The Lowdown: Chris Martin Smoked?

Lloyd Grove's Lowdown: A Public show of glitterati, onstage & off grove Ah, the roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd!

The crowd celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Public Theater Monday night smelled like showbiz aristocracy. Performing or sitting in the A-list audience at the City Center were Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tony Kushner, Elaine Stritch, Eartha Kitt, Mike Nichols, Ben Stiller and Sam Rockwell — who sat with his date in the 16th row, right beside Lowdown.

"It's like Phil [Hoffman] is on the march for the Oscar," Rockwell proudly told his petite blond companion, who commiserated with him about how he recently bought tickets to another show for a friend who didn't reimburse him. I mean, give me the $100! It's a Broadway show," Rockwell complained. "I know," his date said soothingly. "It's like people think you get this stuff for free now."

After Rockwell vented about how he and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin had just quit smoking [Chris never smoked in the first place - ed.] — "It's hard to stop something you've been doing since you were 15" — she asked with obvious concern: "Are you having a dark night?"

"No," Rockwell insisted. He certainly shouldn't have been. It was a great evening.

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