Celebrities play dress up for Costume Institute gala

New York (ap) — The stars dressed in their very best at the Costume Institute gala — dubbed the “party of the year” — at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

An eclectic mix of celebrities arrived Monday night to celebrate the opening of the “Chanel” exhibit, one of the most eagerly anticipated fashion retrospectives. The exhibit opens Thursday.

“There is no other example in the world of fashion for a label surviving a hundred years and being still in the top of fashion and the top of trendiness,” said Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s designer since 1983.

Nicole Kidman, who is the face of Chanel No. 5 perfume, was co-chair of the gala, along with Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue magazine.

Guests included Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson, Sheryl Crow, Jessica Simpson, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Marcia Cross, Elijah Wood and, yes, Marilyn Manson, who wore a black military coat with black eye makeup and dark lipstick.

Melania Trump, bride of Donald Trump, was among those dressed in Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s traditional colors of black and white. Her strapless black gown had a white trim at the hem. Wintour and Naomi Watts wore white. Among those dressed in black were Mariska Hargitay and Lauren Bush.

Going a-gainst the black and white trend: Elle Macpherson, who wore a sea-foam strapless corset gown; Lil’ Kim, who was dressed in red; and Christian Slater, who wore a bright red shirt with his dark suit.

“Young, really young girls, love Chanel, and also, obviously, the socialites love it,” said Carmen Electra, who wore a sleek, sweetheart-neckline gown. “The fact that it crossed over is so amazing, so yeah, I’m a huge fan.”

Singer starts millennium countdown in 1000 A.D.

New York — A Britney Spears song in a time capsule? Perhaps, if the wickedly subversive Richard Thompson is doing the packing.

Thompson sings Spears’ “Oops! … I Did it Again” on an upcoming live CD for which he credits Playboy magazine for the idea. The magazine asked Thompson in 1999 to submit a list of the 10 greatest songs of the millennium.

“This, if taken literally, is a laughable idea, so I called their pretentious bluff and started in 1000 A.D.,” he told The Associated Press in an e-mail.

The magazine wouldn’t print it, but it gave Thompson the idea for a fun concert. The set list ranges from a 13th-century Italian ballad to Hank Williams to Spears.

Spears, Federline name reality series ‘Chaotic’

New York — Britney Spears and hubby Kevin Federline’s new reality series now has a title: “Britney and Kevin: Chaotic.”

Featuring what UPN bills as “exclusive, never-before-seen private home videos they shot themselves during their courtship, engagement and wedding,” the six-episode series will premiere with a special one-hour episode May 17. A video clip is available on UPN’s Web site.

Investigator: Ex described Jackson as sociopath

Santa Maria, Calif. — A sheriff’s investigator testified Tuesday in Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial that ex-wife Deborah Rowe privately described the pop star as a sociopath and said they had a “plan” to always speak nicely about their relationship in public.

Dist. Atty. Tom Sneddon told Judge Rodney S. Melville he was bringing Sgt. Steve Robel to the stand to impeach Rowe’s testimony.

Rowe, the mother of two of Jackson’s three children, delivered a setback to prosecutors last week when she testified that Jackson was a wonderful parent, a generous person and a victim of “opportunistic vultures” in his inner circle.

Robel testified that in his interview of Rowe last year she told him that statements she made in a videotape in February 2003 were not true.

Robel said Rowe expressed concerns with Jackson’s parenting.

“She referred to Michael as a sociopath and his children as being possessions,” Robel said.

Cream treats fans to reunion

London — After waiting more than 35 years for the sunshine of their love, Cream fans were treated to the reunion of Eric Clapton’s rock supergroup at a concert at Royal Albert Hall.

At the sold-out concert, 60-year-old Clapton, Jack Bruce, 61, and Ginger Baker, 65, took the stage at the same venue where they played their 1968 farewell show.

“Thanks for waiting all those years!” exclaimed Clapton after the band opened with “I’m So Glad” and two other songs.

Aside from a brief 1993 appearance, the Monday-night concert was Cream’s first full show in decades.