Capote’s Christmas stories to be read in Southampton


Truman Capote, the trailblazing author of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “In Cold Blood,” will be celebrated at the Southampton Arts Center over Thanksgiving weekend.

Back by popular demand after last year’s sold-out shows, the center will present four staged readings of Capote’s beloved short stories, “One Christmas” and “A Christmas Memory,” from Friday through Sunday.

Set during the Great Depression, the tales are based upon Capote’s youth in rural Alabama as he learns about love, loss, kindness and the power of enduring friendship. 

Tickets for the staged readings are $25 for general admission and $20 for SAC members.

Hosting the performances in Southampton is apropos, given Capote lived and worked for decades in the hamlet of Sagaponack. His ashes, along with those of his longtime partner, novelist and playwright Jack Dunphy, were scattered at Crooked Pond in Bridgehampton.

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Although Kris and Kylie Jenner, Courteney Cox and Melanie Griffith have all come out publicly about their fillers or plastic surgery procedures, the men are still keeping mum. 

Dr. Anthony Berlet, who practices in New York and New Jersey, says he’s seen “more patients asking for ‘Kris Jenner’s facelift’ or ‘Kylie Jenner’s breasts.’” 

“While I do use the same technique that was used for Jenner, surgery is never a one-size-fits-all situation,” he said. “The goal isn’t to turn someone into a celebrity look-alike — it’s to create the most natural, balanced version of their face and body.”

As for the men, the internet is rife with side-by-side pictures of Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt and David Beckham showing how much better they look today versus a few years ago. Fans are speculating on what they might have done, who looks good and who went too far. 

Doctors across the country say cosmetic procedures have seen a 50% increase among patients who feel they need to look young to stay competitive in the job market.

Tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who co-founded PayPal, once advised that bosses should never hire anyone over 30. Tech bros are going under the knife for “mini facelifts,” neck lifts and eyelid lifts in their early 40s, so they won’t age out of the game. 

Dr. Asif Pirani, who does Zoom consultations in NYC and operates in Toronto where prices are lower, says for male patients, “it’s crucial not to chase perfection by smoothing every line. That kind of over refinement can easily tip the balance and unintentionally create a more feminine look.”

On the West Coast, there’s even more pressure for men to look young. 

Dr. Raj Dedhia, whose office is in San Francisco away from Hollywood’s omnipresent paparazzi, told me, “The goal isn’t to change how a man looks, but to help him look like the most rested, defined and natural version of himself.”

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New York Giants fans might not like the new billboards in Connecticut touting Brooke Goff and her Goff Law Group, which specializes in personal injury suits.

The billboards feature Saquon Barkley, the running back let go by the Giants in 2024, who then won this year’s Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley smiles after the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

“Car Accident? Doesn’t Take a Giant to Be a Champion!” the billboards state. 

“This is more than a marketing campaign,” Goff said. “It’s about aligning with people who understand the grind. Saquon knows what it means to take hits and keep moving forward. That’s what my clients do every day — and it’s what my team does for them.”

Goff’s billboard campaigns have previously featured rappers Flava Flav and Vanilla Ice, heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (no relation).

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The Root 100 Gala, celebrating an annual list of influential Black icons, will be held Dec. 3 at Gotham Hall at Broadway and 36th Street.

This year’s list includes Kamala Harris, Denzel Washington, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Gayle King, Robin Roberts, Audra McDonald, Ayo Edebiri, Whoopi Goldberg, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kendrick Lamar, Michael B. Jordan, Taraji P. Henson, Misty Copeland, and Beyoncé and her mother Tina Knowles, among many others.

From left, Denzel Washington, AG Letitia James, Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé. (Getty Images)
From left, Denzel Washington, AG Letitia James, Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé. (Getty Images)

Last year, when the event was held at the Apollo Theater, Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett said, “We need to find any and every way that we can to celebrate our beautiful Black selves … This is when we end up seeing the real diamonds — when pressure is applied.”

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Invitations for New Year’s Eve have already gone out to A$AP Rocky, Doja Cat, J. Cole, Drake and DJ Khaled, all of whom have performed at events hosted by NYC Party Guide founder Yuval Eder. 

This year, the nightlife king will host a dozen fetes across NYC, including two family-friendly cruises aboard the Star of the Northeast and the Nautical Empress, which offer front-row seats to the fireworks over the Statue of Liberty.

