Amanda Palmer has to be the most popular girl at Lexington High School.
The frontwoman of the Dresden Dolls – who is an LHS graduate – hosted a party Saturday night for students who performed in a show she produced for them with her former drama teacher Steven Bogart. The late-night shindig was held at Palmer’s parents house in Lexington. About 40 teens snacked on pizza and hung out with Palmer and Bogart in the living room. Grown-ups played it cool and stayed in the kitchen. Gala power Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones, Terry Ellis, and Cindy Herron – better known as En Vogue (above, from left) – got the crowd moving at Saturday night’s Boston Medical Center Gala. The group performed at Showcase Live! at Patriot Place on Friday. Work and Mindy Cambridge native Mindy Kaling, best known as the vapid Kelly Kapoor (inset) on “The Office,” is ready to take over the world – or at the very least, your television. Not long after word got out that the 29-year-old actress had signed a seven-figure deal with NBC to create her own show, Kaling called us giddy, ready to chat about her plans to be the network’s next Tina Fey. Kaling assured us that she will continue her role on “The Office,” although her new show won’t be a spinoff. It will be something new – and probably more like the traditional sitcoms she grew up on. That means there could be a laugh track. “If I could stay up and watch ‘Cheers’ back in the day, that was huge,” she said. “I don’t want to do [my show] docu-style.” Kaling said she hopes to pull in some New York theater talent to star in her comedy. After all, that’s where she and “Office” costars like Rainn Wilson got their starts. An admittedly often-starstruck Kaling said she’d also love to rope in a serious movie star, someone who’s known for drama and can do what Alec Baldwin does for “30 Rock.” “Kathy Bates, Chris Cooper, Ben Affleck,” she said. “These are people who are deeply, deeply funny. You watch ‘Good Will Hunting,’ and [Affleck] has such amazing comedic timing.” Kaling, of course, got her big break mocking Affleck in her critically acclaimed, off-Broadway show “Matt & Ben.” Ben’s cold comfort Speaking of Affleck, he was a no-show at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Affleck apparently came down with a cold and opted to rest in Boston with his family instead of making the trek to hear President Barack Obama’s one-liners. A-listers who did manage to attend the Obamaffair included Alicia Keys, Sting, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, and local ladies Amy Poehler and Elizabeth Banks. Affleck was well enough to hit the town Friday night. He and honey Jennifer Garner were spotted at beloved Cambridge hole-in-the-wall River Gods munching on skewers. Meals with moms Mark Wahlberg is a good boy. The actor took his mom, his fiancee Rhea Durham, their kids, and various extended family members to brunch at the Four Seasons for Mother’s Day. No word on whether Wahlberg’s Boston trip was holiday-specific or if it had anything to do with his upcoming movie “The Fighter.” Wahlberg has said he hopes to film the movie – in which he’ll star as Lowell boxing legend Micky Ward – in and around Boston. Christian Bale is set to costar as Micky’s brother Dicky Eklund. David O. Russell, of “I Heart Huckabees,” has signed on to direct. Not far from Wahlberg, Theo Epstein spent mom’s day with his family at the Four Seasons restaurant Aujourd’hui. Carol Troxell, founder of the Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek-endorsed Pitching in for Kids charity, dined downstairs at the Bristol Lounge.
Around town Slugger David Ortiz was spotted with friends at the Estate nightclub on Saturday night. . Patriot Laurence Maroney walked with his mother in the March of Dimes March for Babies event on Saturday. Kevin Youkilis also attended the 3,000-person walk. . . . Comedians Janeane Garofalo and Rob Riggle, in town for AltCom at the Somerville Theatre (see review below), made a pit stop Friday at the WZLX Drive for Charity at City Golf in Natick.