Baltimore to see Waters' 'Dirty Shame'

GOOD MORNING: "I tell people I'm making a movie about a sex addict and they ask, 'Is that about me'? I'm at my most depraved, but I'm always joyous!" It's a modest John Waters reporting in as today he starts his feature, "A Dirty Shame" in his beloved Baltimore. And Wednesday he was on hand at the city's Mechanic Theater for the bow of the "Hairspray" national touring company starring Bruce Vilanch. "He's incredibly loveable," Waters sez. The stand's sold out. Prior to the opening of the multi-Tony-winning play (based on his movie), Waters and writers Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman have appeared onstage telling how the play came about. "From the beginning nothing bad ever happened. We're talking about taking our act on the road," Waters says. "Don't forget, I'm a vodvil guy!" And he explains the reason behind "Hairspray" -- and nine other ventures in addition to "Crackpot," his 20-year-old book out by Scribner next month. It includes his hostint on the Independent Spirit Awards this year, which he tells me he'll do again in 2004.

DICK GEPHARDT (D., MO.) LED OFF this week's parade of presidential Demo hopefuls in Hollywood and was breakfasted at the Peninsula hotel, which was hosted by Melissa Gilbert who is in the midst of her own campaign. She was not wearing her SAG presidential hat for the Gephardt toast where guests included 20th's Gary Newman, WMA's Cassian Elwes, Mosaic's Eric Gold, Barbara and Warren Cowan ... Jannis Swerman, director of communications for Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, and Don Rubinstein will wed Nov. 23 in Philly. They first met in 1972 -- and hadn't seen each other again until this past April ... Eleanor Vallee and thesp Byron Clark will wed Sept. 27 in Rome, coming ashore from the Seybourn Legend Cruise ship on which they are also performing "Love Letters." She is not changing her name from Vallee -- Rudy V. died July 3, 1986 ... "Touched By an Angel's" Roma Downey, who next hosts PAX's "It's a Miracle" series, tells me of her heart-warming visit to Vietnam with the Operation Smile troupe including surgeons and 40 medical personnel. They provided reconstructive surgery on more than 125 children (cleft lips and other birth defects). "It was a real-life miracle to see their smiles restored -- and created!" There are other similar teams on the go around the world with Operation Smile. She has made a fund-raising docu plus PSA for 'em. She'll tell this experience at the Operation Smile Gala Wednesday at the BevHilton. Barry Manilow headlines and Jessica Simpson and the Children of the World Choir perform.

ADD HOLLYWOOD GOOD SCOUTS: "Les Girls," an all-star troupe, performs Oct. 20 at the Henry Fonda Theater to benefit the National Breast Cancer Coalition. The "Frasier" cast is among the many performers and features Peri Gilpin and the show's John Mahoney duetting, well as David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves. Kelsey Grammer wants to be on hand -- if his own golf tourney that same day winds in time. Others performing include Rita Wilson and Christine Lahti, William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman, Jean Smart, Steven Weber, Allison Janney, Jane Kaczmarek, Bradley Whitford, Lauren Graham, Fred Willard and more. "Forever Plaid's" Stuart Ross directs. Peri is juggling rehearsals for the benefit between "Frasier" and nightly stand at the Pasadena Playhouse in "As Bees in Honey Drown." Gilpin says the "Frasier" company knows it's its last season--and they've been told it will end "on a high note." "But it's a luxury to know a year in advance," she allows ... Emmy nominee Doris Roberts will belt out Johnny Mercer's "Accentuate the Positive" at the fourth annual "Bravery of the Brain" fundraiser benefiting "Art of the Brain" UCLA Neuro-Oncolgy Program, Saturday at UCLA's Schoenberg Hall. Adam Nimoy directs this evening ... Roy Christopher, who just won his seventh Emmy for design of the 75th Oscars, again designs Sunday's Emmy set. He's also doing the CBS 75th anni show Nov. 2 and onstage at the Belasco, "Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks" starring Polly Bergen and Mark Hamill. Christopher did the show's set when it bowed at the Geffen in Westwood.

MARTIN SCORSESE HAS RE-CREATED the halcyon days of L.A's Ambassador Hotel's Cocoanut Grove in Montreal for scenes now filming of his "Aviator" starring Leonardo DiCaprio ... Ben Affleck has reportedly been in Savannah with brother Casey casing a second property ... While it was a star turnout in N.Y. at the Paris for/with Woody Allen on "Anything Else," in Westwood it was at the modest Festival, not the giant National or Village theaters. But Woody would have been happy with this venue -- the laughs were loud and often ... Ray Charles, sidelined from the road by hip problems, is rehearsing to line up stars for a planned duets album. He' can be seen, however, in Clint Eastwood's docu "Piano Blues," to be sneak previewed at the Monterey Jazz Fest this weekend prior to its Oct. 4 PBS airing. Charles celebrates his 73rd birthday Tuesday. Charles, who has been touring 53 years, hopes to renew his travels by year's end ... And legendary pianist Roger Williams, who was close to ending his 60 year career when he underwent hand surgery, had the cast was removed last week and is readying an Oct. 1 concert marathon -- 10 ayem to 11:15 p.m. at the Palm Springs Desert Museum. It's his 79th birthday! ... Budd Friedman, readying to open his 18th Improv, Sept.25 at Resorts in Atlantic City, winged back to L.A. last night in time to be roasted and toasted Friday at the Kayne-Eras Center's Tom Arnold Celebrity Roast at the Beverly Hills Hotel. A dozen comics are set to roast Friedman. Meanwhile, for the Atlantic City opening he's set Ellen Cleghorn, Dat Chan and Kevin Meany. Hurricane Isabel has KO'd the Miss America Parade in Atlantic City today ... Diane Schuur, who sings a duet with Steve March Torme on his new CD, "The Essence of Love," will perform that tune, Duke Ellington's "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good" at his Sept. 26 Saddleback College gig ... On hand at Jane Monheit's bow at Feinstein's at the Cinegrill, "the other" Ray Charles, (composer/arranger), Marilyn Lovell Matz, Les Brown Jr. -- and Michael Feinstein. Latter and Jimmy Webb kick off their nationwide "Only One Life" tour Oct. 2 at Feinstein's L.A., and Oct. 13-18 at Feinstein's at the Regency in N.Y ... "The Making of Shogun" (1980) docu (an extra on the Par-released DVD) preems Wednesday at the DGA. The 12-hour NBC'er averaged a 60 share. Director Jerry London recalls Orson Welles got a $50,000 fee -- plus cigars -- to narrate the original.