Surprising change of pace for challenge-seeking stars

GAGA. Portrays a deadly, “gender-shifting” dame in her acting debut.

On our recent trip to Singapore, we didn’t just visit the affluent city-state’s “newer” tourist attractions—from the 101-hectare Gardens by the Bay and the 600-foot SkyPark to the picture-perfect Palawan Beach and Universal Studios’ theme park on Sentosa Island.

Along with our friend, Soh Chin Ong of The Straits Times, we also sampled scrumptious dishes at The Black Swan, partied with new friends at the Kyo Club, and visited the swanky new space occupied by Galerie Belvedere on Hill st.

Director Rasina Rubin disclosed that the Filipino artists Belvedere has showcased so far include Juvenal Sanso, Jerry Morada, Lydia Velasco and Carlo Magno. On Oct. 26-Nov. 16, the gallery will also be hosting the eagerly anticipated first art exhibit of singer-songwriter Dick Lee, “Imperfect Memory,” which features 24 of his paintings in mixed media on paper.

The change of pace allows the 57-year-old former “Singapore Idol” judge to spread his wings and display another facet of his continually evolving artistry.

While on the subject of career shifts, Lady Gaga has also made a habit out of shocking people with her outrageous antics and outré fashion sense. But, if the lukewarm reception of her acting debut in Robert Rodriguez’s box-office disappointment, “Machete Kills,” is any indication (it bowed at only No. 4 this week), Gaga—who portrays a deadly, “gender-shifting” dame in a red dress—may just have to go back to waxing records. After all, “Artpop” and her full-length, collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett are definitely something to look forward to!

From singing to stripping

Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees goes from singing to stripping, as he launches next month the male musical revue, “Men of the Strip,” with Emmy-nominated choreographer Glenn Douglas Packard.

The eight-member cast includes a former football star, a fitness trainer, a radiology technician, a minor-league ballplayer-turned-Latin soap star, a stage actor, a wrestler, and a jiujitsu trainer.

Timmons shares, “I’m attracted to the idea of women with normal lives going out and getting dirty for a night!”

Alec Baldwin’s own attempt at self-reinvention is getting some unexpectedly pleasant feedback. As noted by the New York Times’ Alessandra Stanley, the host of the MSNBC talk show, “Up Late With Alec Baldwin,” is “engaging, well-informed and friendly, and asks serious questions about economic policy and politics… And, he kept a lid on his famously volcanic temper”—and, comparing him to his colleagues on cable, likened his demeanor to that of—a “school librarian”!