Star Power

There was a collective deep breath after the Celtics eliminated the Atlanta Hawks in six games Thursday night with a 3-point win. Those weren't sighs of relief, however, over their next opponent. While the Philadelphia 76ers are the eighth seed and barely made the playoffs after a collapse in the final month, they present a definite challenge to the Celtics despite their youth and inexperience. The 76ers beat the Celtics by a combined 45 points in two games at Wells Fargo Arena during the regular season, outclassing the Celtics with athleticism and defense.

There was a collective deep breath after the Celtics eliminated the Atlanta Hawks in six games Thursday night with a 3-point win. Those weren't sighs of relief, however, over their next opponent. While the Philadelphia 76ers are the eighth seed and barely made the playoffs after a collapse in the final month, they present a definite challenge to the Celtics despite their youth and inexperience. The 76ers beat the Celtics by a combined 45 points in two games at Wells Fargo Arena during the regular season, outclassing the Celtics with athleticism and defense.

“Edge of Darkness’’ will be remembered as the vehicle for Mel Gibson’s return to the screen after seven years. Based on an award-winning BBC television miniseries from 1985, it reminds us of his star power - and his limitations. An actor who can carry a movie is nothing to dismiss. Robert Redford comes to mind. Yet like Redford, soaring performances elude Gibson. He remains a pro who delivers what he’s got in him. It’s nice to see him on the screen again, however wacko his behavior has been off it. Shot in and around Boston by director Martin Campbell, who also directed the six-part series, the...

Call it the Obama effect: A presidential visit can be good advertising for restaurants and businesses. Vermilion in Alexandria, Va., is one of the most recent establishments in the spotlight after President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, dined there on Valentine's Day. "That kind of exposure has helped drive business without a doubt," general manager David Hammond said. "A lot of our regular diners have been congratulatory. There's a real positive buzz. " While the contemporary American restaurant — which changes its menu weekly based on local and seasonal availability...

Billy Bob Thornton learned to drum when he was 9 and played in a ZZ Top tribute band. Juliette Lewis discovered Black Flag and Iron Maiden when she was a teenager, and nothing was the same after that. Minnie Driver sang in a U K jazz band called Puff, Rocks and Brown , which was briefly signed to a development deal with a label. Lest they be accused of using their celebrity as launch pads for musical vanity projects, actors who make albums are compelled to wear their musical resumes like badges of honor.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky is not averse to star power. The Russian baritone’s Celebrity Series recital on Sunday drew an audience primed for matinee-idol appeal; Hvorostovsky provided a dashing bearing (not to mention a fashion-forward, spangled-lapel frock coat-cum-smoking jacket). Confronted with a Sunday afternoon Symphony Hall crowd’s usual ambient cacophony — cellphones, chatter, coughing — he drew genial laughs with expressions of quizzical, playful petulance. At encore time, he deftly corralled sometimes rowdy appreciation with good-natured parental authority.

The cast and crew of “I Hate You, Dad’’ set up shop on the Common yesterday, which may explain why actor Adam Sandler and his family were spotted at the Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons. Earlier this week, Sandler took a break from filming to show his daughter Sunny the view from the penthouse of the FP3 condo complex on Congress Street Word is Norm Lewis , who plays the role of Porgy (opposite Audra MacDonald ’s Bess) in the ART’s upcoming adaptation of the Gershwin brothers ’ “Porgy and Bess,’’ will give us a glimpse of his...

All you should need to know about "How Much Do You Love Me?" is that it stars Monica Bellucci being directed by Bertrand Blier. Unfortunately, you're about to know why that's not quite enough to recommend it. Italy's Bellucci is unquestionably one of the sexiest actresses in the world, blessed with curves that could make a melon baller jealous. And Blier, the heralded French creator of "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs" and "Too Beautiful for You," is a seasoned architect of provocative (if sometimes thinly constructed)

The Celebrity Series of Boston lived up to its name in presenting a Symphony Hall recital by Lang Lang. While the 26-year-old Chinese pianist is well-known for more than simply, in Daniel Boorstin's famous formulation, his well-knownness, the cultivation of celebrity is a large and unapologetic part of Lang's career: His program biography gives his recordings and his signature Adidas sneakers equal billing. But much of Sunday's program made celebrity conspicuous by its absence, using the latitude of virtuoso fame to traverse more cerebral repertoire.

