Jolie, Pitt in Ethiopia to pick up orphaned child

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Angelina Jolie and her “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” co-star Brad Pitt were in Ethiopia to pick up the orphaned baby girl she is adopting, an official said Thursday.

Pitt, Jolie and her 3-year-old son Maddox arrived Wednesday. The couple have refused to speak to The Associated Press about the adoption.

Tesfeye Berhu, manager of the Wide Horizons agency, which arranged the adoption, said the exact cause of death of the baby’s parents isn’t clear, but he suspects they died of AIDS, which has killed more than 900,000 people in Ethiopia.

Jolie has named her 5-month-old daughter Zahara Marley Jolie, according to People magazine’s Web site.

The twice-divorced Jolie has often talked of adopting a second child. The 30-year-old actress has told People that she and Maddox, whom she adopted in Cambodia, are “very happy to have a new addition to our family.”

For months, rumors of Pitt and Jolie’s off-screen relationship have been circulating. The couple have been photographed together near her Buckinghamshire, England, estate, as Pitt rides a dirt bike with Maddox. They have also been photographed with Maddox on a beach in Africa.

Hall and Oates cancel shows because of Hall’s illness

Los Angeles – Pop music duo Daryl Hall and John Oates have postponed upcoming shows because Hall has been diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Hall, 55, is recovering at his home in upstate New York and is expected to make a full recovery, publicist Jonathan Wolfson said Wednesday.

Lyme disease is caused by the bite of infected deer ticks and can cause arthritis, neurological problems and encephalitis, a potentially fatal brain inflammation. Early signs include a red bulls-eye rash that slowly expands and flulike symptoms.

“We are so sorry to disappoint our fans, but we promise to make it up to them,” Hall said in a statement.

This month’s shows have been postponed, but those scheduled for August and September are expected to go on as planned, Wolfson said.

Farrow tucking in off-Broadway

New York – Mia Farrow will go off-Broadway to portray a woman confronting her own mortality in “Fran’s Bed,” a family drama by James Lapine opening Sept. 25.

Farrow, best known for her roles in movies such as “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Hannah and Her Sisters,” will star with Heather Burns and Julia Stiles, who will play her daughters. Theater veteran Harris Yulin will portray Farrow’s husband.

“Fran’s Bed,” which Lapine also will direct, begins preview performances Aug. 30 at Playwrights Horizons. Lapine is now represented on Broadway as the director of the musical hit “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

Kravitz takes retro style to interior design

New York – Lenny Kravitz’s love of all things retro is evident in everything from his style to his sound.

Now, the rocker is showcasing it in his newest venture – a design firm.

“We started about two years ago,” Kravitz told The Associated Press of the Miami-based Kravitz Design.

“We were quiet at first, just doing some private homes, and then moved into doing a penthouse recording studio,” the 41-year-old singer said of his two partners. “(Now) we’re doing hotels. We’ve got three or four things on the table now.”

Kravitz’s love of architecture and interior design is an old love.

“I was always changing things and moving things around,” said Kravitz. “When I started touring 16 years ago, going around the world, I got into architecture.”

But it was the opulent decor of his own homes, including one in New Orleans, that started getting notice in magazines such as Vogue.

“I’ve now been asked by people to do their homes,” he said.

And what is Kravitz’s signature style?

“I love things that are rooted in classic styles,” he told the AP in a recent interview. “You’ll see quite a blend of furniture. You might see an art nouveau chair next to a chair from the ’60s.”

Hometown to honor James Garner

Norman, Okla. – A group is raising money to build a 10-foot statue of actor James Garner in front of a theater in his hometown.

Organizers want to build a James Garner Commemorative Plaza and install the statue facing the Sooner Theatre. The plaza would cost about $185,000 and is tentatively planned to open in April.

Committee member Roy Hamilton said about two-thirds of the money needed for the project has been raised.

“If you are familiar with Garner through TV, movies and as a director and actor, you know he is kind of an icon in Hollywood,” Hamilton said.

Garner, born in Norman in 1928, starred in the TV series “Maverick” and “The Rockford Files.” Most recently, he appeared on ABC’s “8 Simple Rules.”

Organizers have invited the 77-year-old Garner to attend a dedication planned for April 21.

Garner’s screen credits include “Grand Prix,” “Murphy’s Romance,” “My Fellow Americans” and “Space Cowboys.”

Birthdays

Singer Jerry Vale is 73. Actress Anjelica Huston is 54. Actor Kevin Bacon is 47. Country singer Toby Keith is 44. Rock singer Joan Osborne is 43. Actor Billy Crudup is 37. Singer Beck is 35.