Joel Grey was back on Broadway. But this opening night, the perennial pixy was 20 blocks north of his old haunts on the Great White Way, singing with the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. Grey starred in the first American production of Silverlake, an allegorical opera with music by Kurt Weill, originally produced in Germany in 1933, the place and period of Grey's enormously successful Cabaret. Silverlake's theme, the venal rich vs. the virtuous poor, was so politically powerful in 1933 that Nazi storm troopers broke up performances. New York critics were not that harsh, but some deemed the libretto dated and the music not worth Weill. Still, uptown was heady for Grey. In lieu of Broadway's traditional "break a leg" opening night messages, a telegram from Met Tenor Placido Domingo invoked an ancient Jewish Spitzpah. "Ptui, ptui, ptui," it said, "on your operatic debut."

With Scotch and certitude, he became Washington Post Editor Ben Bradlee in the movie All the President's Men. Now, with legendary cigarette-holder, Actor Jason Robards is Franklin D. Roosevelt in an NBC-TV teleplay, F.D.R: The Last Year. The three-hour show, to be aired this spring, is likely to be memorable for two reasons. One is Robards' portrayal of the four-term 32nd President in his twilight, down to a remarkable re-enactment of Roosevelt's heart attack and death at Warm Springs, Ga., in 1945 during a portrait sitting. The other is that the show tackles an aspect of F.D.R.'s life not generally known until recently. Kim Hunter shares the billing with Robards as Lucy Rutherfurd, the President's longtime friend who was with him--unbeknownst to Wife Eleanor--when he died. The historic triangle, says NBC, is handled "tastefully."

Perhaps it was subliminal suggestion rather than accident that made gold so dominant a color in a 4-ft.-by-8-ft. canvas dedicated last week at F.X. McRory's Steak, Chop and Oyster House in Seattle. Accepting a $100,000 commission from the restaurant's owners, Pop Artist LeRoy Neiman had begun the painting a year ago, but then somehow found himself running low on inspiration. McRory's spurred him on by sweetening the terms with 64 oz. of gold at a time when the precious metal was selling for $396 per oz. Suitably reinspired, Neiman rushed to completion his impression of a busy day at the bar, replete with a piper skirling among the clientele. Said Neiman modestly: "They got a bargain, because I think it's going to be a legend."

No wonder London cinema buffs did double takes. Wasn't that the Kramer family from Manhattan, together again, ambling about the city on a combination business and pleasure trip? For Actors Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Justin Henry, of course, the business was the British premiere of their hit movie, Kramer vs. Kramer. On hand for the glittering opening at London's Odeon Theater was another well-known family, the Windsors. "Will the film make us cry?" asked Queen Elizabeth II, chatting with eight-year-old Justin, who nearly stole the show in his first acting assignment. Said he: "It might. It made my mom cry. Four times."

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