February 29, 2004

No. 2 Tennessee 85, No. 15 LSU 62

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Earlier this season, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt couldn't imagine the No. 2 Lady Vols going undefeated in Southeastern Conference play.

``Particularly after (point guard) Loree (Moore) went down, I'm not sure that if I were a betting person I'd have bet on us. I might have bet against us,'' Summitt said after Tennessee finished the season with an 85-62 win over No. 15 LSU and a perfect record in the SEC.

``After knowing the personality of this group, there's no way I'd bet against this team for anything.''

Shyra Ely scored 25 points, LaToya Davis added 13 points and Shanna Zolman had 12 for Tennessee, which clinched its seventh straight regular season SEC title last weekend.

The Lady Vols (25-2, 14-0) had one last hurdle before posting an unblemished record in league play for the second year in a row.

The Lady Tigers (22-6, 10-4), who beat Tennessee in last year's SEC title game, didn't provide much of a challenge.

The Lady Vols led from the start after scoring the game's first seven points and stayed ahead because of a strong post game.

``When we recognized the fact that we had the dominant inside game and got the ball inside that was key,'' Summitt said.

LSU got as close as 35-29 after its first basket of the second half but it couldn't stop Tennessee's runs.

The Lady Vols responded with an 8-2 spurt that included a three-point play by Davis, and back-to-back baskets by Ely.

LSU cut the deficit to 10 midway through the second half, but Tennessee's Tasha Butts hit a 3-pointer to start a 7-0 run. After Doneeka Hodges made two consecutive 3-pointers for LSU, Tennessee countered with an 8-0 run.

``They brought energy. They brought excitement. They brought execution. I think the result you'll find in the final score,'' LSU assistant coach Pokey Chatman said. She is filling in as head coach while Sue Gunter recovers from an illness.

Hodges led the Lady Tigers with 18 points while Temeka Johnson had 16, Seimone Augustus 12 and Scholanda Hoston 11. Johnson also had 11 assists.

Before the game, Tennessee recognized its seniors. Butts, Davis and Ashley Robinson finished their careers 55-1 in SEC regular season games.

The Lady Vols' last regular season loss was at Vanderbilt in Feb. 2002, a span of 34 games. Tennessee extended its SEC home win streak to 54.

``To win big against LSU, it does a lot for our team,'' Butts said. ``It took every player we had.''

The Lady Vols led by as many as 13 in the first half as the Lady Tigers shot just 31 percent (11-of-35) from the field. LSU finished the game 24-of-66 from the floor.

Tennessee also had a 44-25 rebound edge, and shot 56 percent from the field to keep LSU winless in Knoxville.

Robinson had 10 rebounds for the Lady Vols.

Another Tennessee senior, Courtney McDaniel, was not recognized Sunday. The team announced before the game she quit the team due to unspecified medical reasons.

Brittany Jackson, who had missed Tennessee's last three games because of a sprained ligament in her left knee, played nine minutes Sunday and made a 3-pointer. She is helping fill in for Moore, who tore a left knee ligament in January.
Tennessee one win from another perfect SEC campaign, meets LSU
(15) LSU (22-5) vs. (2) Tennessee (24-2)
Game Info: 3:00 pm EST Sun Feb 29, 2004

Tennessee can complete its second straight undefeated run through the Southeastern Conference regular season when it hosts No. 15 Louisiana State on Sunday.

Tennessee, which clinched its seventh straight conference title last Sunday at Mississippi, will have a little extra incentive against the Lady Tigers (22-5, 10-3). LSU knocked off the Lady Vols 78-63 in the SEC tournament title game last March.

The Lady Tigers have won two of the last three meetings with the Lady Vols, but trail the all-time series 30-7.

February 28, 2004

Villanova Upsets No. 1 UConn Again

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Take that Connecticut — again! Liad Suez hit a turnaround jumper with 56 seconds left and scored 23 points, giving Villanova its second stunning win in two years over the top-ranked Huskies, winning 59-56 Saturday night.

The Wildcats (21-5, 11-4 Big East) snapped UConn's 70-game winning streak in the championship of last year's conference tournament, and they weren't intimidated by the Huskies this time, either.

Just like last year, the Wildcats mobbed each other at midcourt before quickly rushing off to the locker room to celebrate a wild Senior Night victory.

Playing in front of the first sellout crowd for a women's game at The Pavillion, the Wildcats rallied from an eight-point deficit early in the second half behind Suez and Jackie Adamshick.

UConn (23-3, 13-2) led by three points with just over 3 minutes to play.

Adamshick, who scored 13 points, hit a 3-pointer with 3:05 left for a 54-52 lead. Diana Taurasi tied it with 2:47 left, but the Huskies were never ahead again.

Suez hit the jumper, then combined with Adamshick to sink three free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

Taurasi's desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer clanged off the back of the rim, snapping the Huskies' 12-game winning streak and denying them a chance to win the conference title outright.

Barbara Turner scored 25 points for the Huskies. She hit a 3-pointer early in the second half for a 38-30 lead, UConn's largest of the game.

Then the Wildcats started to rally. Suez hit a couple of baskets and Adamshick converted a three-point play for a 39-37 lead, Villanova's first since the opening minutes.

Both Suez and Turner hit 3s as the lead swapped again, and neither team would be in front by more than four points in the closing minutes. The Wildcats, though, were hot down the stretch and finished 24 for 48 from the floor and outrebounded the Huskies 34-25.

Taurasi, who came in averaging 16.2 points, struggled from the floor, going only 3-for-13 and she missed three of her four free-throw attempts. Taurasi threw up an airball on a long, rushed jumper with under 10 seconds to go that Turner put back for a basket, making it 57-56.

The Huskies went for the quick foul, but Suez hit both free throws.

Only a few fans rushed the court — the crowd of 6,000 was decidedly pro-UConn. The UConn men's team beat Villanova 75-74 in overtime earlier Saturday at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center.

The Wildcats have won seven straight and finished 12-0 at home.
'Passion' Takes in $23.6M on Opening Day

LOS ANGELES - Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" took in $23.6 million on opening day, positioning it as the biggest religious-themed movie since "The Ten Commandments" and "Ben-Hur."

The film also took in an estimated $3 million in private screenings for church groups Monday and Tuesday in advance of the official opening Wednesday.

The $26.6 million U.S. and Canada total released Thursday was well above distributor Newmarket Film's preliminary estimate of $15 million to $20 million a day earlier.

"We wanted to be a little strategically conservative," said Rob Schwartz, head of distribution for Newmarket, which Gibson hired after no Hollywood studio would handle the film because of its divisive subject matter. "Prior to the opening, I don't think we could have counted on a $26 (million) to $27 million opening, but we'll take it."

