In preparation for its fifth season, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is staging a road show built around a stage performance of the final episiode of the fourth season. While to many, Sunny remains an obscure basic cable show, and many others have expressed perplexity at the appeal of a show about five relentlessly unpleasant buffoons, judging from the scale of the crowd formed outside the Beacon, craning their necks for a glimpse at the stars working the pressline on the yellow carpet, there is a sleeping giant out there eager to praise jerkdom.

Inside, the social origins of the full house were difficult to gauge. For a Californian such as myself visiting New York it is distressing that here — in the capital of the fashion industry — there is no coherent nerd to cool fashion continuum to which all the city's entire citizenry is compelled to obey. There were many in sort of nondescript workplace casual — oxfords, plaids, lots and lots and lots of scarves. Do these equal cool here? Semi-cool? Where I come from "professional dress" = loser, but maybe here that's socially acceptable?

Anyhow, the evening's entertainments were opened by a band who announced "We're from Brooklyn" which I took as my signal to go hunt down some potato chips in the lobby for the remainder of their set (although it sounded pretty good from out there.)

The Sunny portion began with a screening of an upcoming episode from this season. Not the premiere episode which will be broadcast tonight, but an episode to come which must've been selected because it was one of the funniest of the season, because it was pretty darn funny. Up there with Sunny's strongest work.

The stage show had the energy of a revival meeting, or Joss Whedon convention, with the audience wildly cheering familiar lines, bit players and singing along from memory with the songs, as seen in my fuzzy video below. The musical within the show is the Charlie characters delightfully incompetent and unintentionally perverse story about a little boy held captive by a troll, molested each evening by the dreaded Night Man from the darkness who, keeps him from being with a princess. Insane, horrifying and very catchy as well. A delightful theaterical evening.

After the show, the cast adjourned to the rooftop of the Hotel Empire where we were treated with a no frills but acceptable buffet featuring a pasta bar. The hors d'oeuvres were probably more successful than the main course with some very decent crab rangoon bites. The mini-burritos were a minor triumph. The crowd seems heavily Fox business affairs with whom the Sunny crew duly schmoozed until midnight. Interesting to note that all the Sunny cast have apparently decided to marry each other since the show started. Charlie Day ("Charlie") is wedded to his on air love interest The Waitress played by Mary Elizabeth Ellis. Mac and Dee tied the knot last year. Only Dennis (Glenn Howerton), ironically the show's pretty boy, was left to have to marry someone who isn't on the show.

As the party wound down, the cast climbed in to their big yellow Sunny in Philadelphia bus and headed off for the show's namesake town, where they will next perform live as they take their theaterings on a cross country tour.

DeVito claimed that his slobbering interview with a Philadelphia newswoman on a morning show was all an act, that he was "in character" playing the pathetic slob her portrays on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Whatever, whether he was really drunk or not, we still want to go out and drink limoncellos all night long with Danny DeVito.

Celebrating with the action star is Danny DeVito (pictured with a glass of his signature limoncello), and, for some reason, Charlie Sheen, who ordered the restaurant's signature appetizer of fried mozzarella, "Only could I sub the mozzarella with that waitress with the big tits?" [Eater LA]

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An overly excited Danny DeVito re-introduced his own line of Limoncello liqueur to the public in Las Vegas. DeVito explained to the press that if it wasn't for Limoncello, he wouldn't be where he is today. "Asking for Rhea's hand in marriage, that was about three limoncellos. Whether or not to take Taxi, that was one limoncello and about twelve for Jackie Nicholson. Just about every decision in my life requires at least one to two limoncellos," DeVito replied before welling up.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

DeVito and several other producers are hot for Antar's story after recently seeing him on CNBC being confronted by his cousin, Sam Antar, whose testimony sent Eddie to federal prison for 7½ years. [...]

The success story went sour when Eddie took the company public in 1987 and the feds charged him with conspiracy and racketeering in an $80 million stock fraud. [...]

The movie would cover the four years Eddie spent on the lam, his first marriage, which produced five daughters, and his second, which produced a son.

Whichever producer wins the rights to make the Crazy Eddie story, we hope they spare no expense in casting the pivotal role of announcer Jerry Carroll, the star of the commercials. His memorable performances hinted at an unhinged improvisational comic genius, and he could only be done justice by a similar talent, on the level of a Jim Carrey—who, now that we mention it, will probably be available once he's done motion-capturing Scrooge talking to the Ghost of Christmas Future out of his ass.

• H'WOOD HOT FOR CRAZY EDDIE [NY Post]

Danny DeVito Unveils Personal Label Limoncello Liqueur

Orlando, FL and Freeport, NY (April 30, 2007)—-Danny DeVito - actor, producer, director and proud Italian American - has reached back to his roots to bring Americans a taste of Sorrento in Danny DeVito's Premium Limoncello. [...]

[H]is new branded liqueur is the "best Limoncello you ever tasted." His Limoncello emerged from his Italian-American heritage and fond memories of visiting Italy's Amalfi Coast with his children years ago.

We wish DeVito—seen recently partying with a few tens of thousands of his closest fellow Bjork-lovers at Coachella—the best of luck with his recent venture, though not so much luck that every Hollywood party haglet throws a conniption if the bartenders at Parc aren't able to satisfy their hankering for a "Danny DeVito and Red Bull with a sugar rim and a twist, please!"

