Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page 29

SWiPSf I If 1 LUTHER VANDROSS II I THEBUSHNELL crrV 'HIGH DIVE' LONG WHARF THEATRE NEW HAVEN IN ONE RECOUNT, THE PETS.COM SOCK PUPPET TOOK SEMINOLE COUNTY, ft BHARrFOfiDCOURANTTXESDy, NOVEMBER 28, 2000 SECTION 7 Ndk FASHION, JEWELRY AND MAKEUP ARE GOING FOR THAT LUXE LOOK 7 ROBERT DOWNEY JR. is shown Saturday night after his arrest on drug-possession charges at the Merv Griffin Resort in Palm Springs, Calif. 'Show Goes On' Despite Drug Arrest Downey Troubles Won't Affect 'Ally' fli I i IS GLITTERING jFI By GREG MORAGO Courant Staff Writer his season, all that glitters is gold. After so many years of getting cozy with silver, consumers are taking a shine to the metal of Midas in a very big way. GOLD JEWELRY from Tiffany's includes, clockwise from right, a heavy narrow twist rope with ruby cabochon toggle, a diamond-studded four-row necklace, a small bowtie bracelet, a figure-eight bracelet, and a bangle and ring.

Fashion, jewelry and makeup are all getting the Goldfinger treatment. But instead of the touch that kills, it's the MONICA STEVENSON TIFFANY CO. touch that thrills. By JAMES ENDRST Courant TV Critic LOS ANGELES David E. Kelley, creator and executive producer of Fox Broadcasting's "Ally McBeal," has built much of his TV reputation on taking risks, so signing troubled actor Robert Downey Jr.

for a recurring role on "Ally" this season wasn't necessarily a shocker. In fact, Downey's arrest Saturday night on drug-possession charges doesn't even look like it will be much of a problem for the series. Though neither the network nor the production company, 20th Century Fox Television, would comment on the latest chapter of Downey's history of problems with drugs (he was released from prison less than four months ago), representatives did confirm that the 35-year-old actor had already completed the initial eight episodes in his deal, leaving just two more shows in his contract unfinished. Downey joined the cast in this season's premiere episode as Larry Paul a mystery man with an odd knack for honing in on the even odder Ally, played by star Calista Flockhait Understanding blossomed into G0T0D4 -M. JWw gold lace tops to Fendi's gold pocketbooks, the look is positively 24 karat.

Golden girls like Charlize Theron, Kate Hudson, Cameron Diaz and Christina Aguilera are sporting gold-dusted makeup, golden locks, gold hoop earrings and gold leather jeans. Gold bangles, gold rings, gold pocketbooks and gold necklaces are calling the shots now. The look is luxe, and not the least bit ashamed of it. As designer John Galliano said, "The spirit of gold is overt decadence." As in money, honey. "There's a lot of money out there.

People are making money in the market. They have money. They want to go out. And they want to look good when they go out. The ultimate in that is gold," said Heather Hested, East Coast fashion stylist for Nordstom.

Eighties grandeur think of the wretched excess of TV's Ewing or Carrington clans or "Wall Street" upsmanship is key to understanding our new fascination with gold. "It's a very over-the-top 'Dynasty' excess, that "Everything is gold, gold, gold," said Irenka Jakubiak, editor in chief of Accessories magazine. "We haven't seen gold as a mkk At message this strong since the '80s. We're seeing a return to status looks and luxury items, which is a f8s WW reason gold looks right again." One look at the fashion ads, and you know Jakubiak isn't spinning straw. From Versace's gold chains to Gucci's gold sandals to Ralph Lauren's GO TO D5 Big Screen A Big Dud So Far 4ihzg iiiSassSfe He's Not Heavy, He's Got Soul Luther Vandross' Weight Fluctuates, But Not His Talent By SUSAN CAMPBELL Courant Staff Writer What do you do if you're the go-to guy for a much-anticipated IMAX-style theater, and the projector dies on the opening day of one of moviedom's busiest weekends? "I tell you what I did, I about regurgitated my turkey," said Milton Daly, Crown Theatre senior executive vice president and spokesman for Hartford's new Crown Palace 17, which includes a big-screen Odyssey Theater that so far has been less than entertaining.

Daly was relaxing at home Friday at 6 p.m. when the call came. The big-screen theater had just reopened Wednesday after mechanical problems kept it dark for nearly a month. Now he was being told that a drive shaft had shattered within the huge projector, shutting down the theater yet again. Odyssey is the Hartford area's first "large format" movie theater, a crucial attraction for the $15 million multiplex on New Park Avenue.

The 16 conventional screens have not been affected, but moviegoers who wanted to see "The Living Sea" or "Everest" during the weekend left disappointed. The projector has been repaired, Daly said, and both Odyssey features will be GOTOD4 i fluctuated so much over the 4 years, it's become a kind of i i touchstone for fans. A "I have struggled with weight all my life before anyone had ever heard of me," says Vandross, 49, who plays The Bushnell tonight. "That's one ongoing thing I have had in my life." So it is with a little pride that he announces that he is currently the Thin Luther. "I've been at my goal weight for the last two years," Vandross says.

"That's the longest I've kept it off." "The diabetes didn't help," he says. "Now I don't G0T0D4 SINGER LUTHER VANDROSS, shown at the Democratic National Convention Aug. 16, performs at The Bushnell in Hartford tonight. CHUCK KENNEDY KNIGHT RIDDER-TRIBUNE By ROGER CATLIN Courant Rock Critic The question for pop star Luther Vandross is so delicately put, he is eventually forced to frame it himself. Mr.

Vandross, your fans have loved you for such a long time, whether you 've been a big man, or when you 've, uh, slimmed down. Not that it matters, but they're probably curious, sinceyou haven 't been on tour for a couple of years You're sugarcoating it! Q. Well, I'm just trying to Just come out and ask it Are you fat Luther or are you skinny Luther? Well? He may have been one of the most consistent crooners, a producer, in-demand performer and hit-maker. But because his weight has cotowww.ctnow.com HO EASY SOLUTIONS FOR SINUS INFECTIONS, D3 i THIS CRITICAL TEST SUCCEEDS IF ANYONE PASSES, 02.