[Dixielandjazz] Ringwald no longer everyone's favorite teen queen.

[Steve Barbone]

CAVEAT: Not OKOM: but about Mr. Wonderful's daughter Molly. From The West
Chester (PA) Daily Local:

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

December 7, 2006 -  by Erika Gonzalez - Scripps Howard News Service.

Molly Ringwald can't blame us for being a little bit clingy. She was like
the sister we never had - the one who taught us how to apply lipstick
without using our hands. She was our best friend - the one who knew what it
was like to be completely mortified and misunderstood. But most of all, she
was the girl who gave us hope - the one who got the hot preppy guy even
though she wasn't the popular big-chested blonde.

But our favorite red-haired, freckle- faced sweetheart can't stay 16
forever. "I have a lot of goodwill directed towards me because so many
people associate their life and memories with me, which can really be a nice
thing," acknowledged Ringwald, now a very grownup 38 year old. "But it's a
little weighty sometimes."

So weighty, in fact, that Ringwald relocated for a while to France (she was
married to French novelist Valery Lameignere for three years) and enjoyed
life without the teen queen label.

These days, however, Ringwald is trying on the title of stage star. After
spending much of the last four years stockpiling theater credits ("Cabaret"
and "Enchanted April" on Broadway, "When Harry Met Sally" in London's West
End), Ringwald is starring as Charity Hope Valentine in the first national
touring production of "Sweet Charity".

It's a tough gig for Ringwald - who totes 3 year old daughter Matilda on
tour - but one she couldn't pass up. "It's a musical I really loved," she
explained, speaking from a tour stop ,in Southern California. "I had
expressed interest in doing it after 'Cabaret' but when the revival was
happening I was pregnant or had Matilda and in no position to do a project
like that."

Hardest for Ringwald, a veteran singer, was mastering the production's
intense dance sequences. She began studying the moves long before the tour
launched, even working with a choreographer while filming a movie in Canada.

"I focused on it a lot more than anything else because I haven't done as
much of it," she said. "It was sort of a great way to get in shape."

Ringwald knew she'd have to build up her stamina to play Charity, a role
made famous on Broadway by legendary dancer and actress Gwen Verdon. "It's
just a challenging role, period. There are only two numbers I'm Not in," she
said.

Ringwald made her theater debut at the age of 10 in the first West Coast
production of "Annie," and she's retained some things from her early days on
the stage. "It serves you well later on," she explained. "You learn how to
be onstage. It's something you never forget."

Though theater is where Ringwald started, she holds equal affection for film
and television work. She most recently appeared in the television movie "The
Wives He Forgot" and NBC's "Medium". When she's not busy working, Ringwald
dabbles in writing, occasionally doing entertainment profiles for the
Westchester (NY) Journal News and book reviews for a Connecticut newspaper.

"I have a friend who was working at the newspaper who knew that I read a lot
of books when I'm not working," said Ringwald. "But I gave him the heads-up
that I was not going to write any negative reviews. I don't feel like I have
enough experience to do that. I have some much respect for anyone who
completes that project."

One of Ringwald's favorite assignments was interviewing Stephen Merritt of
the band Magnetic Fields. The band had just released the 3-disc set "69 Love
Songs,"  so Ringwald thought it would be fun to ask 69 questions.

"We hung out for hours, and talked," said Ringwald. "But after a while, it
was like question number 58: "What;'s the name of your dog."