• [Harbrew Imports]
• April Of The Penguin [Stereogum]

In today's episode: Leonardo DiCaprio and Bar Refaeli; Bruce Willis; Danny DeVito; Natalie Portman; Giovanni Ribisi, Kelly Osbourne, and Danny Masterson; John Mayer; Chris Parnell; James Van Der Beek; Jeff Probst; Natasha Henstridge and Paul Guilfoyle; Lewis Black; Mitch Rouse; Bill Brochtrup; and Bradley Baumkirchner.

· Wednesday, April 18th, 10:45 am, West Hollywood Target: Leonardo DiCaprio and his Israeli model girlfriend Bar Refaeli. He was wearing sunglasses indoors, but he was both taller and thinner than you'd expect. The Orthodox ladies stocking up on Pampers paid him no mind.

· Yesterday (April 16), I spotted Bruce Willis outside of the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. He was on his cell phone and appeared to be asking the bellman where his car was. He was wearing a gray sweater with jeans (folded at the bottom) and hiking boots. Having never been a Die Hard fan, I can honestly say that he definitely has an "everyman" rugged feel to him that's appealing.

Also, I'm not sure if there's a statue of limitations on when we can send in sightings, but I spotted Danny DeVito at LAX on March 23. I was waiting to catch a redeye to NYC and he came off of the plane I was going to board. He's exactly like you would picture him — short, round and friendly.

· I had a dry spell for a while (although I kept seeing mike tyson at crunch but someone else already wrote that in), but last night (4-19) I had a good one: natalie portman at cat 'n' fiddle. she's gorgeous, natch. perfect skin. very low key with a couple of guys I didn't recognize. they came in around 11, sat next to us but moved when they realized the heater was broken and took up a corner table on the patio. I think she was wearing some kind of fleece to keep warm. last night was cooooold.

· Doin' the art scene @ Bergamont last night (4/19), Robert Berman Gallery for Alex Prager's photo show... Saw Giovanni Ribisi (with an exceptionally hot brunette woman), Kelly Osbourne (who left early, exhibiting a rather sulky walk to the car), and Danny Masterson, who's lookin' svelte without those huge chops on the side of his face.

· John Mayer at Mastro's, and maybe even Jessica, too, on Friday night. (But not sure about the Miss Simpson part.)

While enjoying a lazy Saturday we saw Chris Parnell shopping at the Mayfair on Franklin in the late afternoon.

· Last nite (4/19) was having dinner w/a friend at Max in Sherman Oaks. James Van Der Beek walks in with skinny brunette and joins another couple already seated. He sits w/his back to the crowd. No one really noticed except our waiter who went over and shook his hand later on in the evening. My friend and I noticed he was wearing a wedding ring (?) and when my friend commented the next table over heard and thought it was funny, too! JVB's date had to send her dinner back (soooo LA..........) and they were drinking pink drinks (Cosmo's?) How exciting my first tip to you guys!!!!

· Saw Survivor host Jeff Probst and a "guy" pal shopping at the Petco on Sepulveda Blvd in Van Nuys on Sunday 4/15...They appeared very happy together... ;) Both dressed down in shorts and sandals. I must admit, Jeff looks better on TV...skin's a little pasty looking without the pancake.

· Upon moving from the westside to the valley (difference between owning a house with a pool vs a 70's apartment and sharing a pool with the cable guy) I expected my sightings to diminish. Not so, being a new homeowner I spend all my free time at hardware stores (seriously they are like crack to a new homeowner, I feel like Steve Martin in the jerk...I don't need anything, well except maybe this, and this and oh I definitely need this) and who do I see at the Osh but still milf-like hot Natasha Henstridge. Before said trip had some darn good chorizo and eggs at Sollys on Van Nuys (cept they don't have Cholula..WTF) who do I see heading straight for me like he wants me for questioning and looking, well, cop-like...Lt Brass from CSI (I never say CSI Vegas because the other poser city shows suck) Paul Guilfoyle.

· Well-known recently Grammy winning stand-up comedian and host of The Daily Show's "Back in Black," Lewis Black at The Abbey (4-17) in West Hollywood . He was with two hot girls and a quiet, soft-spoken gay-ish guy. Surprised to see him there. He was on like his fourth glass of red wine.

· Mitch Rouse from "According to Jim" was in Jerry's Famous Deli on Ventura in Studio City yesterday (4-16). He was getting take out and waiting at the very front counter.

· Sunday 4/15, Bill Brochtrup at Cheebos on Sunset having brunch with another handsome, preppy looking guy. Taller than I expected and looking more worked-out than in his "NYPD Blue" years. I'd date him in a heartbeat.

· Wednesday April 18th, saw a cleanshaven Bradley Baumkirchner at Low End Theory night at The Airliner (charming bar that smells like vomit, but outside patio is nice) listening to the DJ stylings of Dntel amongst others. He was talking to a cute manorexic dressed in black. I couldn't tell what BB was wearing apart from loose dark colored t-shirt.

A seemingly still-intoxicated Danny DeVito showed up at The View today admitting he had yet to sleep after an all-night bender with Sexiest Drinking Buddy Alive George Clooney (actually, the slurring made it sound something more like "Cheorlge"), before promptly launching into a heavily bleeped "Bush as the fourth Stooge" routine, and a fond recollection of the erotic adventures he and wife Rhea Pearlman once shared in the Lincoln Bedroom. As unexpectedly gonzo as his inebriated appearance may have been, however, it came nowhere near the extreme heights reached by Monday's show, when DeVito's Deck The Halls co-star Matthew Broderick insisted on removing his shoe and sock and injecting heroin between his toes during Elisabeth Hasselbeck's fawning monologue about how much the character of Carrie Bradshaw means to her.

• Danny DeVito On The View [Google Video]