Growing Pains

What Disney star is pulling the diva card? And why's Zac Efron back on the High School Musical tour but not on stage? Plus, Zach Braff sucks face while Ricky Martin scores some tighty-whities! Yum for the bums! OMG, have you heard the news? No, not that I’m registered at Target right next to Eva Longoria, but that Disney’s megahit made-for-TV-movie turned tour, High School Musical, is headed for South America starting this Saturday. No friggin’ way! And remember how Zac Efron, who starred in said flick but didn’t totally sing his own vocals, turned down his spot in the U.S. tour so he could shoot Hairspray with John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer and actually sing by himself? Yes friggin’ way!

So, Z-boy got replaced by Drew Seeley for the States' leg. But I hear Zach will be back on the tour bus for the South American tour. Now I can sleep nights, you? But, uh, don’t expect to see Mr. Ef on stage.

See, he’s dating Vanessa Hudgens, who was in the movie and did do the U.S. tour. And reportedly, the only reason she agreed to do the stint in South America is because Disney is paying for her boy accoutrement to come along, too. How adoringly sweet. “She was going to be replaced by a Mexican superstar named Belinda for the South American part,” says my superinside H.S.M. source. “But her schedule didn’t fit, so Disney went back to Vanessa, who’d originally said no, 'cause she thought she was doing a movie, but she didn’t get the part. And they offered to fly Zac along for the ride to hang out with her.”

Talk about prissy-ass perks! I’m also whispered to (pretty loudly, obviously) that Hudgens is already bringing her whole fam along and an assistant—and now, her new b-f, to boyish boot. Disney must really want to keep their child cash cows happy, eh? (So not like the old moolah-pinching days, promise.)

And after Disney agreed to all of V.H.’s requests (yes, let's call them that), she didn’t even show for the first day of rehearsal. Uh, talk about doing the diva thing early...Girlfriend hasn’t even hit 20 yet!

Zach Braff, tongue-tickling the tonsils of a hot blond babe. Last Thursday in the back room of Beatrice Inn. New Yawk City, natch. Zach was wearing a gray pinstriped suit this particular nooky night. “They sat in the corner, occasionally making out amidst the sea of hipsters dancing to Love Is in the Air,” reveals Desk Spit. Amour indeed! Zach’s gal-pal was wearing a loose red blouse and skinny pants and looked like “an older, more together, Sienna Miller socialite type.” Accompanied by a gorgeous blonde in another city was... Dennis Quaid, workin’ out at Equinox Gym on Michigan Avenue in Chicago with his wife-unit, Kimberly. The toned twosome both had on B-ball caps during said sweat session. Dennis was “pretty tan, very unassuming and much shorter than expected,” according to fellow gym-goers. “Midwesterners were naturally polite and let him be, besides some stares.” And Den-doll’s “still adorable,” for the eye-candy record. Less fresh, more frumpy elsewhere was... Babs Streisand, getting ignored while antiquing. Ms. Es hit the L.A. Antiques Opening Night at the Barker Hanger with an older female friend. “They were both dressed in black and rather dowdy,” says a shopper-snooper. Although most dealers “made no real effort to assist her” because of her reported cheapskatin’ ways, Babs wasn’t bothered. “She was very low-key, happy and seemed to really be enjoying herself,” insists my legend looky-loo. Tryin’ to get rid of that diva rep, doll? An oddball in the same city includes... John Waters, ducking inside M Café de Chaya for lunch on Monday. Temps were beyond blazing that day in Hell-Ay, so makes sense that the dude opted out of dining alfresco. He was with a younger, unknown guy and “animated as usual.” The whacky auteur was decked out in a “blue blazer, black shirt, red pants, blue patterned socks and ratty old Keds.” Someone call the fashion police! Much tastier on Capitol Hill was none other than... Ricky Martin, receiving a randy present while fetchin’ joe. Starbucks in DeeCee. The lusty Latino was in town to shake his bonbon for a performance at the Patriot Center. “He has a slight beard and a great smile,” says a man-lovin’ observer. “I gave him a gift of white padded underwear, which he didn’t need, but liked.” Something tells me Señor Martin doesn’t need any padding below the belt, but who knows?