show.

Local folks are up for Tonys

Some local folks are up for Tony Awards this year. Bryn Mawr's Christopher Fitzgerald has been nominated for best performance by a featured actor in "Young Frankenstein"; Bristol's Christopher Gattelli, for best choreography for "South Pacific"; West Philly's Quiara Alegria Hudes, for best book of a musical for "In the Heights," and Wyomissing's Douglas Carter Beane for the same category for "Xanadu." Todd Rosenthal, who has taken classes at Moore College, is up for best scenic design for "August: Osage County." Whoopi Goldberg hosts the June 15 awards.

Sparks stops here next week

Comedian Hal Sparks is one of two remaining contestants on VH1's "Celebracadabra," in which celebrities become amateur magicians. He's battling it out with "Outsiders" and "Soul Man" star C. Thomas Howell on the show, which airs at 10 tonight. Sparks is performing at Helium Comedy (2031 Sansom) June 11-14. The former "Talk Soup" host and "Queer as Folk" actor told us the other day he considers his stand-up "a solid mix of Steve Martin and George Carlin." A bold statement indeed.

Sparks' band, Zero 1, will soon put out its second record. His comedy record, "Escape from Halcatraz," is available on iTunes.

Ladies Man's now

Engvall buddy

Tim Meadows picked up a pair of Nikes Tuesday at Franklin Mills before a 92.5 WXTU party at the Dave & Buster's there to celebrate the upcoming season of TBS' "The Bill Engvall Show," which returns June 12. Meadows is a co-star on the show and hung out with fans before leaving for the Phillies/Reds game, where he threw out the first pitch.

Meadows told us Tuesday that fans still send over Courvoisier to him at bars and restaurants, as it was his "SNL" character the Ladies Man's drink of choice. "Years ago, I would drink it. I don't like the taste, but I love the bouquet and aroma," the comic actor told us.

DeVito, Savage at Bridget Foy's

Danny DeVito and fellow cast members from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," lunched Tuesday at Bridget Foy's (2nd & South), which was just redesigned and is open now for breakfast. The real Bridget Foy, 25, recently took over the restaurant from her father, John Foy. Fred Savage - now a director of "It's Always Sunny . . . " - lunched at Bridget Foy's Monday.

PABJ honors People Paper boss

Congrats to People Paper editor Michael Days, who Saturday night receives the 2008 Trailblazer Award from the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists.

Other honorees include Fox 29's Joyce Evans, former CBS 3 anchor Beverly Williams, Inquirer columnist Annette John-Hall, KYW NewsRadio's Vince Hill and attorney Michael Coard.

Local kid musicians on PBS

Two local up-and-coming classical musicians will soon be featured on PBS's "From the Top at Carnegie Hall." Caeli Smith, 15, a violinist and student at Settlement Music School, and pianist Daniel Song, 11, who studies at Nelly Berman Music School, in Haverford, will be seen on the 10:30 a.m. June 22 episode on WHYY/TV12. Song came to America from Korea when he was 2. His grandfather, who still lives there, has never heard him play but will appear on the show listening to his grandson's Carnegie Hall performance. *

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