Dolly travelin' to Oscars

By LIZ SMITH

Minnelli

Parton

GOD MADE me for a reason and nothing is in vain/Redemption comes in many shapes with many kinds of pain." So go the plaintive lyrics from Dolly Parton's Oscar-nominated song "Travelin' Thru," heard in "Transamerica." She offers credit to the film's director Duncan Tucker, saying, "he gave me a lot of help writing 'Travelin' Thru.' He told me about the movie. He told me what he needed. He said he wanted something to uplift and inspire. I did my best for him. And I think the song turned out to be something that stands on its own, too. Anybody searching in life can identify, I hope." Duncan will be Dolly's date to the Oscars, where, win or lose, she intends "to have a big old good time!" Parton will change gowns at least twice: One for the red carpet, one for the Kodak Theater stage as she sings, and perhaps another if she wins. "You know, 26 years ago, when I was nominated for the song 'Nine to Five,' Sissy Spacek won the Oscar for playing Loretta Lynn. But I lost. This year I'm nominated again and Reese Witherspoon is up for 'Walk The Line.' I wonder if this is a sign -- a bad sign?" She gives a hearty laugh, "It's terrible, but I love Reese and I love her performance. And I love Felicity, too. She's great. I feel I'm cheering for both teams. I hope nobody gets mad, my saying that." ... What about her own movie career, which rocketed with "Nine to Five" and "Steel Magnolias"? "Well, I sure would do another movie, if a good script came along. ... But I act when I sing. That's what singing is, really. I wrote a lyric once, 'music is the voice of the soul.' It's true. And all that I want to express, I can express through my songs."

ON MARCH 12, Liza Minnelli, eternally girlish and optimistic, turns 60. The next night, on March 13, Liza will preside over a grand event at the Ziegfeld Theater. This is the premiere of the dazzlingly restored 1972 "Liza With a Z" TV special. (Showtime will air the concert April 1, and a DVD follows.) This Bob Fosse-directed gem presented a healthy, outrageously talented Liza at the peak of her early success -- fresh from her "Cabaret" Oscar win. That special garnered for Liza an Emmy, making her one of the nine performers to win that prestigious quartet of awards -- Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy. (She had won the Tony at age 19 for "Flora, the Red Menace" in 1965.) ... There'll be a memorial remembrance for Wendy Wasserstein at 4 p.m. March 13, in the Vivian Beaumont Theater of Lincoln Center. Reserved seats for family and friends must be requested at [phone]. Other seats are on a first-come, first-served basis.

OLD SAYBROOK, Conn.'s old town hall will be restored as the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and will house a 268-seat theater. Old Saybrook has already approved $2.6 million for the building renovations and now comes a capital campaign committee to raise money for various "naming" opportunities. Asked to serve as honorary chairs of the campaign are two of Hepburn's longtime friends, Lauren Bacall and ABC's Cynthia McFadden. Joining them will be Dominick Dunne, "60 Minutes'" Morley Safer and U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd. Tony Harvey, the director of "Lion In Winter," will serve along with Katharine Kramer (a Hepburn godchild and namesake, whose father, Stanley Kramer, directed Hepburn in "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner."). Renovations are expected to be complete by May 2007 in time for what would have been the actresses 100th birthday. If you want to join or know more, call [phone]. ... Applause is more rambunctious on opening nights as all the investors and family are there. But the audience's laughter at "Barefoot in the Park" was real and hearty. Jill Clayburgh's timing is perfect; Amanda Peet is as appealing as a puppy with a new toy. She's a lovely sprite pinching Patrick Wilson's rather uptight self. Tony Roberts is, as always, delightful and Adam Sietz is worth all of his ten minutes on stage. Later at a splendid party in Central Park's Boat House, Clayburgh raved on and rightly so, about Scott Elliot's direction.

BOTH LACHLAN and Rupert Murdoch showed up in person for the party held at the Allan Stone Gallery to celebrate Tom Perkins' hot book "Sex and the Single Zillionaire." This is a Judith Regan-Jane Friedman production, so you know it sizzles. Ron Silver, Oliver North, Georgette Mosbacher and Danielle Steel were there. Judith gave the toast. Well, of course Danielle was there; she was once wed to Tom and they are best of friends. ... Meryl Poster, the former co-president of production at the old Miramax, picked up "Better Homes and Husbands" by Valerie Leff in search of a good read. Presto, she bought the rights and is now developing the property as a series for NBC. Becky Mode, who wrote the hit play "Fully Committed," is to do the pilot. ... Jeremy Sisto, who became everybody's favorite medicated/not-medicated bipolar-guy-with-the-hots-for-his-sister during the run of HBO's "Six Feet Under," has joined the cast of David Eldridge's "Festen," which begins previews at the Music Box Theater on March 23. The official opening is April 9. ... Warners Video is releasing a 30th anniversary DVD of "Network" but guess what? Negotiations are now under way to bring "Network" to Broadway as -- what else? -- a musical.