Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Four-time Tony award-winning singer-actress Audra McDonald certainly made the most of her time while her "Private Practice" series was shuttered due to the writers' strike — getting ready for her next big stage show.

"There's been a musical written for me, an adaptation of 'Carmen,' that takes place on the eve of the revolution in Cuba, called 'Carmen Libre.' It transferred really easily from the original setting (in Spain), with the tobacco factory," notes the New York-based performer. "We weren't going to do anything with it until the 'Private Practice' hiatus, but we were able to start with the first workshop."

McDonald also has been taking time to tout ABC's highly-anticipated Feb. 25 presentation of the Tony-winning "A Raisin in the Sun," with the cast including Sean "Diddy" Combs, Sanaa Lathan, John Stamos — and herself and Phylicia Rashad reprising their Tony-winning roles.

"Opening the screenplay so that we weren't just filming the stage play really worked. You see scenes that take place outside the apartment — you see the college, you see Walter (Combs) on the job. And you see where Ruth goes, to this beauty shop, to get an abortion — which is disturbing. It all brings dimension to the story," says McDonald, who plays Ruth, Walter's wife.

She also tells us that, without the grueling coast-to-coast travel demands of her series schedule, she's been enjoying precious family time with her husband, bassist Peter Donovan, and their daughter Zoe, who just turned 8 on Valentine's Day. "I took her to Disney On Ice, Cirque du Soleil … "

Zoe sounds like a likely candidate to follow her parents' musical path. "She plays the piano beautifully, and she has a really huge and very pretty singing voice."

Might Audra work with her one day? Answers mom, "If she would have me."

THE BIG-SCREEN SCENE: Eva Mendes' upcoming indie film "Live!" is "kind of a 'Network' for 2008," says Todd Stashwick, referring to the classic 1976 film starring William Holden, Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch. "Live!" produced by and starring Mendes, is about an ambitious television network executive who attempts to produce a controversial reality TV show in which contestants compete for $5 million by playing Russian roulette.

"Eva plays the lead, and I'm one of her marketing execs who helps formulate to what the show is," says Stashwick, who's also a regular on FX's "The Riches," returning for its second season March 18. "We all get caught up in the idea until we realize the true horror of what we're doing. It's very much a black comedy done in a loose documentary style. Eva was great to work with and we had a lot of room for improvisation."

FUN INDEED: Dita Von Teese, who has become popular among men for her infamous burlesque routines, admits more women are starting to take notice, so she plans to do something for them. "One thing I didn't expect in the career path I've chosen, I didn't expect to have so many female fans who believe in what I do or are inspired by what I do, so I want to get more into that," claims Von Teese. "I'm working on my second book, which is a beauty how-to book for women who don't want to play it safe — who want to have fun with their hair or clothes."

THE INSIDE TRACK: Hot jazz-funk saxophonist Danny Lerman says the title of his new "Meow Baby" CD is an homage to the late Telly Savalas. "My uncle who's a big 'Kojak' aficionado said you gotta watch this 'Kojak' episode one day," recalls Lerman, who's album features legendary jazz producers Norman Connors, Randy Brecker and stellar guests Hubert Laws, Bobby Lyle and Howard Hewett.

"Kojak and the deputies go to pick up this perpetrator and the deputies want to knock the door down, but he says 'Let me handle this.' He leans down, scratches on the door and goes 'Meow, meow.' Cut to inside the door and this rough looking criminal softens up, opens the door looks up and sees Kojak staring down at him sucking on a lollipop. He takes the lollipop out and says 'Meow Baby.' I have a cat theme going through all my albums. I want my stuff to be kind of tongue-in-cheek. I don't want it taken too seriously."

Lerman says he cowrote most of the tunes on the musical romp infused with Latin, South African, Middle Eastern and World Music sensibilities, but the album features a reworking of John Lennon's "Imagine," featuring Howard Hewett on vocals. "Bobby Lyle was the arranger on that one and it's fun," he says. "If you don't bring something different to a cover like that, then don't do it."

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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