The movie is well on its way to the $100 million mark, Schwartz said. The 1959 Roman-Christian epic "Ben-Hur" grossed an estimated $74 million, while 1956's "The Ten Commandments" took in about $65.5 million, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

In today's dollars, "Ben-Hur" and "The Ten Commandments" likely would be $300 million blockbusters.

The 1998 animated tale of Moses "The Prince of Egypt" took in $14.5 million over its first three days on its way to a $101.3 million total. Based on its opening-day numbers, "The Passion" should easily surpass that.

"The Passion" fell far short of the single-day record of $43.6 million held by "Spider-Man," but it did rank as the fifth-best Wednesday debut ever, behind "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" ($34.5 million), "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" ($28.5 million), "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" ($26.2 million) and "The Matrix Revolutions" ($24.3 million).

Gibson's film already has passed the receipts of other modern religious films over their entire runs, among them "The Last Temptation of Christ" ($8.4 million), "The Omega Code" ($12.5 million) and "Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie" ($25.6 million).

The film, starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus, is a bloody depiction of Christ's final hours and crucifixion.

The movie's box-office prospects benefited from months of debate as Gibson built support by screening it for church groups and excluding potential critics, while some Christian and Jewish leaders complained that it could fuel anti-Semitism by implying Jews were collectively responsible for Christ's death.

Early on, "The Passion" looked like it might follow the pattern of other Christian movies, playing to a small core audience. The furor over the film, along with Gibson's outreach efforts to Christians, created the sort of audience frenzy usually reserved for big summer action franchises.

"On paper this movie does not look like a blockbuster. If you took this into a pitch meeting at a studio, they would go, `What, are you crazy?'" said Paul Dergarabedian, Exhibitor Relations president. "But it became this cultural phenomenon. This fervor was created that led to this enormous blockbuster-style opening day."

"The Passion" opened on 4,643 screens in 3,006 theaters.

Gibson put up the film's $25 million budget out of his own pocket. After theater owners take their cut, about half of the box office take will come back to Gibson, who then pays Newmarket a percentage fee for distribution.
'Brady Bunch' Mom Whips Up Older Fans in Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Hollywood Reporter) - In a new stage show called "Florida Follies," quintessential TV mom Florence Henderson pours herself into a tight black vinyl miniskirt and bustier -- with whip to match -- for a knowing parody of the all-American housewife.

If indeed Carol Brady had a naughty side, it might look a lot like this saucy, vaudeville-style revue, bankrolled by a group of longtime New York-based theatrical producers. The show, which settled in at the Parker Playhouse last month for a winter run, is a throwback to the old days of variety, when dancing dogs, borscht belt comics, long-legged showgirls and ventriloquists were staples in casinos and big hotels and on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

The cost of turning Mrs. Brady into a whip-cracking dominatrix and all the other original costumes, sets and choreography was $1.5 million. It's an investment the show's producers say will pay off over several seasons here.

"We believe that what audiences want is pure entertainment," said producer Martin Markinson, owner of the Helen Hayes Theater in New York and operator of the Parker Playhouse. "They don't necessarily need a musical with a book."

Markinson, who also runs the Wadsworth Theater in Los Angeles, has produced Tony winners like "Torch Song Trilogy" and said "Follies" is not Broadway bound. In fact, it will likely never tour at all.

"It's a destination show," he said, adding that it is the audience who will bear the cost of the travel to see this production, just as it has for all manner of variety shows in Branson, Mo., and more recently for long-standing concerts in Las Vegas starring Celine Dion and Elton John.

The skyrocketing costs of touring Broadway shows and midsize theatrical productions have left many theaters like the Parker Playhouse dark for weeks at a time in recent years. That's why destination shows like this one -- which require a relatively modest capital investment and only slight refreshing each season -- look to be the way of the future, particularly in markets with lots of tourists and retirees.

"We didn't expect to make money this year, but we've really done what we intended to do," said executive producer Ken Greengrass, who initiated the project. "We've established the 'Florida Follies' as something to see here."

Henderson, a TV icon who -- refreshingly -- never tires of "The Brady Bunch" afterlife, said she was happy to take part in this experiment, primarily because "it was something different."

"For me, I think the best thing is always just around the corner," she said backstage between shows last week. "I really like working. I think I'll retire when I'm 95."

Modeled, particularly in an economic sense, on the long-running "Palm Springs Follies" in California, "Florida Follies" also features a cast of "retired" showgirls (no one under 55 need apply), all veterans of Las Vegas, the Lido, Broadway and so on.

"It's really a celebration of life and energy," said Henderson, who had just completed a run with "Singular Sensations" in New York before joining this cast. "We don't make fun of age. We embrace it. We don't put anyone down. There's very little talk of it."

That the "Follies" performers all look fairly incredible for their ages (or any age) is among the reasons the show is a hit, she said. "I receive mail from people who say: 'This has inspired me so. I'm coming back next week with my mother,"' she said.

In a career spanning five decades -- from an early stint on "Today" to "Later Today" and those indelible commercials for Wesson Oil and Polident -- Henderson is now the host of the Lifetime informational series "Speaking of Women's Health." Still vivacious and quite youthful, she said she works out just about every day and watches what she eats. That there is additional, long-range gold for the "Follies" producers to mine in the cross-promotion of numerous stay-fit, stay-young health products is not lost on her or any of the participants in this show.

"This show will be an annuity for my investors," said Ellen M. Krass, a producing partner. "We are definitely bringing it back next year." A deal to air it on PBS also is in the works.

For her part, Henderson (who also hopes to be back next year) said she doesn't mind at all that much of the allure rests on a raunchy sendup of her sainted TV character.

"'The Brady Bunch' is part of the fabric of my career," she said. "It certainly isn't all of my career. I had one before, and I've done so many things after. But to grow, you have to accept your past. You have to learn to love it. There's always another generation (of TV viewers) coming up. It just seems to mean so much to people. So this has been lots of fun."

February 27, 2004

(2) Tennessee 93, Arkansas 71

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- If second-ranked Tennessee can play with a short bench the way it did Thursday night, it should do well in the NCAA tournament.

Injuries depleted the Lady Volunteers to eight healthy players, but five of them scored in double figures in an easy 93-71 victory at Arkansas. Tasha Butts led the way with 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Shyra Ely added 17 points.

``I was more tired in the first half than I was in the second half,'' said Ely, who played a team-high 33 minutes. ``I got my second wind after halftime. That first half, I was winded. I think everybody was.''

Tennessee (24-2, 13-0 Southeastern Conference) was tired because it scored the second-most first-half points of the season while taking a 47-21 lead. The Lady Volunteers made nine of 14 shots to open the game and their first five 3-pointers, burying Arkansas (16-10, 5-8) before it ever had a chance to get in the game.

