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She may have an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy on her mantel, but Rita Moreno is most proud of helping to teach an entire generation of kids to read.

As a core member of the 1970s PBS kiddie series “The Electric Company,” Moreno, now 74, was part of an acting and comedy ensemble that taught kids basic reading and grammar skills each weekday afternoon. Her co-workers included Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby and Spider-Man. A four-disc DVD set collecting 20 of the series’ best episodes is in stores today. Moreno provides interviews and commentary for the boxed set.

“I am so thrilled,” Moreno told Buzz by phone recently. “It’s such a worthy show. It was so hip and so smart. We never patronized or talked down to the audience. I could not be happier. My grandchildren are 7 and 5. I was always disappointed that they were never going to get to see this.”

During the final two seasons of the Children’s Television Workshop staple in 1975-77, Moreno pulled double-duty in New York, shooting sketches for the show while doing “The Ritz” on Broadway at night. That role won her a Tony in 1975.

“For ‘The Electric Company,’ I would go in and do enough sketches for 15 days of shows. It was a tough schedule doing both shows, but I didn’t care. Even then, we all knew that ‘The Electric Company’ was a very noble undertaking. We were using comedy — vaudeville and burlesque, really — to teach kids in a new way. It was extremely exciting to be a part of that. Plus, at lunch every day, we would laugh like hyenas!”

And, yes, that’s Moreno yelling “Hey you guuuuuys!” at the top of every episode.

“Bill [Cosby] and I did this sketch in the first season where I played Millie the helper and he played a milkman. As a kind of homage to the ‘Hey Abbott!’ bit that Abbott and Costello did, I just blurted that ‘Hey, you guys!’ line out. It just worked. And the kids adored it. When they added it at the beginning of the show, it became this kind of call to kids to sit down and watch.”

And Moreno’s former TV-watching students still remember their teacher fondly.

“I was in this restaurant last week,” she recalled, laughing. “And this bald man in a business suit yelled across the room to me, ‘Hey you guuuuys!’ I walked up to him and said, ‘Now I know I’m not that old!’ “

A Valentine Repast

It’s Valentine’s Day 2006. And once again, you’ve waited until the last minute to make dinner reservations for your much better half. As a community service to procrastinators across the city, married restaurateurs Joe Truex and Mihoko Obunai are officially opening their Midtown bistro, Repast, to the public today. What’s more, reservations are available, as is a $90 per couple four-course chef menu. Hours today: 5:30 to 10 p.m. Phone: 404-870-8707. One drawback: The eatery doesn’t as yet have a liquor license.

And, yes, if all goes well this evening, we hereby grant you permission to name your first-born Buzz…

Coupling

Scott Stapp, former lead singer of the rock band Creed, has married former Miss New York Jaclyn Nesheiwat, People magazine reports on its Web site.

The couple exchanged vows Friday night at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, an estate on the waterfront of Biscayne Bay in Miami, the magazine reports.

Stapp’s 7-year-old son, Jagger, served as the best man.

The 32-year-old singer founded Creed and won a Grammy Award in 2000 for the song “With Arms Wide Open.” He struck out on his own last year with the solo album “The Great Divide.”

Nesheiwat is the director of public affairs for the Scott Stapp Foundation, which promotes healthy parent-child relationships.

Spears ready for Mardi Gras

Britney Spears, a Louisiana native, will celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans later this month when the devastated city hopes to revive some of its old partying ways.

“I am honored to be a part of the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans this year,” Spears said in a statement Monday. “It is so important for this amazing city to continue its annual traditions, and I am really looking forward to being involved.”

The 24-year-old pop star will appear on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Feb. 28 (7 a.m EST), when the morning show reports live from New Orleans. The Mardi Gras parade season will run from Saturday to Feb. 28; Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras Day, is Feb. 28.

A moment to ‘Shine’

As the city continues to gear up for Thursday’s Star Jones-Reynolds book-signing here, Buzz continues to provide our readers with snippets of wisdom from “The View” co-host’s self-help book, “Shine: A Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Journey to Finding Love.” Page 36, the author on her food dislikes: “I hate and despise beets — don’t put them anywhere on my plate. I hate cottage cheese—ickh. Anything that’s squishy like Jell-O or raw oysters going down my mouth messes me up, uh-uh, I can’t do it.”

Celebrity birthdays

TV personality Hugh Downs (“20-20”) is 85. Actress Florence Henderson is 72. Saxophonist Maceo Parker is 63. “Access Hollywood” host Pat O’Brien is 58. Magician Teller of Penn and Teller is 58. Actor Enrico Colantoni (“Just Shoot Me”) is 43. Singer Rob Thomas is 34. Actor Freddie Highmore (“Finding Neverland”) is 14.

Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.

If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.

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