Stamos to replace Banderas on Broadway

NEW YORK -- John Stamos will be Broadway's new Guido Contini.

Stamos replaces Antonio Banderas Oct. 7 as the film director obsessed with women in the Tony Award-winning revival of "Nine," playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

The 40-year-old Stamos, best known for starring on the television sitcom "Full House," has appeared in several Broadway musicals. He replaced Matthew Broderick in the revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and starred as the master of ceremonies in the long-running Roundabout Theatre Company production of "Cabaret" at Studio 54.

Banderas' last performance will be Oct. 5. That will also be the last performance for Melanie Griffith, his wife, in "Chicago," which is playing at the Ambassador Theatre across West 49th Street from the O'Neill.

Clarksburg, W.Va., rolls out red carpet for actor

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. -- Tony Danza wasn't acting when he showed his Italian pride at the 25th annual Italian Heritage Festival in Clarksburg.

The TV actor, who has co-starred in "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss?" and more recently made guest spots on "The Practice," welcomed everyone to the festival Sunday and described the event as an "Italian dream."

Danza, 52, told stories from his childhood, tap danced, played the trumpet and piano, told jokes and sang songs.

Clarksburg resident John V. Lopez was impressed.

"The people aren't here for nothing," Lopez said. "This is the biggest crowd on a Sunday afternoon in 25 years."

Rachel Torchia, the festival's executive director, said board members used a budget of $400,000 to bring Danza and some other extras to the event's silver anniversary.

Actor George Clooney remains leading bachelorNEW YORK -- Good news, ladies: George Clooney is still extremely single. And that's partly because the simple act of going out to dinner can turn into a monumental ordeal.

"To the European press, I'm fresh meat," the actor said during an interview at his Italian villa for Vanity Fair magazine's October issue. "That kind of frenzy, you have to really be up for it."

But after a marriage to actress Talia Balsam and relationships with Renee Zellweger and models Celine Belitran and Vendela, Clooney still keeps hope alive about dating.

"You get to start over and go, 'I'm a really nice guy.' And by virtue of saying it, you can be it. You can actually decide, OK, now I'm a really nice guy. But my dates know everything about me, and some of it's true and some of it isn't," the former "ER" star said.

'N Sync settles up tax bill with Columbus, Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- 'N Sync is in the black, city tax officials say.

The boy band and its management finally paid an overdue tax bill after several reminders and two lawsuits.

The account was "paid in full" as of Thursday, city tax administrator Melinda Frank said Friday.

Two lawsuits, each covering a separate aspect of the city income tax law, sought a total of $7,861 for back taxes, interest and penalties for income earned in the city in 2000 and 2001.

The group paid slightly more than $4,000 after providing the city with new information that indicated the tax bill should be less, city attorney Richard Pfeiffer said.