``I just thought they could have turned around and thrown it up backwards and it would have went in,'' said Shameka Christon, who led Arkansas with 25 points. ``They're a great team and you can't just focus on one player.''

Sidney Spencer added 13 points for Tennessee, Ashley Robinson had 12 and LaToya Davis 11. Ely, Robinson and some easy layups by Butts led the way for 40 points in the paint for the Lady Volunteers, who opened up the 3-point shooting.

``I think we shoot the ball a lot better from the 3 when we go inside,'' Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. ``You go inside and it opens up the outside. (Arkansas) was looking to help on the post defense, which opened up the outside game.''

Although Tennessee won the regular-season title Sunday at Mississippi, the Lady Vols didn't falter against the Razorbacks. They never allowed Arkansas within 20 points after halftime.

Tennessee beat Arkansas by a combined 61 points this season, falling a little short of its 39-point victory (83-44) in Knoxville on Jan. 8.

A quick start helped Tennessee reverse a recent trend of trailing at halftime of its past three victories. The Lady Volunteers came out hot, building a 10-point lead seven minutes into the game, and they led 39-18 after Spencer hit a 3-pointer with 4:52 left in the half.

``I thought we played well in the first half because of our defense,'' Summitt said. ``I thought our defense got us going. We got some transition looks and we just played together.''

Spencer entered the game with just four 3-pointers in 23 attempts, but hit her first three shots from long range and was one of three Tennessee players with 11 points at halftime.

The Lady Volunteers shot 51.7 percent in the half, making their first five 3-pointers. Both Butts and Spencer made three of four 3-pointers in the half. Tennessee maintained the hot shooting in the second half, finishing at 58.2 percent (32 of 55).

Meanwhile, Arkansas had problems. Christon scored the Razorbacks' first 10 points, but made four of 13 shots and the rest of the team was 3-of-20 in the first half.

Christon will leave school ranked in the top 10 in five categories, including second in scoring with 1,898 through Thursday night.

Arkansas shot 31.9 percent (23 of 72) for the game, including just nine of 32 on 3-pointers.

Shanna Harmon added 14 points for Arkansas.

February 26, 2004

Lady Vols visit Lady Razorbacks, look to stay unbeaten in SEC play

(2) Tennessee (23-2) vs. Arkansas (16-9)
Game Info: 8:00 pm EST Thu Feb 26, 2004

Tennessee's unbeaten Southeastern Conference record appears to be safe -- at least for now.

Looking to inch closer to their second straight undefeated season in conference play, the second-ranked Lady Vols (23-2, 12-0) visit Arkansas (16-9, 5-7) at the Bud Walton Arena on Thursday.

Tennessee, which hosts No. 15 LSU next to wrap up its regular season, has won eight straight over Arkansas and leads the all-time series 13-1. That lone defeat came in a 77-75 road loss on Dec. 29, 1996.

The Lady Vols have outscored the Lady Razorbacks by an average of 23 points in the series, including an 83-44 home win on Jan. 8. Tennessee held the Lady Razorbacks to 25 percent shooting in that game.

The Lady Vols need just two more wins to go undefeated in the SEC for the second consecutive season and 12th time overall.

Tennessee clinched its 13th regular-season SEC title, including seventh straight, with Sunday's 85-69 win at Mississippi.

The Lady Vols have won 32 consecutive regular-season conference games, dating to a loss at Vanderbilt on Feb. 2, 2002.

``It's been a priority to go in and compete at the top of this league,'' Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. ``Our players take a lot of pride about how they compete within our conference.''

Shyra Ely has been one of those players, leading the Lady Vols in scoring (14.4) and rebounding (8.2). She recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday. The junior averaged 9.8 points last season.

``She's obviously stepped up big for us in a lot of games and been one of our most consistent players,'' Summitt said. ``When she doesn't play well, I'll tell you we're not as good a basketball team.''

Ely has shot 59 percent while averaging 13 points in three career games against Arkansas.

February 25, 2004

Tennessee's Jackson could be ready for SEC tourney
February 25, 2004

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee guard Brittany Jackson will miss the last two games of the regular season because of an injured knee but could be ready for the Southeastern Conference tournament.

The junior sprained a ligament in her left knee during practice Feb. 18 and missed the last two games.

The No. 2 Lady Vols (23-2) clinched their seventh straight SEC regular-season championship last weekend. Tennessee plays Thursday at Arkansas and at home Sunday against LSU.

Coach Pat Summitt was optimistic Wednesday that Jackson could play in the league tournament, which begins March 4 in Nashville.

Jackson participated in shooting drills Monday. Tennessee does not practice Tuesdays.

``She looked very good, ahead of schedule,'' Summitt said. ``That could be a very positive sign for the potential for her to get back with us. Obviously, the earliest possible would be the SECs, but we don't want to rush anything.''

Jackson started eight games this season and was inserted in the lineup last month after point guard Loree Moore tore a knee ligament. An accurate 3-point shooter, Jackson is averaging 8.7 points."

February 24, 2004

Spacewalk to Leave Space Station Empty

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The two-man crew of the international space station go outside the craft at the same time this week, despite earlier concerns that the exercise was 'a risk not worth taking,' The Washington Post reported on Monday.

The Post cited NASA documents obtained by the newspaper.

Ground controllers are to fly the empty space station, while British-born NASA astronaut Michael Foale and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri conduct the spacewalk, leaving no one inside to monitor systems directly or assist in a crisis, the newspaper said.

According to the Post, the Russians have made about 50 such spacewalks, but this would mark the first for the U.S.-led space station.

February 23, 2004

Karl Malden Given Life Achievement SAG

LOS ANGELES - Seven decades after he left a steady income in the steel mills of Gary, Ind., to try acting, Karl Malden was honored by his colleagues Sunday for a lifetime of memorable roles in film and television.

The Oscar- and Emmy-winning actor was given the Screen Actors Guild's life achievement award, presented annually since 1964 to an actor who upholds the ideals of the profession.

"To the wonderful Screen Actors Guild, for all the actors and actresses in our country and to this moment for everybody here, let me say I'm thankful for this moment in my career," said Malden, who turns 92 in March. "And if I may say so, I'm thankful to you, this life of mine, this is the peak for me."

In the 1930s, Malden could only put $300 toward the $900 tuition at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, where the director encouraged him to attend for three months and, if he didn't belong, he'd be told. He proved himself and earned a full scholarship for three years.

Malden won a supporting actor Oscar in 1951 for "A Streetcar Named Desire," appearing opposite Marlon Brando. He received an Emmy in 1985 for the miniseries "Fatal Vision."

The SAG award was presented by Michael Douglas, Malden's co-star in the 1970s detective series "The Streets of San Francisco." Douglas received his own career achievement award at the recent Golden Globes, and Malden was there to support him.

