Ferraro ready to fight for Clinton

By LIZ SMITH

Idle

Ferraro

NEW YORK'S Geraldine Ferraro, who ran for vice president on the defeated Democratic ticket back in 1984, says she is ready to throw herself on the barricades for Sen. Hillary Clinton. Gerry, 71 working now in P.R. and consulting, has joined former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and tennis great Billie Jean King to say they will fight the inevitable "smears and dirty tricks" which will be leveled at Hillary. "We've learned our lesson from the so-called Swift Boat campaign against John Kerry...The Democrats mistake was to sit back and think nobody would believe this garbage. But some of it stuck and harm was done. This time, we'll be out there, fighting back."

JANINE LAMANNA may be the only Broadway leading lady whose husband is fighting in Iraq when she takes over the role of Janet Van De Graff in "The Drowsy Chaperone" on April 17. The newlyweds haven't seen each other since Christmas. ... Marisa Tomei makes her off-Broadway directorial debut with playwright Betty Shamieh's "The Machine." This one-act drama is part of Jenny Gersten's latest Naked Angels Theater Group effort at the Duke Theater on 42nd St. You can see 14 play-lets, all dealing with America in Iraq-era wartime. The shows run Wednesday through April 22. Tickets are only $40 and can be purchased via telecharge.com ... Paul Haggis is said to be in Arkansas scouting locations for Charlize Theron to portray Susan McDougal, the Clinton defender who went to jail for 18 months rather than testify in matters concerning her ex hubby, the late Jim McDougal. ... Nicole Kidman has advised Mayor Michael Bloomberg that she will again be the chair of September's Fete de Swifty, which raises money for the Mayor's Fund so he can build shelters against domestic violence all over the city. Nicole neatly included a $25,000 check with her agreement to serve INVITES FOR the May 7 Literacy Partners authors readings in Lincoln Center are out. What an evening this is turning out to be with Alexander McCall Smith, the creator of the popular "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series, doing his witty stuff at the podium. Also there'll be Vanessa Redgrave reading from her tour de force Broadway SRO hit "The Year of Magical Thinking." ... We were hoping to hear playwright/screenwriter Peter Morgan who wrote "Elizabeth I," "The Queen" and "Frost/Nixon" in one single year. But he can't be here so his star, Frank Langella, will perform. ... Hearst's capable titan Cathie Black is chair and there are hopes to outstrip last year's $1 million raised to help New Yorkers learn how to read. Call 212-573-6933.

ERIC IDLE says about his "Spamalot" in Las Vegas: "I knew upfront that I'd have to cut 20 minutes from the show. What F. Scott Fitzgerald said of American lives is definitely true of Vegas -- there are no second acts. Partly this is because they want you back in the casino, and partly it's because they want you back in the casino. In fact, with our low ticket prices I figured out that you will actually save money if you spend 90 minutes in 'Spamalot.' And if you sleep during the show you can save on a room."

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