Icepack

Maybe it's the hot heat. Maybe it's that Philly has been awash in pork product since last Saturday. Between that Scrapplefest at Reading Terminal Market and Michael Smerconish taking Imus' chair at MSNBC for a minute, something snapped.

And not just the cold. And not just Bill Giles, who again blamed Billy Penn's fucking hat for the Phillies' curse while speaking at the Free Library Saturday. People are just ready for something sweaty and wonderful to happen under the sun.

Like they've been stuck watching I Love New York and reading blog snipes all winter. That shit'll kill you, yo. Get out the house.

We don't know if it came like a governor's reprieve or with money, balls or balls of money, but after what's rumored to have had much kvetching attached, Thom Cardwell's staying at Philadelphia Film Festival, but not as exec director. So who's coming aboard? Rosemary Connors, alumni director at Widener University, as executive director of the Philadelphia Film Society.

"Before that, [she was] at Wharton in both the alumni and development departments for over 14 years," says TLA boss Ray Murray. And what's Thom doin'? While titles have changed, Thom's new gig as PFS development director will allow him to continue what he's done for years.

"He'll raise funds for the Film Society from the government and advertisers, work on the film festivals' parties, special events and invitation of guests, as well as being the front-of-the-house spokesperson." Everyone wins. White wine spritzers everywhere.

For his first day on the job as Brat Theater's producing artistic director, Michael Alltop rounded up Devin Greenwood, Franzschubert and more to work with Brat actors 'n' writers for the May 6 and 7 "Three Chord Fiction" at Khyber; a flash-collaboration project whose assignments will be doled out May 1. Stay tuned.
Greg DeCandia has so been selling out his extended storyline (from its Fringe Fest premiere) take on BCKSEET's Hung on a Blonde Ponytail: An Act of Rock at Society Hill Playhouse (still tix until May 5!

) that he's added a free stripped-down showing at the Troc's Balcony May 1. That night'll feature the guy who produced its CD soundtrack, Eric Vincent, and his new production charge, jazz soul dreamboat Anam Owili-Eger, whose These Subtle Declarations just got raves in the UK's Straight No Chaser mag. Dag.

Are Freddy DeMann (Madonna's ex-manager/producer, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers) and Jerry (Geator) Blavat meeting with a onetime Law Order scriptwriter in Manhattan about a shark-skinned '60s music-mob story for cable for a fall '07 start? Can you say "ba-da-bing"?