"Karl, we had a lot of fun," said Douglas, who kissed and embraced Malden as he took the stage to a standing ovation.

Born Mladen George Sekulovich to Serbian immigrants, Malden went to the New York stage in 1937 and made his film debut in 1940.

Some of his most memorable movie roles include "On the Waterfront" with Brando, "Birdman of Alcatraz" opposite Burt Lancaster; "I Confess" with Montgomery Clift; "How the West Was Won"; and "The Cincinnati Kid."

He is also well known to a younger generation for his 1970s American Express traveler's check commercials in which he cautioned viewers, "Don't leave home without them."

"Thank you, Karl. We never left home without it," Douglas said.

Malden served on the SAG board of directors from 1963-72.
No. 3 Tennessee 85, Mississippi 69
February 22, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) -- A defensive switch made all the difference for No. 3 Tennessee.

Shyra Ely and Shanna Zolman each scored 21 points and led a decisive second-half run that gave No. 3 Tennessee an 85-69 victory over Mississippi on Sunday.

The Lady Vols (23-2, 12-0 SEC), unbeaten on the road (12-0), trailed for most of the first 28 minutes.

Freshman Arminitie Price scored 32 points on 14-of-17 shooting for the Lady Rebels (15-11, 6-6), who led by as many as 12 points in the first half. Then Tennessee came out of its man-to-man defense, going to a zone that stymied the Lady Rebels.

``We could not guard them in our man-to-man defense and that's our bread-and-butter defense,'' Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. ``Tonight, we had to go to plan B and I thought we matched up well in our zone. We covered shooters and penetration and we also rebounded well out of it. We hit our free throws and had a lot better composure (in the second half).''

The zone kept Price from getting to the basket.

``I wasn't working as hard against the zone in the second half and I have to step my game in the future. I think we'll learn from this and get better,'' Price said.

The Rebels have lost three straight, all to ranked opponents, and seven in a row to Tennessee. The Lady Rebels last beat Tennessee in 1996.

``We had an aggressive mind-set in the pregame and in the first half, but somehow we lost that,'' Ole Miss coach Carol Ross said. ``We were prepared for (the zone), but we simply quit attacking. It was a good change for Coach Summitt to make when she saw that.''

Price made a jumper with six minutes left in the first half to give Ole Miss a 33-21 lead. Ole Miss was up by six at halftime and led 50-46 when Price made two free throws with 13:36 left.

Then Tennessee took over.

A jumper by Ely started the Lady Vols on a 25-6 run. Zolman broke a 50-50 tie and put Tennessee ahead to stay when she scored on a layup and was fouled by Carletta Brown with 11:39 left. Zolman made the free throw to put the Lady Vols up 53-50.

Zolman hit a 3-pointer to make it 58-52 and Shyra's jumper with 5:13 left capped the run and made it 75-56.

Zolman scored 17 points in the second half.

``I played absolutely pathetic in the first half. I didn't make my reads and forced the ball, and that carries over to the rest of the team,'' said Zolman, who had three turnovers in the first half, but none in the final 20 minutes. ``We finally got ourselves out of that rut and we started playing better defense and that carried over to our offense.''

Ely and Zolman combined to shoot 17-for-30 for the game, while the rest of the Lady Vols were 14-for-40. Tennessee was 18-for-19 from the free throw line.

Tasha Butts and Sidney Spencer each scored 13 points for Tennessee.

February 22, 2004

Tennessee looks to wrap up SEC title against Mississippi
(3) Tennessee (22-2) vs. Mississippi (15-10)
Game Info: 3:00 pm EST Sun Feb 22, 2004

Tennessee has already clinched at least a share of its seventh straight Southeastern Conference regular-season championship. This title, however, hasn't come quite as easily as some of the others.

The third-ranked Lady Vols look to claim the conference crown outright as they visit SEC rival Mississippi on Sunday.

Tennessee (22-2, 11-0) beat Florida 88-79 on Thursday for its 31st straight regular-season SEC win and 53rd consecutive conference win at home. The win, along with LSU's loss to Vanderbilt, put Tennessee three games ahead of the Lady Tigers with three games remaining for both teams.

But Tennessee trailed the Gators by as many as nine points and needed a 14-0 second-half run to pull out the win.

``We are used to it,'' said Tasha Butts, who scored 18 points. ``It is sad to say, but the whole season we have been playing in a lot of close games. That's just the type of team we have this year. We have to learn to put people away.''

The Lady Vols have overcome deficits of 14 points at Georgia, six at Vanderbilt, and needed overtime to get past Auburn en route to their perfect conference mark.

Coach Pat Summitt said that the tight games have forced her do more yelling from the sidelines.

``I have to work hard every possession. There's no question I've been more vocal,'' she said. ``It's not that I didn't feel that in other games. But when you're up 25, you're not worried so much about we've got to score this next possession or we have to have a defensive stop.''

Shanna Zolman scored 23 points against the Gators, and Shyra Ely added 18 for Tennessee, which was without guard Brittany Jackson. Jackson, who sprained a ligament in her left knee, will miss two-to-three weeks.

The Lady Vols have already lost point guard Loree Moore for the rest of the season after she tore a left knee ligament last month.

``This league does not have a whole lot of blowouts,'' Summitt said. ``Having to go to Ole Miss and Arkansas and having to play LSU without having two players that give us a lot more freedom will be difficult.''

The Lady Rebels (15-10, 6-5) are coming off last Sunday's 79-62 loss to No. 18 Georgia, their second straight defeat and third in six games.

Amber Terrell had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Carletta Brown added 10 points for Mississippi. Armintie Price, who leads the Lady Rebels with 14.5 points per game, was held to nine.

Tennessee leads the all-time series 26-7, and has won 18 of the last 20 meetings.

February 21, 2004

Six shows to fill out B'Way/L.A. sked
by PHIL GALLO (Variety)

Broadway/L.A. will add six musical productions to the already announced 'Movin' Out' for its 2004-05 season.

For its 11th season, Broadway/L.A. will present 'Miss Saigon'; 'Peter Pan,' starring Cathy Rigby; 'Les Miserables'; 'Oklahoma!'; 'Evita'; and 'The King and I,' starring Stefanie Powers.

It is the first time in several years that Broadway/L.A. will stage its entire season at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.

"Miss Saigon" will run June 16-27. Rigby's final tour in "Peter Pan" will take flight Nov. 9-21. The up-to-date adaptation of Cameron Mackintosh's presentation of "Oklahoma!" will play Jan. 18-30. "Evita" will command the theater Feb. 15-27, 2005. "The King and I" has an April 5-17, 2005 dance card.

