Sinatra gets emotional in Gotham

GOOD MORNING: Frank Sinatra was back on the stage of the Radio City Music Hall Saturday and Sunday nights, and Tuesday he makes up for Friday night's concert, which was canceled when doctors said he was suffering from upper respiratory congestion. But there wasn't a dry eye in the house Thursday night -- the Radio City Music Hall, that is. I wasn't there, but my showbiz-wise civilian friend Mrs. Helen Glickstein was. She reported Sinatra's eyes welled up with tears after he received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his show. "Thank you very much, you are very kind to me," he told the standees. "There is nothing like a New York audience." He started to walk offstage, stopped, said, "This may be the last time we will be together." The audience became hysterical, my friend told me, and many were crying. When he canceled Friday night, fans became even more apprehensive. But Frank's ever-present press agent, Susan Reynolds, admits Frank gets very emotional in N.Y., N.Y. -- from the song of the same name ... He returns home to California after Tuesday's show, but is readying to continue touring next month at the Sands in Atlantic City, Hershey, Pa., Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, and back at the MGM Grand Theatre (which he opened New Year's Eve) May 27-29. Sounds like there'll be more emotional nights ahead for Sinatra and his faithful fans ... Whatta birthday present for Aaron Spelling. Last Thursday, the eve of his 66th birthday, Aaron and his "Melrose Place" company wrapartied at Tatou, where they celebrated the show's beating (Spelling's) "BevHills, 90210" in the week's ratings! But more important, both shows get 32-seg orders from Fox, which also gives his "Models, Inc." an order for eight segs. Spelling Premiere Network ordered 22 segs each for his "Robin's Hood" and "Heaven Help Us"-- adds up to 116 shows -- so far. Happy birthday ... Red Buttons is out and about after quadruple heart bypass surgery. He learned of blockage during his annual physical and told his doctor, "Let's go." Medics credit the Oscar winner's quick, complete recovery to the fact he's never overweight and is not a smoker. Red's readying his one-man show for B'way next year.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: The David Foster-Larry Turman "The River Wild" got such terrif sneak reaction at Santa Ana, Universal's shifting the Meryl Streep starrer from summer to late fall release. David Foster and son Tim, who are readying "Spare Parts" (with Turman) for Par, researched the pic in N.Y.'s Chinatown, where they went on raids with the Immigration and Naturalization Service and NYPD ... Meanwhile, Gary Foster is readying to trek to China for "The Little Panda" in June. He and Lee Rich have a May 15 start in Florida for WB's "Just Cause," in which Laurence Fishburne will star with Sean Connery. And they're also talking to Blair Underwood to play the heavy ... Talking family: Pat and Dick Van Patten celebrate their 40th wedding anni today with son Vincent and his wife Betsy, who are expecting their second child in October; with son Nels and fiancee Nancy Valen, who will wed in August; and with son Jim and g.f. Tandy Hall. Yup, "Eight is enough," says Dick. He has two-week stands in May, July and October in Branson, Mo., at the Moe Bandy Theater. In June he co-stars in the Renee Taylor-Joe Bologna feature, "Oh No Not Him," in N.Y. ... Vikki Carr quick trips to Branson for an April 30 stand at the Shenandoah, previously the Wayne Newton theater.

FRED SAVAGE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED at Stanford U. He's spending his only year in a civilian high school as a senior at the Brentwood School. He made up for lost time by working on the school paper, playing on the football team -- and this week starring as Captain Hook in the school's version of "Peter Pan." Dustin Hoffman autographed a poster of himself in the "Hook" role as a gift to young Savage ... Susan and Richard Moll welcomed their first, daughter Chloe Camille, on Thursday while papa was on location in Paso Robles on "Storybook"..."Cheers' " Cheri and Bill Steinkelner welcomed their third, daughter Emma Claire, last Tuesday ... Allan (Whitey) Snyder, a 47-year veteran makeupman to stars including Marilyn Monroe and Michael Landon, died April 16. The family requests donations to the MPTV Country House ... Tom Pollock and Universal's motion picture execs retreated to La Quinta over the weekend ... Geena Davis and Michael Keaton will star in "Speechless" at MGM, where Ron Underwood directs. Renny Harlin produces before taking directing reins on "Cutthroat Island" also starring wife Geena ... Peter Reigert, who'll be seen in New Line's Jim Carrey comedy "The Mask," starts another comedy, "Cold Blooded," with Jason Priestley via Michael J. Fox's Snowback Prods. for the Motion Picture Corp. ... Deborah Raffin and Michael Viner receive the 1994 Golden Bell Award for charitable endeavors at the 39th anni dinner for Portals (which improves lives of the homeless mentally ill) May 12 at the BevWilshire. Steve Allen emcees ... Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon will be honorary guests at the 20th anni of SanFran's "Beach Blanket Babylon"-- inspired by the 1965 "Beach Blanket Bingo" which starred the duo. Steve Silver, the show's producer/director, restages the hysterically funny revue to fit the 3,000-seat S.F. War Memorial Opera House for the gala, May 24 ... One of Charles Kuralt's first stints post-CBS will be to m.c. the JVC concert June 30 at Carnegie Hall honoring his "Sunday Morning" sidekick Billy Taylor on Billy's 50th anni as a jazz musician. He's been an arts correspondent on "Sunday Morning" for 14 of its 15 years on CBS.

John Leguizamo, now in "A Pyromaniac's Love Story," next joins Wesley Snipes in drag for "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar." Leguizamo also scripted, stars in HBO's "House of Buggin"