Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation’s press.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Pogorelich Recital Canceled: Citing medical problems, controversial pianist Ivo Pogorelich, 38, has canceled his North American tour, including a Feb. 9 recital at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. Ticket holders should contact the Philharmonic Society of Orange County for refunds or exchanges. Pogorelich last came to Southern California in 1993 for an international piano competition named after him.
KUDOS
How Big Is His Trophy Case?: Newcomers Maxwell and 112 lead the pack with three nominations apiece while Toni Braxton, Keith Sweat, R. Kelly and the late rapper Tupac Shakur are among those drawing two each for the 1997 Soul Train Music Awards, being given March 7 at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium. But as with the Grammy and NAACP Image awards, it’s producer-composer Kenneth “Babyface†Edmonds who commands the most attention on the nominations list, earning one for his own album “The Day†(best R&B; soul album--male) while six other recordings that he produced, composed or released through his La Face records also made the final ballot. In addition, Babyface will receive Soul Train’s Sammy Davis Jr. Entertainer of the Year Award, while Curtis Mayfield will pick up the first Quincy Jones Award for outstanding career achievements.
Honoring Native Americans: The HBO movie “Grand Avenue,†about three Native American families, will rake in four trophies during the fifth annual First Americans in the Arts Awards honoring Native American performers Feb. 15 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The movie’s honors: best actress in a TV movie (Sheila Tousey), best supporting actor (Cody Lightning), supporting actress (Dianne Debassige) and outstanding achievement in writing (Greg Sarris). HBO will receive the Humanitarian Award. Among other winners: Gary Farmer (best film actor, for “Dead Manâ€), Graham Greene (outstanding performance in a nontraditional role, for Showtime’s “The Outer Limitsâ€) and composer Louis Ballard (lifetime musical achievement).
TV & RADIO
Tube Notes: Fox already has renewed “King of the Hill,†the new animated series from “Beavis and Butt-head†creator Mike Judge, for next season. Because of the lead time associated with producing animation, the network had to make a decision now--after just two airings of the new Sunday night show--to have 22 episodes ready for next fall. . . . After several months of pondering, producers finally have come up with a name for Arsenio Hall’s previously untitled ABC sitcom: “Arsenio.†The show is scheduled to premiere March 5. . . . Four weeks after Matt Lauer replaced Bryant Gumbel, NBC’s “Today†show remains red-hot. Last week the morning program was watched by nearly 6 million people daily--1.4 million more than second-place “Good Morning America.†. . . “Social Studies,†a new half-hour teen comedy starring Julia Duffy (“Designing Womenâ€) as administrator of a coed boarding school in Manhattan, will premiere on the UPN network March 18, replacing “Homeboys in Outer Space,†which will return to the time slot in May.
Angels’ Flight: Oprah Winfrey is donating her collection of 571 black angels to the Angel Museum in Beloit, Wis., which is expected to open later this year in a former church. Winfrey’s collection mushroomed after she told Cher during a show that black angels are hard to find. She was inundated with so many that she soon pleaded with viewers to stop sending them.
Temporary Reprieve: The adult contemporary format at radio station KSCA-FM (101.9) has been granted a brief stay of execution. Officials at the station, who had expected to switch to Spanish-language programming by today, now say they need more time to prepare for the change and that the new format will debut sometime next week.
MOVIES
The Richard Jewell Story: Vindicated Atlanta bombing figure Richard Jewell has closed a deal with 20th Century Fox for a movie about his ordeal. The movie will be based on a Vanity Fair story by Marie Brenner. However, no writer, director or script is in place. Jewell recently filed suit against the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for naming him as a suspect in the bombing that killed two during last summer’s Olympics. After enduring months of media scrutiny, Jewell was cleared by the Justice Department.
QUICK TAKES
TV’s Roseanne will make her “theatrical stage debut†playing the Wicked Witch in “The Wizard of Ox†at New York’s Madison Square Garden, May 7-June 1. . . . Bill Cosby, who resumed production on his CBS series this week, also is returning to the comedy stage. He is scheduled for two performances Saturday at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. Both are sold out. . . . Diana L. Vargas has been named general manager of KTTV-TV Channel 11, succeeding Jim Burke, who moved over to a position with Fox Television Stations. Vargas, the first female to head the station, has been with KTTV since 1988. . . . L.A. City Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg will receive a Community Arts Award for civic leadership during the Hollywood Arts Council’s 11th Annual Charlie Awards today at 11:30 a.m. at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. . . . Opening date for “Ragtime†at the Shubert Theatre is June 15, with previews beginning May 29. . . Today at 5 p.m. is the deadline to turn in Academy Award nomination ballots. . . . Annette Bening and Warren Beatty have announced the birth of their third child, Isabel Ira Ashley, Jan. 18 in Los Angeles.
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