February 20, 2004

Vulcan Women's Basketball

Cal U basketball programs continue to get national recognition

The California University basketball teams continue to receive national recognition in the polls as the Vulcan women stay atop the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA coaches’ poll and the Vulcan men moved up to the 21st spot in the NABC/Division II Bulletin coaches’ national rankings.

The Cal U women, 24-0 overall and 9-0 in the PSAC-West have been at the number one position in the country since January as they wrap-up the regular season and prepare for the playoffs.

Cal will travel to Shippensburg this weekend, play at Slippery Rock next Wednesday and then finish regular play on Saturday, February 28 when they host Edinboro.

The women are assured of a first round play in game in the PSAC championships on March 2 and with a win in that game will host the conference championships they following weekend (March 5 and 6).
The winner of the conference championship gets an automatic bid to the NCAA East regional playoffs with the winner of the regional getting a bid to the Division II Elite Eight national tournament. (The women’s state championships will be played at the highest remaining seed in the PSAC-West this season.)

The Vulcans remain in the top spot in the lastest East Regional rankings, and have been there for the past three weeks. They are a favorite to host the regional tournament the second full week in March.

Coach Vincent’s Vulcans have a 48-game home winning streak and have won 46 consecutive games against conference opponents. Under Coach Vincent the Vulcans have a 101-18 record with consecutive PSAC-West and PSAC state championship titles.

Last season the Vulcans won the East Regional and played in the national semifinal game at the Elite Eight tournament in St. Joseph’s, Missouri, the site of this year’s tournament as well.

The Vulcan men moved up two spots in the national rankings to twenty-first in the country. The Cal men’s team is 19-5 overall and 8-1 in PSAC-West play and tied with Edinboro for the top spot in the division.

The men also play at Shipp this weekend and then play at Slippery Rock next Wednesday before hosting Edinboro in the regular season finale at Hamer Gym on Feb. 28.

The Vulcan men are also hoping to host a play in game on March 2 before heading to the highest remaining seed in the PSAC-East for the men’s state championship. Cheyney and Mansfield and the top teams in the east.

The Vulcan men are also undefeated at home this season (13-0) and were ranked third in the East Region this week behind Pfeiffer University (NC) and WV State. Pfeiffer is currently fourth in the national poll and look like the best bet to host the men’s regional tournament in mid-March.

The Vulcans played in last season’s conference championship game and also participated in the NCAA regional tournament hosted by Queen’s College in North Carolina.

February 19, 2004

No. 3 Tennessee 88, Florida 79

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- This season, Tennessee isn't the kind of team that bursts through the Southeastern Conference winning by 20 or 30 points.

The results are still the same, however, even when the games are tougher.

The third-ranked Lady Vols pulled out another close game Thursday night against Florida to extend their regular-season SEC winning streak to 31.

Shanna Zolman scored 23 points and Shyra Ely and Tasha Butts added 18 apiece, and a 14-0 run in the second half helped Tennessee hold off Florida 88-79.

The Lady Vols (22-2, 11-0) have had an overtime victory over Auburn and overcome deficits of 14 at Georgia and six at Vanderbilt to keep their streak alive. They had beaten Florida by an average of 21 points in the previous 33 meetings.

Tennessee coach Pat Summitt laughed when assistant Holly Warlick recently suggested the team needed a blowout to get on track.

``It's not going to happen,'' Summitt said. ``That's just the nature of the business right now. We're coaching a team that executes when they have to and finds a way to win.''

The Gators (16-8, 6-5) led for most of the first half and the beginning of the second before Tennessee's big run.

Vanessa Hayden led Florida with 19 points, and Tashia Morehead and Sarah Lowe added 18 apiece.

Florida led by three points at halftime and was ahead 41-37 shortly after the break. Then, Tennessee went on its decisive spurt.

The Gators cut the deficit to one point twice afterward and got as close as 76-74 with 2:41 remaining. The Lady Vols pulled away after Butts got a steal and scored a layup, and they were 10-of-10 from the free throw line in the final 1:39.

Tye'sha Fluker added 10 points for Tennessee, which posted its 53rd straight SEC home win despite being outrebounded 39-34.

The Lady Vols have had a series of close calls since losing point guard Loree Moore last month for the season with a torn left knee ligament. Tennessee also was playing without Brittany Jackson, who was helping fill in for Moore. Jackson sprained a ligament in her left knee in practice on Wednesday.

The missing players didn't change the strategy of Florida coach Carolyn Peck, a former assistant to Summitt.

``We did everything we wanted to do,'' Peck said. ``I'm proud of this team. They didn't back down. That's the fun part of battling in the SEC.''

The one thing Peck didn't like was the disparity at the foul line. Tennessee was 32-of-38 while the Gators were 18-of-23.

Hayden played only seven minutes of the second half because of fouls, and Peck declined to talk much about the officiating.

``Not without getting in trouble,'' she said. ``It was a physical game. I continued to plead (with the officials) to let the kids play.''

At times, Florida dominated inside with Hayden and Morehead while Tennessee's offense was sluggish.

The Gators led by as many as nine points in the first half and were ahead at the beginning of the second until the big run put the Lady Vols ahead for the first time since 4:39 remained in the first half.

Both Butts and Zolman hit 3-pointers in the spurt, and Ashley Robinson capped it by making two free throws that put Tennessee ahead 51-41 with 14:18 to go.

The Lady Vols had an easier time keeping Florida at bay with Hayden sitting on the bench. She scored 13 points in the first half but picked up her second and third fouls in the first minute after the break.

``That was vital for us,'' Ely said about Hayden's fouls. ``She was getting a lot of touches.''

Even with the Gators' inside scorer off the court, Tennessee couldn't pull away for long. Florida rallied from its scoreless stretch and chipped the Lady Vols' lead down to a point after Morehead drove the baseline and scored.

Morehead was fouled on the play and fell hard on Tennessee's Courtney McDaniel under the basket. Tishona Gregory replaced Morehead at the foul line and completed the three-point play that cut it to 56-55.

Afterward, Zolman hit a 3 and Sidney Spencer had a putback, but the Gators weren't finished.

Lowe and Bernice Mosby, who had 11 points, hit back-to-back 3s for Florida that trimmed it to a point again with 9:38 left.

The Lady Vols put together a 9-0 run late in the first half to briefly take the lead at 21-19, but Florida regained the advantage and pushed it to five points with 25 seconds left before halftime.

---

LSU coach Gunter out for season for medical reasons

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- LSU women's basketball coach Sue Gunter will miss the rest of the games because of lung problems and acute bronchitis.

Gunter will continue to participate in film sessions and practices at her own discretion for the 15th-ranked Lady Tigers.

``How she feels varies from day to day, which is typical of this condition,'' said her physician, Dr. James Osterberger.

