Catherine Zeta Jonesing at Hasty Pudding Club

Harvard's Hasty Pudding Club was "Carmen Zeta-Jonesing" (kudos to Elizabeth Spiers) the other day, according to Hello!Magazine:



"Catherine Zeta-Jones brought her singing and dancing persona from the hit film Chicago to the stage of Harvard University on Thursday as she accepted the annual Hasty Pudding Theatrical's Woman of the Year."

Evidently, she has recovered nicely from the threats of the extremely rare African-American stalker, one obviously addled Dawnette Knight, who claimed, in court records, she would 'slice her up like meat on a bone.'

And all that jazz. At the time, David K Li of the NY Post got to the, uhm, marrow of it:

"Testifying in a preliminary hearing against Dawnette Knight, whom police said mailed violent death threats, Zeta-Jones remained composed even when instructed by the prosecutor to read the letters into the record.

"'We will kill Catherine Zeta-Jones soon!' read one letter, dated Feb. 11, that Zeta-Jones recited.
"The 35-year-old Welsh actress likened the letters to terrorism."

But how can Ms. Knight be a terrorist when she's not even the bomb? (Drum roll. Cymbals clash)

"'This has affected my whole family, my 87-year- old father-in-law, my children, my nannies, my staff,' she said. 'It will affect me for the rest of my life.'"

"As usual," The Corsair wrote at the time, "Mrs. Zeta is playing The Contessa, a role to which she is distinctly ill-suited to play, despite the Oscar on her mantle. The fucking nannies -- plural?!"

Back to Harvard, and the honors:

"... The annual awards are given to performers who have made a 'lasting and impressive contribution to the world of entertainment,' by Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the US' oldest undergraduate drama troupe. Catherine also tap danced in high heels before being presented with the gong - a brass pudding pot."

Dancing might be a strong word. CZJ's ebb-and-flow has been criticized by the 3AM Girls, thusly:

"SHE wowed the critics with her rhythm in Chicago but it looks like Catherine Zeta-Jones' dance moves are a little rusty.

"The Welsh siren, 35, did the Funky Chicken as she collected her Woman Of The Year award"

Hello!Magazine continues:

"The prestigious honour, she joked, ranked with 'the ten hours I laboured to give birth to my children.' Husband Michael Douglas was also on hand, taking in the fun from a seat in the audience. The 60-year-old actor was crowned the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year in 1992."

Full Hello! article here.

And, for those who are not yet exhausted by CZJ, this from our favorite Social Register chronicler DPC's NYSocial Diary:

"The Academy Award winning musical producer, Marty Richards� staged his 8th annual Red Ball last week in the Grand Ballroom of the Pierre. Launched by Marty in 1995, in memory of his wife Mary Lea Johnson Richards, proceeds from the evening benefit the Mary Lea Johnson Richards Organ Transplant Institute at New York University Medical Center and the Children�s Advocacy Center of Manhattan.

"Elaine Johnson Wold and Catherine Zeta-Jones were Honorary Co Chairs. Marty was the Benefit Chair. Carey Lowell and Richard Gere were this year�s Honorees. Ladies were asked to wear red dress or romantic ball gowns and gentlemen were asked to wear black or white tie."

Of course, CZJ availed herself of the opportunity to wear black. Not red. Pictures here.