Macy's Parade thanks B'way

GOOD MORNING: Bring out da noise, bring out da kids -- the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC will find the "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk" troupe, "The King & I" court, and the "Chicago" terpers dancing in front of Macy's as the finale for the parade this year. Producers Brad Lachman and Bill Bracken are in N.Y. lining up the show for NBC, which will also include "Seinfeld" cast members, Vanessa Williams, Lea Thompson and Kenny Rogers. Katie Couric, Willard Scott and Al Roker host. The producers also got a Fox pickup for "When Animals Attack 3" and Robert Urich will host. Fox also OK'd their "World's Funniest Outtakes 5 & 6" with Harry Anderson hosting around his "Dave's World" sked. ... Lady Bird Johnson, Liz Carpenter and Laura (Mrs. George Jr.) Bush visited the set of Craig Anderson's four-hour CBS mini, "True Women" shooting in Austin. Anderson calls the historical novel by Janie Woods Windle, "the American history men didn't write about." It's huge by TV standards with a budget of $15 million and directed by Karen Arthur. "I wanted a woman to direct it," Anderson admits but it's also their fourth pic together. And "True Women" fits into his blueprint of "movies of the heart." They have included "The Piano Lesson," "Bump in the Night,", "O Pioneers," etc. Upcoming are "Alice Shrugged," A Tunnel in the Sky" and "Footsteps." Joining the cast of "True Women" are Charles S. Dutton, Michael York, Powers Booth, Terence Mann and Rachael Leigh Cook. Dana Delany, Annabeth Gish and Angelina Jolie, already announced, co-star in the five-decade saga, from 1835 through the Civil and Indian wars, epidemics, women's suffrage, etc. 20th Century Fox's sr. exec VP Tom Sherak, a longtime "Star Wars" fan, is also a Jedi Knight and, after a long session of training, Sherak has now been anointed as a Jedi Master. The Lucas team led by Howard Rothman, presented Sherak with his special medallion at the "Star Wars" merchandising summit. That's showbiz!

"A FRAGILE LIFE" is coming to life on the bigscreen with Mark Rydell to direct for producer D. Constantine Conte. The proposed cast is Daniel Day-Lewis, Mira Sorvino and Kinsey Ryan as the illegitimate daughter of Tina Modotti and Edward Weston. John Briley is scripting from the book by Mildred Constantine. It's for John Calley to launch at Columbia Dino (Conte) is also plotting an American legit outing, hopefully at the Geffen Playhouse, for Luciano Vincenzoni's "Sacco and Vanzetti." The ideal casting, Conte says, would be Al Pacino (who has said he wants to hit the boards) and Robert De Niro. That would be something! And talking of plays, Larry Cohen is directing his "Fallen Eagle: The Untold Story of Charles A. Lindbergh" at the Sandy Meisner Center for the Arts and hopes to make it a "major film." In his story, Lindbergh "perjured himself" in the Bruno Hauptmann Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial. While working on the play, Cohen is also scripting "The Misbegotten" for producer Mark Lester's American World Pictures. ... Jack Valenti recently sat with Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel watching the Prague preem of "Stone Bridge," and after the screening, Valenti, side-by-side with Havel, walked the three blocks from the theater to an after-screening reception. Crowds gathered around the two and applauded. Valenti turned to President Havel and laughed, "I had no idea anyone here even knew me!"

MOVIE PRODUCER-turned restaurateur Victor Drai has another hit with his newest eatery, Drai's Cafe. It's on the Bedford Drive site of formerly unsuccessful boites, Carroll O'Connor's Gingerbread Man and another showbiz-partnered spot, Carson. But now, Drai's Cafe, warmly (and quietly) designed by Stephen Tomar and Stuart Lampert, tasteful decorators to many Hollywood celebs, and chef'd by Claude Segal, is packing 'em in at lunch and dinner (soon breakfast, too). ... Among those toasting Jane Withers Friday at the Pacific Pioneer B'casters salute at the Sportsmen's Lodge: longtime pals including Jackie Cooper, June Haver, Dick Wilson, Sidney Miller, Jimmy Lydon, Steve Allen and Joan Leslie. Withers started her career as "Dixie Dainty Dewdrop" on WGST Atlanta when she was 3 years old! ... Meryl Streep, Penny Marshall, Jane Campion and Laura Ziskin are honorees at the Women in Hollywood lunch Dec. 2 at the Four Seasons. Streep covers the Dec. Premiere mag's Women in Hollywood issue. ... Bob Barker hosts the ICAN Child Abuse Prevention Awards Friday at the Times Mirror building Chandler Aud. ... And Monday Monty Hall m.c.'s the "Salute to Special Athletes" at the Waldorf benefiting the N.Y. Special Olympics. ... And Quincy Jones presents the Bill of Rights Award to Kenneth (Babyface) Edmonds at the ACLU Dec. 16 Bill of Rights dinner at the BevWilshire. David Glew, head of Epic Records also presents to Edmonds.