Gunter is not expected to be on the bench for the post season either, athletic director Skip Bertman said Thursday night, when Vanderbilt upset the Lady Tigers 61-55.

``It's serious in the sense it's an upper respiratory infection,'' Bertman said. ``It's not a heart problem or cancer as many people have speculated.''

Gunter was not getting the oxygen she needed, especially when she got excited, Bertman said. So, although she will continue with her other work, she will remain away from games.

``She's still working, she's just not on the bench,'' Bertman said.

Longtime assistant coach Dana ``Pokey'' Chatman will serve as acting head coach in Gunter's absence.

``I think it's the best thing for her,'' guard Temeka Johnson said. ``Of course we would love to have Coach Gunter on the bench, but she's with us regardless.''

The players, who have now played 10 games without Gunter, said they have confidence in the assistant coaches and felt Gunter should take the time needed to recover.

``We want whatever's best for Coach and if Coach needs to sit out then that's what she needs to do,'' guard Seimone Augustus said. ``We want to see her at 100 percent. We don't want her to rush back if she doesn't need to be back.''

February 18, 2004

Pujols, Cardinals agree on $100 million, seven-year deal

Returning to his roots, Maddux signs with Cubs

White re-signs with Fever as she continues rehab

No. 15 Wake Forest 90, No. 3 Duke 84

February 17, 2004

Kirk Douglas Says Oscar Nod Is Enough

LOS ANGELES - Kirk Douglas says actors should take great satisfaction in just being nominated for an Academy Award and not worry so much about winning.

'The first place gets an Oscar. The four others are declared losers,' Douglas wrote in a column Monday in the Los Angeles Times. 'Why? To be voted one of five in any category should make you a winner.'

Douglas, 87, has appeared in 86 films and was nominated for Oscars in 1949 for 'Champion,' 1952 for 'The Bad and the Beautiful,' and 1956 for 'Lust for Life.' He was edged out every time.

After the 1956 Academy Awards, his family sent him an Oscar replica with the inscription 'To Our Daddy, You Rate an Oscar with Us Always.'

Douglas was given a lifetime achievement Oscar in 1996.

'So, I say to all the nominees in every category: Whatever happens, you are all winners,' he wrote. 'Keep that in mind as you sit in the audience with a weak smile, applauding someone else who has won your Oscar.' "

February 16, 2004

Top Ten suggestions to recast "The Andy Griffith Show," using your favorite stars from the world of college hoops:

1. Roy Williams as Andy Griffith. He's filled the shoes of Dean Smith. He can fill the shoes of the sheriff who doesn't carry a gun.

2. Dick Vitale as Barney Fife. Next time Vitale speaks, we'd love to see him nip it in the bud.

3. John Pelphrey as Opie Taylor. The South Alabama coach has the hair and comes from one of basketball's most historic family trees (see Rick Pitino).

4. Rick Majerus as Otis Campbell. In our PC version, Otis is stone-cold sober. But he can put away a pecan pie or two.

5. Sonny Smith and Wimp Sanderson as the Fun Girls. In our 21st century sequel, they're traveling salesmen who regale us with tales from Roan Mountain to Mayberry.

6. Bob Knight as Ernest T. Bass. ÃŽuff said.

7. Billy Packer as Floyd the Barber. He can give you a shave and a haircut in the time it takes him to tell you how great the ACC is.

8. Rick Stansbury as Gomer Pyle. He leads unsung Mayberry High to the state title before getting his own spinoff show.

9. Pat Summitt as Helen Crump. The only one capable of matching ol' Andy quip for quip and X for O.

10. Cliff Ellis as Briscoe Darling. He shuns bluegrass for beach music now, teaming with Andy for a terrific duet on "Under the Boardwalk."
NASA's Spirit Rover Examines Unusual Rock

LOS ANGELES - NASA's Spirit rover stopped to examine an unusual, flaky rock on the surface of Mars Sunday as scientists prepared to send it on a trek that would more than double its one-day distance record.

The Mars Explorer team hopes the rover will travel about 82 feet Monday morning and make the same distance again during the afternoon. Spirit's longest previous trek was 70 feet in a day, the record for any robot on the Martian surface.

Before setting out on Monday's trek, Spirit is examining the flaky rock, dubbed 'Mimi.'

Mission manager Jim Erickson said scientists would like to know why Mimi is flaky but its neighboring rocks are not. He said flakiness may indicate layering, an indication that a rock was formed over time instead of all at once, as might be the case with rock produced by a volcanic eruption.

Examining a rock's layers can give scientists hints about the geologic history of the region where it was found.

Mimi is just one stop along the way as Spirit moves toward a crater called 'Bonneville,' about 800 feet from its landing place. It is expected to take about 18 days to get there, Erickson said.

On the other side of the planet, the twin rover Opportunity was in position to dig a trench Monday in "Hematite Slope," an area named for an iron-bearing mineral that typically forms in water.

The trench would allow scientists to study soil beneath the surface. Opportunity concentrated on examining the surface soil at the spot Sunday for comparison.

"Anytime you get anything other than a homogenous structure it's always interesting to the geologists," Erickson said. "It tells you that the area's been active and things have changed over time."

February 15, 2004

No. 3 Tennessee 94, Vanderbilt 88

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Pat Summitt has seen almost everything in her 30 years at Tennessee.

Senior guard Tasha Butts still found a way to surprise her.

Butts was averaging just 7.8 points per game, but she scored a career-high 37 points with a nearly perfect performance, and No. 3 Tennessee extended its Southeastern Conference winning streak to 30 straight by beating Vanderbilt 94-88 Sunday.

Summitt had no idea that Butts scored so many points.

``I know this: She really stepped up big for us in all aspects of the game. ... She was determined to get to the hole, and she played off the dribble. She got shots off the pass and created for herself,'' Summitt said.

Tennessee (21-2, 10-0) needed Butts because Vanderbilt, the last SEC opponent to beat the Lady Vols when they routed them 76-59 on Feb. 2, 2002, shut down senior center Ashley Robinson, and guard Shanna Zolman struggled again.

Robinson had just two points and three rebounds before fouling out. Zolman had five points, seven below her average.

The Commodores (16-7, 4-6) looked like they might rout their instate rival yet again as they built an 11-point lead in the first half and led at halftime, which hadn't happened to the Lady Vols in SEC play this season.

``Butts took over,'' Summitt said.

The senior, whose previous career best was 19 points last month against TCU, finished 12-of-15 from the floor, a perfect 6-of-6 from 3-point range and 7-of-8 at the free throw line. Butts also had a team-high nine rebounds and seven assists.

Shyra Ely added 16 points for Tennessee, followed by Brittany Jackson who had 14 off the bench and LaToya Davis with 10.

