Inqlings: Some 'Big' steps at Please Touch

The Please Touch Museum has gotten a big acquisition: the 16-foot light-up keyboard used in the 1988

Tom Hanks

movie

Big

, upon which the Oscar-nominated Hanks and

Robert Loggia

danced/played "Chopsticks" and "Heart and Soul."

Properly, the keyboard is known as The Walking Piano, by Philly artist Remo Saraceni, who sold it to Lower Merion's Joseph and Janet Shein shortly after the film's release. When the museum announced its move to Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, the Sheins were moved to donate it.

"We love this piece," says Joe Shein, a lawyer who kept it in their music room and allowed neighborhood trick-or-treaters to perform on it at Halloween. He says the couple bought it not so much for their love of music but because "we felt it was a new direction for electronic sculpture."

The Please Touch will unveil the three-octave instrument next month.

West Philly-born director

Lee Daniels

hosted a packed world-premiere screening Friday of his film

Push

at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. Afterward, he was feted at the Philadelphia Industry Lounge, set up by Philly film professionals to tout the city. Most of the cast stopped in, including

Mariah Carey

(with husband

Nick Cannon

) and

Mo'Nique

. Also there:

Russell Simmons

,

Robin Thicke

and

Cuba Gooding Jr.

, who repeatedly screamed "Philly!" while hugging Daniels. (Gooding starred in Daniels'

Shadowboxer

, which filmed here in mid-2004.) The lounge features Philly-made Bluecoat gin and Pravda vodka and Tony Luke's cheesesteaks.

Italian chef

Marc Vetri

is trying to set up a new trattoria - a casual companion to his much-praised Vetri and Osteria. Supposedly there's a deal on the table to place it in the new Kimpton Hotel coming to 17th and Arch Streets - across the street from Table 31 - but talks have been dragging. Vetri, who declined to talk about it, has other developers itching to work with him.

Carrying cole(slaw) to Newcastle? Deli-rich Lower Merion, where Murray's and Hymie's duke it out across Montgomery Avenue, will get a new combatant. Mel Glickstein, who's run Mel's Italian in Bala for 23 years, says he'll open Benny's - named after his father, a longtime South Philly Republican ward leader - at 145 Montgomery in April. The spot previously was the kosher Chinese eatery Yi-Tzi Peking.

Director-writer-producer

M. Night Shyamalan

is casting for

The Last Airbender

, a live-action film from Paramount and Nickelodeon based on the Nickelodeon animated series, shooting here from mid-March through July. (It's set in a world where human civilization is divided into four nations: Air, Water, Earth and Fire. The film's hero, the reluctant young Aang, is the Last Airbender. Aided by a protective teenage Waterbender named Katara and her bullheaded brother, Sokka, Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to restore balance to their war-torn world. Standard stuff.)

The O.C.'s Jackson Rathbone has been named as Sokka. Casting folks are looking for extras to play soldiers, martial artists, dancers, gymnasts, athletes and families - specifically physically fit people from 18 to 65 years old. The open call will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Bullies restaurant at the Wachovia Spectrum. You're asked to dress casually or in the traditional costume of your family's ethnic background. Info: lastairbendercasting@gmail.com or 215-574-7878.

Buzz that

Kerri-Lee Halkett

is heading to Los Angeles probably will die down, since she just signed a long extension with Fox29. A station rep said she had no announcements to make at this time. Halkett was on her way to Europe on Friday for her honeymoon and unreachable.

CBS3 consumer reporter Jim Donovan was pressed into service Thursday on the anchor desk to talk about the Hudson River jet rescue. His special talent: He knows jets backward and forward, since he was a flight attendant for eight years.

R&Ber Ryan Banks, backed by Gillie Da Kid and Peedi Crakk, shot a video at Center City's G Lounge for the song "Move Over" last weekend before his show at the TLA. Allen West directed for Big Banks Entertainment/Hollyhood.

Cokie Roberts of ABC News and National Public Radio will be at Cabrini College on Feb. 5 to receive the Ivy Young Willis Award.

Designer Nicole Miller is expected to attend "The Bellevue gets Engaged," a Feb. 28 bridal event at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia.

You know how dogs look like their owners.

How about comparing Eagles and Cardinals players to contestants at the Westminster Kennel Club shows? David Frei, who will host the club's judging on TV on Feb. 9-10, worked for the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers, and his father was a longtime head coach at the University of Oregon.

So Frei makes these comparisons:

Donovan McNabb is a border collie who "leads (herds) his flock up and down the field, and is smart, athletic and intensely focused on the job at hand."

Tra Thomas is a bull mastiff: "Tenacious and strong, knocks down poachers (pass rushers) that trespass on the estate."

Brian Dawkins is a rottweiler: "Powerful, intelligent, agile, intimidating, calm and courageous."

Asante Samuel is a whippet: "Feisty, prey-driven, fast, champion athlete of the dog world."

On the Cardinals, Kurt Warner is a German shepherd: "Intelligent and alert, alpha-dog leader with even temperament and character."

Larry Fitzgerald is a Doberman pinscher: "Elegant athlete in a tight-fitting wrapper."

Anquan Boldin is a greyhound: "Narrow body, big chest, sleek, powerful, athletic and fast."

Karlos Dansby is a bloodhound: "Noble and dignified with a single purpose: to track down humans (in this case, anyone with the football)."