Hoofers have Dolan's blessing
Timothy CardCardinal Dolan gets his kicks with the Rockettes and several four-legged performers outside Radio City Music Hall on Monday. The archbishop had just blessed the camels, sheep and donkey for their upcoming appearance in the Living Nativity scene at the venue’s annual “Christmas Spectacular.”
The show will run from Friday through Jan. 1.
AT The Residence I said, “Happy to schlep the Cardinal around today.”
Answered His Eminence: “I love Jewish words. The fact is, my people are the ones who actually stole all of what we do from the Jewish people.”
We were off to Radio City Music Hall’s blessing of their Christmas show animals. I had Juicy, my 3¹/2-pound Yorkie. He had his black-and-white, mixed whateveritwas hound, Pickles. Surrounding him? Rockettes with sequinned short-shorts and bare legs reaching to the balcony. In front, camels — bored that their visitor, in his floor-length black and red cassock, was a Prince of the Church — chewed their cud.
Timothy Cardinal Dolan: “I first was concerned how these animals lived and were treated, so I went to see. Radio City cares for them excellently. My mother lives in an assisted-living facility where there’s an in-house dog. This year I’ll miss your annual Blessing of the Animals on Dec. 9, because that’s her 90th birthday. Jesus loved animals. And I dearly love animals. But I must say, I love my mother more.”
Me: Since you’re a priest, does your mother call you Father?
“No. Tim. But if she’s annoyed, it’s ‘Timothy Michael!’ ”
Then: “New York is perfect at Christmas. Shops aglow. Pageants, carols, shows, tinsel, lights. All dressed up. Holiday visitors. New York — it’s a wonderful place.”
The Archbishop of the greatest city on Earth grabbed a backstage bun and a coffee — said, “Too bad this isn’t bourbon,” blessed a blackand-white donkey, who wasn’t interested in its close-up, and scrambled into my car.
‘Regret’ nothing
FASHION, films, TV series, everything old is coming back. Everything but patriotism. France’s glorious Edith Piaf is returning to life. Two-time Tony nominee Christine Andreas recorded “Piaf: No Regrets” in London with a 36piece orchestra. It’s out Friday on PS Classics. This Thursday through Saturday, she and the Little Sparrow’s music, en Français and Anglais, are at Feinstein’s/54 Below.
Cheesy Yeezys
GOSSIP from LA. The plush, lush, high-class, upper class sneakers being hawked by Kanye — ask not Kanye Who? — have developed flat feet. Ain’t big-time selling. Those easy Yeezys with the center stitching, heel tab, midsole whatever, and laces personally breathed on by Kardashian & Ko. are maybe, might be, could be, not as wildly enticing to the public as it would appear is Mrs. West’s rear end. Throats gossip that Kim could be helping financially.
Garner’s side gig
JENNIFER Garner has cofounded Once Upon a Farm. It’s organic baby food and farm-fresh whatever. She and daughter Violet, 12, both worked this weekend’s LA Baby Show at the Magic Box. They posed for pics, gladhanded the strollers, baby bumps and expectant parents and pushed the products. A pro is a pro is a pro.
PER a recent study, more money was just spent on votes, ads, banners, speechwriters and helpers in this election than has been spent on Alzheimer’s research. By 2030, a large number of people could be wandering the streets waving placards and buttons — who can’t remember what to do with them.
Only in America, kids, only in America.