On land, there will be more raucous festivities on rooftops, including at Bar Harta in Midtown’s Grayson Hyatt Hotel and Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber’s hotspot Mr. Purple in Hotel Indigo on the Lower East Side.

Information and tickets are available at NYCPartyGuide.com.

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It’s getting so expensive to produce a play, even Off-Broadway, that the New Federal Theatre just canceled a return engagement of “The Wash” by Kelundra Smith. 

The drama, inspired by the Atlanta Washerwomen’s Strike of 1881, was ironically done in part by unions: the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, United Scenic Artists, Local 802 for musicians and the Actors’ Equity Association for actors and stage managers.

“Each one requires its own contracts, terms and fees. Very few are in a position to offer flexibility or concessions,” Elizabeth Van Dyke, the theater’s artistic director, wrote in a letter to the community.

“It broke our hearts to cancel it,” Van Dyke said. “Support for the arts — especially for work by and about artists of color — has been reduced or redirected in many cases. Our stories and histories are, quite literally, at risk.” 

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Richard Taite, the founder of luxury Los Angeles addiction center Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa, has a new book titled, “Experiencing Transcendence: The Freedom of Recovering from Addiction and Trauma.”

In the book, Taite details his 20-year addiction to crack cocaine, and how he failed to get sober in the first few years of meetings and therapy.

Richard Taite attends the "Prescription Thugs" premiere during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival at Regal Battery Park 11 on April 18, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival)
Richard Taite attends the “Prescription Thugs” premiere during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival at Regal Battery Park 11 on April 18, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival)

Taite also writes how his father beat him and his siblings daily, describing how he carried that trauma for years. He credits his faith and therapy with making him a new man.

In the last couple years, Taite has gotten hundreds of veterans living on the streets into his other rehab center, 1 Method.

“Veterans are the easiest people to treat; they already possess the discipline and the smarts. They just need someone who cares,” Taite said.

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Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff hosted a Thanksgiving-themed party in honor of the Mission Society at her Park Avenue home. 

The nonprofit is one of the city’s oldest social-service organizations, committed to ending generational poverty by providing educational programs for K-12 students from low-income households.

Jean Shafiroff attends the 41st Annual FGI Night of Stars Gala at The Rainbow Room on October 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Jean Shafiroff attends the 41st Annual FGI Night of Stars Gala at The Rainbow Room on October 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Guests at the event included bio-tech entrepreneur Joseph Hernandez, wellness guru Meera Gandhi, photographer Patrick McMullan, skin care leader Peter Thomas Roth, divorce attorney Martha Cohen Stine, financial advisor Sergio Nicolosi, lighting artist Bentley Meeker, and designers Malan Breton and Victor de Souza. 

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Beauty star Chaz Dean, who owns hair salons in Greenwich Village and Hollywood, is celebrating his 25th anniversary in the business.

His clients have included Brooke Shields, Alyssa Milano, Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling and Julianna Margulies. 

Dean has had some hair-raising moments over the years, like the time “Desperate Housewives” alum Nicollette Sheridan raced to the American Music Awards with her then-boyfriend, crooner Michael Bolton, with her locks still in curlers.

Chaz Dean attends the 10th annual Hollywood Beauty Awards at Avalon Hollywood & Bardot on April 6, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Chaz Dean attends the 10th annual Hollywood Beauty Awards at Avalon Hollywood & Bardot on April 6, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Dean’s WEN hair care products have made him a star online and QVC, but his talents don’t stop at hair. 

His self-tanning bronzing mist is used by former model and “Real Housewives” star Kelly Bensimon for her signature, streak-free glow.

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Burlesque star Olive TuPartie jumped on the bar at Baris Koroglu’s new downtown restaurant Dejavu to wild applause during photographer Nadja Sayej’s birthday

A flow of Moët Chandon and Aphrodise sparkling rosé kept the place jumping as Sayej signed copies of her book “The Glitzerati,” which features photos of Diane Keaton, Offset, Cardi B, Bruce Willis and Debbie Harry. 

In the mix were shapewear designer Julia Haart, political pundit Skye Ostreicher, art advisor Daniel Stock, “Of Air and Men” author Damien Lay, media maven Monica Elias and comedian D’yan Forest.





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