Newsday from New York, New York • 8

tAa For fans of Broadway's now the wait for ticksts oufsida the theater often exceeded two hours Photo by Jennifer Altman Holds Its Style in the Humidity Retiring Senator May Take a TV Role THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Washington Retiring UJS Sen Fred Thompson is expected to return to his acting and legal roots as the new chief prosecutor on "Law His Senate term ends in January but he is in talks with Universal Television to appear regularly during the 13th season beginning Oct 2 according to a source dose to the negotiations The source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said a contract had not yet been finalized The Tennessee Republican would replace Dianne Wiest who played a district attorney during the past two seasons He also could appear on two spin-offs "Special Victims nH "Criminal Thompson spokesman Harvey Valentine would not comment on the talks and said the senator was in Romania Friday on a congressional trip and could not be reached for comment Valentine said Thompson would finish his term regardless of any outside prefects he undertook Filming for the series already is under way according to NBC Neither NBC nor Universal would comment on the talks "When someone is signed to a final deal maka that NBC spokeswoman Caroline Perez said Thompson was chief minority counsel on the committee investigating Watergate in 1973 He later represented the head of the Tennessee Parole Board who was fired after exposing a pardon-selling scheme The story became a movie titled and the producers asked Thompson to play himself It was the first of nearly 20 film roles for the 6-foot-6 actor with a booming voice Thompson unexpectedly announced in March that he was retiring citing personal reasons That decision came shortly after his daughter 38-year-old Elizabeth Thompson Panici died AMA Urges End To List THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Chicago The Princeton Review should stop publishing an annual ranking of top "party because it ignores the risks of heavy drinking and offers a skewed view of college life the American Medical Association says The college admissions and test-preparation company "should be ashamed to publish something for students and parents that fuels the false notion that alcohol is central to the college said Richard Yoast director of the Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse The Review puts out its "Best guide every August based on a survey given randomly to tens of thousands of students Students rate their own schools in 63 categories with the designation based on consumption of alcohol and marijuana and other criteria The result includes rankings in categories such as "Lots of and "Hard Yoast said it amounts to a careless exercise that legitimizes student drinking "Students who are looking for little more than a good time may be influenced by this ranking and the designation becomes a self-fulfilling Yoast said Princeton Review which is not affiliated with Princeton University disputed the criticism and said the rankings would continue This edition is due out Tuesday "We are simply reporting on the conditions that exist on these said Robert Franek the editorial director He said the Review ranks schools on academics and a wide array of other subjects and would be negligent not to report on campus social life He noted that the guide also ranks the top 20 "Stone-Cold Sober where students say there is little drinking Franek also said same schools have instituted changes to stem binge drinking after appearing on the list of top party schools for Saturday show "I thought she was crazy trying to get seats said Bob "but she was so Nan waved the (100 tickets triumphantly before zipping them in her bag "Cant lose she said Throughout the day theater staff handed out water and doughnuts to appease the crowd never had anything like said Chris Langdon who works the ticket booth "I think going to beat "The He said most of the best seats were long gone with many matinee performances sold out through December The monotony of waiting was broken for a moment when Harvey Fierstein one of the Btars bustled down 52nd Street As people shouted his name and hugged him he basked in the attention he said "This show makes people happy and certainly nothing better to do in this "Come here you are so one woman shouted at Fierstein squeezing his cheeks better be good after all this money we Fierstein gasped signed several more autographs and turned up the street a sea of oohs and aahs in his wake "Let me get out of he croaked "before I cause more By Daniel Barrick ST AFT WHITER Momentum for new Broadway musical soared higher than a beehive hairdo Friday with fans coming out in droves to search for tickets Lined up outside the Neil Simon Theatre they withstood sticky 90-degree temperatures a brief rain shower and several hours of anxious waiting all hoping to get a chance to see what many expect to be this golden ticket "This is a gift for said Celia Braxton 52 who had cycled downtown from her home in Washington Heights to the theater For David Henry a native of Baltimore where the musical is set the show promised hometown nostalgia a lot of inside jokes and references things that you get if from said Henry 36 who now lives in Manhattan Gushing reviews in newspapers were responsible for the surge in fans Standing at the end of the line Henry craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the box office "I had no idea the line would be this he said "But Tm here now no going Bob and Nan Langan visiting from Wisconsin with their three children emerged from the box office with wide smiles on their face Two and a half hours of waiting had resulted in five tickets Show Is Music to Their Souls think Tm heavy enough Waters who directed the movie arrived at the premiere witlrhis mother and father in tow This has been one of the best experiences ever had in my whole he said "Watching a child I gave birth to that somebody else then adopted was thrilling for Rosie said she was glad she waited until opening night to see the show "I love a new musical so I had to wait and now I get to cry she said Jessica Parker into Roseland saithatafthough he was always looking for his next prqject he didnt foresee auditioning for any openings in Then with his arm around stomach he jumped "That was a she said "That was he replied "Anyway I think I know what my next prqject is going to By Robert Kahn STAFF WRITER For Ricki Lake and John Waters it was a very good hair night Two of the biggest talents behind the movie watched from the orchestrarin awe Thursday night as their 1988 cult classic morphed into a bouffant-sized Broadway musical "It was a bittersweet evening for Lake said at Roseland where cast and crew gathered after the I debut completely surre- ap Photo al to see someone else inter-' Ricki Late preting the role you played on the big Lake who originated the role ofTracy Tumblad said she in with Marissa Jaret Winokur who now plays the part Lake also said she doesn't envision wanting to audition for the musical "I think I could still pass for 18 cm stage but I NEWSDAY SATURDAY AUGUST 17 2002 To hear Ricki Late talk about log on to nyMwsdiycom cj m- im Afcowwwiws.