Item-World: At the Iveys

I.W. AT THE IVEYS

Who says there weren't winners and losers?

The State Theatre was packed with theater people and those who love them Monday night for the third annual Ivey Awards. The awards take pains to avoid the words "winner" and "best" in various categories, but I.W. is only too happy to do so for those who weren't on hand.

Best Dressed, Female: Presenter Diana Pierce of KARE-11 was a flat-out knockout in a floor-length black-satin sheath with jet-bead belt and shawl.

Best Dressed, Male: Norm Yustin of Macy's North, smoldering in shiny black suit, white shirt with a skinny tie on the inside, and a two-day beard. Sure, it was a bit of a Tom Ford knockoff, but in these parts, that goes a long way.

Most Name Mentions in One Night: "I want to thank my director, Peter Rothstein," said actor Sally Wingert. "I want to thank our director, Peter Rothstein," said choreographer Michael Matthew Ferrell. And accepting the award for absent set designer John Arnone? Yeah, him again.

Best Live Performance: Lauren Anderson of Brave New Workshop, who was scarily convincing and high-larious as a tipsy office worker doing a cracked karaoke version of "Frosty the Snowman."

Best Production Number: the "Time Warp" ghouls from "Rocky Horror Show," which opened two nights later at the Ordway's McKnight Theatre. First time we've seen leather bikini pants at the ceremony.

Best Gams: Laura Osnes, star of stage ("Grease" on Broadway) and small screen (reality TV series "You're the One That I Want"), who showed off her showstoppers in a pair of strappy sandals with a towering heel.

Best Presenter Beard: The long snowy one on Ben Krywosz, co-artistic director of Nautilus Music-Theatre.

Worst Teleprompter Readers: Sun Country exec Jay Salmon and choreographer Gerry Girouard won the Deer in the Headlights award.

Best Spot for a Nap: The presentations of the one-minute plays gave us a break to rest our eyes, stretch our legs, go out for a smoke, call home.

Best Line From a Winner: "I didn't even iron my shirt." So said Edward Williams Jr., who won an Ivey for his Molina in "Kiss of the Spider Woman" at Minneapolis Musical Theater.

Worst Line of the Night: No, not a line of dialogue, a line of people. What was the deal outside the post-show party at the Mission American Kitchen? Before the party even started, folks were hiking away rather than stand on the corner. Eventually it got moving, but sheesh.

GRAYDON ROYCE AND CLAUDE PECK

You are what you wear

Lucy Wainwright Roche, making her Twin Cities debut last Monday, proved she inherited more than her famous dad's pipes. She also got his self-deprecating wit. Roche, the daughter of folk stars Suzzy Roche and Loudon Wainwright III, told the crowd at Cedar Cultural Center that she was 13 the last time she was in Minneapolis and remembered visiting Wild Rumpus, the Linden Hills bookstore for young readers. She was so impressed that she bought a T-shirt from the store and wore it to school soon afterward. The shirt made quite an impression on her classmates, but not a positive one. One kid called her "Wild Rumpus" the rest of the school year. Dad, who was waiting for his turn at the mike, must have been beaming with pride backstage.

NEAL JUSTIN

Hardball Paul

During Paul Westerberg's interview session Sunday at First Avenue -- videotaped for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame archives -- the reclusive Minneapolis icon was asked if he were the J.D. Salinger of rock. "I'm the Catcher in the Slump," the singer quipped, in a reference to Salinger's novel "Catcher in the Rye." Then he threw a curveball about the Twins center fielder who is soon to become a free agent: "Speaking of which, Torii Hunter -- I'm ready to go down there and throw bricks and stuff!"

JON BREAM

Paging Adam Levy

When Gordon Lightfoot visited the Twin Cities a year ago, a sudden illness forced him to cut his show short and use an opening act to fill out the bill, Twin Cities rocker Adam Levy. On his return to the State Theatre last weekend, the Canadian folk singer made it a point to thank Levy publicly for his contribution last year. Then Lightfoot confessed that he couldn't remember the name of Levy's band. "The Honeydogs!" several people shouted out. "Yes, the Honeydogs," Lightfoot replied, adding, "Is that it? The Honeydogs? I did not know that. The Honeydogs. What a great name! Tell Adam I said that." Consider him told.

RANDY A. SALAS