``After I hit probably my third or fourth 3, I felt like I was in a zone,'' Butts said. ``And Shyra did a good job of telling me I was in a zone every time I ran down the court. I told the team the last 3 I hit, I didn't see (the rim).''

No. 3 Tennessee looks to limit turnovers against Vanderbilt

(3) Tennessee (20-2) vs. Vanderbilt (16-6)
Game Info: 5:00 pm EST Sun Feb 15, 2004

Although Tennessee continues to win, coach Pat Summitt would like to see her team take better care of the ball.

Summitt hopes the third-ranked Lady Volunteers can solve their recent turnover problems and stay undefeated in Southeastern Conference play when they visit Vanderbilt at Memorial Gym on Sunday.

Tennessee (20-2, 9-0) beat No. 19 Georgia 70-67 on Thursday, but the Lady Volunteers committed 28 turnovers in the game. Tennessee had 18 turnovers in a 72-58 win over South Carolina on Sunday.

``Tennessee just doesn't play that way,'' Summitt said. "

February 14, 2004

Marlo Thomas Wields Gavel on 'SVU'

Marlo Thomas has signed on to do a five-episode arc on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

Thomas will portray a judge who is known for speaking her mind and serves as a mentor to the show's assistant district attorney, played by Diane Neal. The first of Thomas' five episodes is scheduled to air next week in the drama series' regular Tuesday 10 p.m. slot.

February 12, 2004

No. 3 Tennessee 70, No. 19 Georgia 67

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Tennessee center Ashley Robinson looked at the halftime stat sheet and was incredulous. Georgia made only 20 percent of its shots before the break, yet only trailed by 12 points.

``I couldn't believe it,'' Robinson said with a shake of her head. ``And they were still in the game.''

Robinson and reserve Brittany Jackson each scored 15 points, helping No. 3 Tennessee hold off No. 19 Georgia 70-67 Thursday night.

Janese Hardrick missed a tough layup in traffic in the final seconds that could have won it for the Lady Bulldogs, who lost to Tennessee for the 10th time in 11 games. Jackson made two free throws with less than a second left to seal it.

``I take full responsibility for missing that layup,'' Hardrick said.

Tasha Butts finished with 10 points for the Lady Vols (20-2, 8-0 Southeastern Conference), who never trailed in winning their 29th straight conference game. They reached 20 wins for the 19th straight year under coach Pat Summitt.

``I look at what this team has done in the league, and it's about having players, it's about having warriors,'' Summitt said. ``They will just gut it out.''
Lady Vols visit Bulldogs in matchup of SEC powerhouses

(3) Tennessee (19-2) vs. (19) Georgia (16-6)
Game Info: 7:00 pm EST Thu Feb 12, 2004

Tennessee will try to make it 29 straight victories over Southeastern Conference opponents as it visits No. 19 Georgia at the Stegeman Coliseum on Thursday.

The matchup features the two winningest programs in SEC history. The third-ranked Lady Vols (19-2, 8-0) have 208 conference victories, while the Lady Bulldogs (16-6, 5-4) are next at 166.

The teams have also combined for 19 regular-season titles, with Tennessee winning 12, including the last six in a row.

Tennessee, the only unbeaten team in SEC play this season, is trying to go undefeated in the conference for the seventh time in the program's history.

The Lady Vols are coming off Sunday's 72-58 home victory over South Carolina, bouncing back from an 81-67 defeat to No. 2 Connecticut last Thursday.


February 10, 2004

Veteran Actor Karl Malden Made Best of What He Had

Looking back on a screen acting career spanning six decades, the bulbous-nosed Karl Malden says he always was keenly aware that he lacked the looks of a leading man.

To him, the key to success was digging a little deeper to bring his characters to life -- from the lonely suitor of Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire" to General Omar Bradley in "Patton" and the television detective Mike Stone on "The Streets of San Francisco."

At 91 and still sharp, Malden says he's "very happy" at having built a prestigious career as a supporting or featured player.

"There were times when certain leads would come along, and I'd say, 'Gee, I could do that,"' Malden recalled in a recent interview. "But you know, you've got to have a great nose. You've got to have great eyes. Everything that an actor has to have to be that leading man, I don't have. So I made the best with what I had."

He did, appearing in about 50 pictures since his 1940 big-screen debut in "They Knew What They Wanted" starring Carole Lombard and Charles Laughton. While he often played coarse, gruff characters, he also was noted for imbuing many of his roles with an understated, natural dignity.

The Screen Actors Guild, which represents some 118,000 film and television performers in the United States, will present Malden with its highest honor, the Life Achievement Award, at its 10th annual awards this month.

It is the latest in a long line of accolades stretching back to the early film career of the Indiana-born actor, who broke his nose twice playing high school football and worked in steel mills before attending drama school in Chicago.

Malden won an Academy Award for his 1951 portrayal of the lovelorn Mitch in Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," a role he created on Broadway, and earned a second Oscar nomination as the crusading priest Father Barry in "On the Waterfront."

Both films were directed by Elia Kazan and starred Marlon Brando, with whom Malden stays in touch and calls "the most brilliant actor I've worked with."

He also won acclaim for such roles as the brow-beaten older husband of a child bride in the controversial film "Baby Doll," shifty-eyed miner Frenchy Plante in the frontier drama "The Hanging Tree," Rosalind Russell's agent-lover in "Gypsy," a frustrated thief in "Hotel" and his supporting role as Omar Bradley opposite George C. Scott in "Patton."

TV ROLE

Malden became a prime-time TV fixture and earned two Emmy nominations as the trench-coated police detective Mike Stone on the 1970s drama "The Streets of San Francisco," co-starring Michael Douglas as his young partner.

For each role he inhabited, Malden said he always started by trying to find out who the character was and what made him tick, so that he could give an honest, believable portrayal.

"Now I've got to find something to make him exciting," he added. "That's the big step -- how I can make him exciting and still make him honest? Honesty (by itself) is OK, but it's dull."

He approached his role on "The Streets of San Francisco" differently, deciding that the best way to portray Mike Stone was to basically play Karl Malden.

"So first I had to figure out who the heck am I? It took me really, like six months or the first year, to just try to play myself," he said. "It wasn't easy because I was always trying to hide behind something. And in this I was...I was myself as much as I could be."

The same trustful but street-wise persona helped make him a commercial icon as the television pitchman for American Express travelers' checks, admonishing tourists, "Don't leave home without them."

Malden said he originally tried the now-famous line with a warm, inviting tone, turning on all the "the Karl Malden charm" he could muster. But what finally worked best, at the director's suggestion, was to just "scare the hell out of 'em," delivering the line as a stern warning.

Besides his emphasis on honesty as an approach to acting, Malden joked that good grooming was important to him as a supporting player.

