Scene in the Tropics

Art Basel, forget you! Cee Lo Green, Ne-Yo & more headline South Beach NYE

Art Basel is so 2011, plus you can neither afford nor understand the art, not to mention snag an invite to the swankiest, most party crasher impenetrable private parties. Christmas? That started the day after Halloween, so that leaves us with, well, New Year's Eve. Yep, plans are already for the "Orange Drive Miami Beach Music Festival," taking place December 30 through January 1 between 7th and 9th Streets and Ocean Drive and featuring performances by Cee Lo Green, Ne-Yo, Boyz II Men, Jermaine Dupri, and Pete Wentz, along with DJs Samantha Ronson and Irie in a "lavish and state of the art amphitheater will be constructed and placed on the sand which can hold up to 30,000 party goers each night." Yikes. For ticket information, go to www.orangedr.com or follow them on Twitter @OrangeDriveFest.

Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola's new production on Ocean Drive?

Last week, Page Six reported that legendary film director Francis Ford Coppola bought an apartment above Cafe Milano on Ocean Drive. Hard to believe such a big name would move onto Ocean Drive. After all, since Gianni Versace and even Rupert Everett, there hasn't been much in the way of boldfaced residents on South Beach's version of Broadway. What would make some sense, however, was if Coppola purchased the entire building, restaurant and villas, as part of his luxury resort collection which currently has properties in Belize, Guatemala, Argentina, New Orleans, Italy and as its website says, coming soon, "South Beach Loft" in Miami. We're waiting for word from Coppola's people but perhaps it's all true and someone made him an offer he just couldn't refuse.

This Just In: We heard back from Mr. Coppola's publicist, who told us "Currently Mr. Coppola does own a condo in that building, but he doesn't own the restaurant or any of the other condo spaces. It's just  a nice place for him to stop and spend a few days when he's on his way to South America, where he's been spending a lot of time lately." End scene.
 

Ocean Drive Mag: the new regime

A big change is in store for Ocean Drive Magazine effective immediately with the new editor, former Inside/Out editor Sarah Harrelson. Originally, Harrelson was offered the position when Carlos Suarez and Glenn Albin were set to move to New York to head up Niche Media. That move did not happen, and while Harrelson remains the new editor, Albin and Suarez are no longer with the company. "When Jason [Binn] and I started Ocean Drive, all we wanted was for Sarah Goldsmith (now Harrelson) to be our editor, " says Powers, "And she declined because we were new. We were so excited when she came on board in 2007 and we are thrilled to have her now, 16 years later, as the editor of Ocean Drive. Sarah will set the tone for the magazine and oversee the look and feel and the content." As for Powers' powers at the mag? "I will continue to be very involved in the art direction, layout and covers." We wish them the best of luck!

Peachy Scene

The launch party for Ocean Drive's new Atlanta Magazine Peach Friday night at the InterContinental in Buckhead was an orgy for the eyes of those who aren't used to seeing such big stars in one room. Sitting in one VIP area was Pamela Anderson along with some of her closest friends from PETA, who were there to host the party and accept a ten grand check from OD publisher Jerry Powers. Pammy had to be on a plane at 7am so she wasn't necessarily partying like a rock star, but she was definitely looking stellar. Also in the same VIP area was T-Boz from TLC, who was very engrossed in the premiere issue of Peach. We wish we had a little reading light to lend her. When Pammy left the couch, comedian Chris Tucker took her place and when yours truly went to clink her champagne glass with his water bottle he waved me off thinking I was offering him champagne. "No, Chris, I just wanted to say 'cheers'." He got it and clinked his water bottle against my champagne glass.  My brush with fame was ephemeral, to say the least. In a completely different VIP area across the room was Usher and his doppelganger brother just chilling out and listening to Ludacris perform a passionate show. There was nothing ludacris about that performance unlike other past performances with artists who are just into the signing, um, and sealing and not necessarily the delivering.  All in all, we're all warm and fuzzy over Atlanta thanks to the Peach party. Good times.