Brian Baumgartner, a Twin Cities theater staple for seven years and now one of the stars of "The Office," doesn't have the most sculpted, um, build. So how in the world did he top Michael Jordan, John Elway, Oscar de la Hoya and Brett Hull? Turns out he knows how to get the most out of a bottle of champagne. During last weekend's American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Nevada, Korbel hosted its third annual Celebrity Spray-Off, in which more than 40 participants vied to see who could get the cork to travel the farthest upon opening. Baumgartner outdistanced the field with a mark of 75 feet. That was more than twice the length posted by Jordan. Cheers, Brian!

NEAL JUSTIN

At the Dakota Tuesday, Preservation Hall Jazz Band bassist/tuba player Ben Jaffe introduced guest trumpeter Irvin Mayfield as one of his former students at New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. "Actually, I was his ride to all his gigs," Jaffe joked. Mayfield, the jazz director at Orchestra Hall when he's not winning Grammys with his own New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, sat in with the Preservation Hall horn section for two songs at Tuesday's late set. He fit in like a longtime member, upping the musical ante with some adventurous solos that had the perfect playfulness to complement trombonist/singer Freddie Lonzo's hammy "Has Anybody Seen My Girl" (not "Gal"). Jaffe was so thrilled with the Dakota two-night stand that he gushed, "This has to be the greatest venue for jazz in America. Besides Preservation Hall. They definitely have better food than we have at Preservation Hall."

JON BREAM

If you're a movie location scout searching for an arid, rocky terrain that mirrors Iraq, don't overlook Mankato. Black Hawk helicopters, Humvees and soldiers on loan from the Minnesota National Guard will soon converge on a limestone quarry near town to film combat scenes for the independent feature film "Souvenirs." The topography of the bowl-shaped site conceals nearby greenery, making it a fair approximation of rugged Iraqi combat zones near Basra. Filming begins this month on the indie drama, which follows a Minnesota family through a half-century of military history. James Cromwell (who played kindly farmer Hoggett in "Babe" and President George H.W. Bush in "W") stars as a World War II veteran. His recollections about battlefield mementos teach his grandson lessons he must apply in Iraq as a member of the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division, the Red Bulls. The film will feature explosion-riddled combat scenes, medical evacuations of wounded soldiers, and squads of local World War II re-enactors. Also on display: a Sherman tank and other military vehicles owned by Jeff Traxler of Le Center, Minn., one of the film's executive producers.

COLIN COVERT

Park Square Theatre set a ticket sales record of 18,000 for "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily," which capped a best-selling season in the Hamm Building. So for an encore, Park Square is busting the place up. The St. Paul theater officially kicked off a campaign to put new seats into the 344-butt auditorium, and to build a second 142-seat thrust stage in the basement. St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman joined artistic director Richard Cook and a gang of business leaders who stripped off their shirts and went postal with axes and sledgehammers on those droopy seats. Kidding! But isn't that a cool image? The $4.2 million project has $1.7 mill in the bank. When the campaign, chaired by actor Linda Kelsey, hits $3.2 million, they'll start building the new space. If the stars align, this could be a game changer for Park Square. Capacity would rise to 86,000 from 57,000 and contracts for actors and designers would bump up 60 percent.

GRAYDON ROYCE