"Being the kind of actor I was, I must admit it was over my shoulder a lot," he said of the way he was typically framed in a camera shot. "So I always made sure I had a good haircut."

February 09, 2004

Mars Rover Examines Bedrock for Water

LOS ANGELES - NASA's Opportunity rover took microscopic images Sunday of a bedrock outcropping on the surface of Mars that scientists hope will answer questions about whether the rock could have formed in water.

The images will help scientists understand what the environment was like when the rock was formed, said Jim Erickson, deputy mission manager.

Opportunity's camera spotted the outcropping, which is about 50 feet long and a foot high, within days of its Jan. 24 landing. It is the first bedrock outcropping seen on any Mars mission.

The microscopic images and other tests could shed light on whether water — a key ingredient for life — ever flowed freely on Mars. NASA planned to use an instrument Monday to determine the rock's chemical makeup.

Also Sunday, scientists were studying data that the Spirit rover had gathered Saturday by drilling a small hole into the sharply angled rock dubbed Adirondack.

It was the first rock to be drilled by either of the two rovers on the Mars mission.

Scientists had wanted to move the Spirit rover Saturday but couldn't because of a safety feature that scientists are having trouble deactivating. They said overriding the feature would be fairly simple.

Opportunity, meanwhile, remained stationary as it examined the bedrock outcropping. It was expected to move along the rock formation late Sunday.

The rovers are exploring opposite sides of the planet as part of their $820 million mission.

Rover Mission: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov

February 07, 2004

Sillanpaa: Not all NCAA unbeatens created equal

Highlight: UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma shows Tennessee's Pat Summitt no respect, but she's the one who built the women's game. He only thinks he did.
Playbill News: The King & I Will Tour in 2004 With Sandy Duncan; Stefanie Powers Whistles Happy Tune in 2005

A new production of The King & I starring Sandy Duncan as Mrs. Anna will launch in Pittsburgh in June 2004 and play theatres that are part of the Independent Presenters Network, with Stefanie Powers taking over the lead in 2005.

Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, headed by producer Christopher B. Manos, in partnership with the Independent Presenters Network, mounts the tour, to be directed Baayork Lee, who made her professional stage debut in the original Broadway production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein smash at age five.

After kicking off at Pittsburgh's Benedum Center in the summer of 2004, the tour will visit Atlanta, Dallas, St. Paul, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and San Francisco, among many other cities. Duncan plays the leading lady (opposite a yet-to-be-announced King) June to December 2004. Powers (TV's "Hart to Hart") plays the part January to December 2005.

Set in the 1860s in the exotic capital city of Bangkok, Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King & I is the timeless love story between a powerful and stubborn king and a determined governess, representing East meeting West, culture clash and (to some modern audiences) the condescending imposition of democratic customs and ideas. It's based on a true story, which was fictionalized in the novel, "Anna and the King of Siam."

The score includes such classics as "Hello Young Lovers," "I Whistle A Happy Tune," "Shall We Dance?" and "Getting To Know You."

Musical direction is by Kevin Farrell. Designers are Kenneth Foy (scenic), Roger Kirk (costume), John McLain (lighting) and Abe Jacob (sound).

Choreography is by Susan Kikuchi. Kikuchi was a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company from 1978-1984 and has served as director of both the Martha Graham Ensemble and the Martha Graham School. She has re staged many Graham works often in collaboration with her mother, Yuriko, for the Joffrey Ballet and Boston Conservatory. (Yuriko was Jerome Robbins' assistant on the original Broadway production of The King & I and was the choreographer for the recent revival on Broadway.) On the Broadway stage, Kikuchi was supervisor of Jerome Robbins' choreography ("The Small House of Uncle Thomas" ballet) and Dance Captain for The King & I at the Neil Simon Theater. She was also soloist and dance captain in The King & I with Yul Brynner.

*

Sandy Duncan was born and raised in Texas and made her theatrical debut in a summer production of The King & I in Dallas at the age of 12. Her New York stage career began at the New York City Center, where she appeared as Louise in Agnes de Mille's production of Carousel, followed by The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Finian's Rainbow and Life With Father. She got her big break in the Broadway musical, Canterbury Tales, for which she received her first Tony Award nomination in 1969 as Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. Her second Tony Award nomination was for her starring role in the production of The Boyfriend, for which she received the New York Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award. Following her TV series, "Funny Face," she returned to Broadway as Peter Pan. Her performance earned her a third Tony nomination as Best Actress in a Musical.

Powers will be recreating the role of Anna that she recently played in a UK revival of The King & I. Her numerous stage credits include Oliver!, Annie Get Your Gun, My Fair Lady and the London production of Matador. She also starred as the legendary Margo Channing in a touring revival of Applause – The Musical All About Eve. She reunited with "Hart to Hart" co-star Robert Wagner in the play Love Letters in London's West End, followed by tours of the play in the U.S. and Canada.

Baayork Lee created the role of Connie in A Chorus Line, serving as assistant choreographer to Michael Bennett. Her directing credits include Porgy And Bess at the Tome Opera in Italy (which then toured for seven years), Barnum for Cy Coleman in Sydney, Australia and the summer 2002 European tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.

February 06, 2004

No. 4 UConn Bests No. 1 Tennessee 81-67

Bummer! What a sucky game!

February 05, 2004

Taurasi leads UConn into Knoxville for showdown with Lady Vols

Can't wait for tonight!

--

NBC Excises 'ER' Breast Scene

Days after Janet Jackson shocked the nation by baring her breast during the Super Bowl, NBC has agreed to edit out a brief shot of an 80-year-old woman's breast from Thursday night's episode of medical drama "ER" -- to the chagrin of the show's executive producer.

February 03, 2004

Robert Urich Cybergreeting Cards - Send a FREE Robert Urich Card

Had to redo my Robert Urich greeting cards because cybergreet.net is now defunct. :-(
Spent the last three days updating various aspects of meredy.com.

Two wonderful dedications:

Ballade pour Meredith - copyright © 2003 Denis Desbiens, all rights reserved. I was improvising on my guitar and these two chords that I was playing seemed interesting . So I wrote it on the computer. It is a guitar piece and I add the flute in the second part. I dedicate this piece to my friend Meredy. (9 k, 316 sec.)

Rose Tints - copyright © Keith Bramich, all rights reserved. For Meredy, who has made webpages for Denis Desbiens and Jim Taylor and for everyone else who contributes to and listens to the Cadenza MIDI Diary. (3 k, 53 sec.)

February 01, 2004

ICK!!!
Vinatieri Kicks Patriots to 32-29 Super Bowl Victory
Brady Wins Second Super Bowl MVP Trophy

HOORAY!!!

No. 1 Tennessee 68, No. 22 Auburn 61, OT