ATLANTA - No presidential candidate worth his chauffeured SUV has reached his personal zenith without this: celebrities to vouch for them. They are the glam and glitter of political campaigns, sure to turn even jaded political operatives into fawning celeb watchers. Nobody commands the nexus of stardom and politics more than President Obama. Mocked by opponents during his 2008 campaign for being a celebrity himself, he draws from a broad assortment of personalities - Hollywood liberals, NBA stars, and more.

"Veep" is getting a second term on HBO, as is the comedy "Girls. " The pay cable network announced Monday that both of the comedies, which debuted this spring, will get second seasons. HBO ordered 10-episode seasons for both of them. "Girls" has been the recipient of some rapturous reviews. It was created by Lena Dunham, who stars as one of four young women in an up-to-date coming-of-age story based in New York City. Reviews for "Veep" were more mixed, but the star power of Julia Louis-Dreyfus initially brought in more viewers than "Girls.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's vision of a bigger footprint for hockey is finally coming into focus. But it's not just the skyrocketing TV ratings for these playoffs in markets both traditional, like Philly, Boston and Chicago, and those traditionally slow to come around, like Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix. It's the tire marks on the backs of the jerseys of some of the league's best players. The game has never been more popular, nor seemed so out of control. The latest to get run over was the Blackhawks' Marian Hossa, who was taken off the ice in Chicago on a...

Actress Taylor Schilling, who was raised in West Roxbury and Wayland, experienced a first in Boston a few weeks ago. She watched her new film, "The Lucky One," with a full audience of sneak-preview pass holders who didn't know she was in the crowd. Schilling confessed during an interview at the Liberty Hotel the next day that she was relieved to hear giggling, sighing, and at least one round of applause during the presentation of the film. She was able to breathe a big professional sigh of relief.

NEW ORLEANS - The gold standard remains the mind-boggling precision of UCLA center Bill Walton in the NCAA championship game against Memphis in 1973, when Walton scored 44 points on 21 of 22 shots and grabbed 13 rebounds in leading the Bruins to an 87-66 victory. Kentucky's Jack Givens was almost as spectacular five years later when he poured in 41 points in the Wildcats' 94-88 victory over Duke for the national championship. And you can include Steve Alford's 23-point effort - including 7 of 10 from 3-point land - which was instrumental in Indiana's 74-73...

WEBSTER - On May 30, 1943, a rookie pitcher who rose out of the textile mills of the Blackstone Valley was given the ball for his first home start at Fenway Park. "My heart was pounding like hell, I'll tell you that," says Lou Lucier, 94, the oldest living Red Sox. "You get on that mound there and you turn around and look at that Green Monster, and it felt like it was next to second base. It was so close. It looks the same today. " Lucier beat the Tigers, 5-1, as the skinny 5-foot-8-inch, 160-pound righthander threw a complete game and even knocked in a run. "Just being at Fenway made you...

ATLANTA - No presidential candidate worth his chauffeured SUV has reached his personal zenith without this: celebrities to vouch for them. They are the glam and glitter of political campaigns, sure to turn even jaded political operatives into fawning celeb watchers. Nobody commands the nexus of stardom and politics more than President Obama. Mocked by opponents during his 2008 campaign for being a celebrity himself, he draws from a broad assortment of personalities - Hollywood liberals, NBA stars, and more.

LOS ANGELES — Whether she’s front-and-center as the star of a film or playing a juicy supporting part, Cate Blanchett is fascinating to watch. This week, Blanchett, 41, plays a villainous CIA operative on the hunt for a teenage killing machine in “Hanna.’’ The Australian actress works a Texas drawl that drips with menace, but she’s also quite adept at running in Prada heels. We took on the task of selecting five of her best performances: “The Aviator’’ (2004)

The Academy Awards are a big deal — even to A-listers. That's why a parade of stars came through the theater at the Hollywood & Highland Center Saturday to run through their lines and prepare to address their peers in front of a worldwide audience of millions. MUPPET REHEARSAL: Even celebrities of the felt variety took time to practice their lines. Though Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy have been famous for decades, they still rehearsed like the dedicated pros they are. The two Muppets and their invisible operators delighted the crew of show...

Lady Gaga came to Harvard University today to launch her Born this Way Foundation, drawing fans and tight security on a freezing, snowy day. Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey kicked off their event at Harvard University's Sanders Theatre at about 4 pm. The Born This Way Foundation is a nonprofit charity with a mission to "foster a more accepting society, where differences are embraced and individuality is celebrated. " "This is not an anti-bullying foundation. This is a youth-empowerment foundation," Lady Gaga told the Sanders audience.