St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page E003

M1ST.LOUISPOST-DISPATCHWEDNESDAYJULY26,2006STLTODAY.COM E3 Everyday REVIEW POPMUSIC BOOK FROME1 REVIEW BOOK Barry-Pearsonsequeltopsoriginal Clarksonavoids booktourthatbeganinMiami, inSt.Louis,wherePearsonmakes hishome.Theduosaytheypar- ticularlyenjoymeetingyoung readersbecausetheycareonly aboutthestoryandwhenthenext bookwillbeready. toknowwhenwearegoingto KidsneveraskBarrytheinevi- sumewritinghisPulitzerPrize- winningnewspapercolumn? Hisanswerisaveryemphatic himapiratejokeinstead. pages.ButPearsoninsiststhat kidsareeagertodiveintoimagi- ularityofJ.K.Rowling’sHarry PotterseriesandtheOzbooksby L.FrankBaum. Theauthorssharethewriting linebeforehand.Theyserveas mailachapterbackandforth threeorfourtimesbeforethey aresatisfied. buthavesincehadanoperation Pearsonexplained.

Barrywithkeepinghiminline gestiontointroducetime-travel- inghamstersintotheseries. Pearsonsaid. Thoughtheyarebothwell- insistthatthereisneveraprob- lemwithegos.Theyshareequal space. havehimchangehisnameto RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. 314-340-8260 AnovelbyDaveBarryandRidley Pearson BySarahBryanMiller ST.LOUISPOST-DISPATCH goodastheoriginalbook.Too aresqueezedprettythoroughly butpulpforthenext.

Thatmakesitaparticular DaveBarryandRidleyPearson andmorejustplainfunthan firstvolumeintheirseriesof Someofthatisduetothefact thatPearsonandBarryhadto WhencecomeTinkerbelland morewiththeircharactersand situations. Peterandtheboyshaveset- tledintoaroutineoftaunting CaptainHookandthepirates carriesacoldlysinisterpassen- gerwithanotablecollectionof whomarescaredsillybythe passenger.LordOmbra,whose namemeansshadowinItalian, controlsothersbygrabbingtheir tionmuchlikesouls. otherworldlysubstancethatal- teredsomanyEarthlythingsin Peterintoanairborneperpetual preadolescent. WhenOmbralearnsthatthe chestofpreciousdusthasgone backtoLondonwithLordAster heorderstheshiptosetsailfor bydarkmeans.ButLeFantome carriestwoextrapassengers: PeterandTinkerbell.Theyboth getinandoutofassorted meansoffindingMollyandulti- forthemoment. easilyignored; thefastpacing andpage-turn- erqualitiesof thebookmore thanmakeup foranydefi- ciencies.The house 12-year-old, whoenjoyedthefirstbook, grabbedthisonethedayitap- pearedinmyreadingchairand devouredit.

theimportanceoftakingrespon- sibilityandhonestbehavior withoutbeingobviousaboutit. keepthechildrenreadingand outoftroubleforseveralhours thissummer.Thatmakesita winnerallaround. 314-340-8249 ByKevinC.Johnson POST-DISPATCHPOPMUSICCRITIC hasnotreturnedthefavor. Duringher75-minuteconcert MondaynightatUMBBankPavil- Clarksonsprangfromatelevised talentcompetition.Shedidn’tack- gatheredthere.TheGrammy-win- songs(shelatertookthatback), andfriends. Clarkson.Lookinglikeaslimmer KellyOsbourneandsportinga shattersthereality-showmold.

Shedeliveredaperformancethat wasmoreEvanescencethanMari- ahCarey. Thebig-voicedbeltertoldher mostlyyoungfansearlyonthat hershowwouldbeaboutthenew stuffslatedforherupcomingCD, thoughshealsopromisedthe strippeddowntonewacoustic well. formedinthemiddleofthepavil- ion.Shewalkedthroughthe songsandhercarefullychosen coversweremostinteresting.Her astartlinglyfullswampsetlow- becaysesheperformedthesong foraKatrinabenefit. Clarksononlystumbledonnew thesoundtracktoaFordcommer- cial.Itwasagrimreminderofall all. RockbandRooneyopenedthe eveningandpromoteditsCD comingoutinthefall.

REVIEW THEATER Where: When: p.m. Howmuch: seats Moreinfo: 314-534-1111; metrotix.com entertainsattheMuny ByJudithNewmark POST-DISPATCHTHEATERCRITIC calthatdebutedattheMunysix returnMondaynight.Focused, tightenedandenlivenedwithsu- whenChristmasishalfayear away. potentialofthe1954movie ago.Evenatitsdebut,itwasfull ofpromise. stageartistshavecontinuedto shapethematerial.Today,“White bothcoasts. Butnomatterhowmanycooks mainssongwriterIrvingBerlin.

Hisguilelessmusiccapturesthe optimismandromanticyearning ofAmericainthemid-20thcentu- ry.Bothelementsthriveinthis thankstothesongsandtoRandy KelliBarclayadaptedhisworkfor theMuny. Theshowcomespackedwith leggygirlsinswirlingfrocksand RCAsetanyhow.Twomorestyl- thesameconfidence. Thesenumbersconfirmwhat dancestylessparkledwithdemo- withenergy.TheAllieshavejust defeatedtheNazis.Alittleenthu- siasmseemshardlyoutofplace. WorldWarIIunderliesthe plot.TwowartimeArmybuddies (StephenBogardusandDirkLum- lovedgeneralownsaskiinnin Vermont.Butunseasonablywarm weatherthreatenstodohimin. andasisteract(ShannonM.

planabigshowattheinn.As membersoftheiroldArmycom- discovertruelove. phisticatedplot.Sowhat?The haveloadsofsolidbackup. ThatincludesWeslaWhitfield JamesAnthonyasthedryNew Theysingbeautifully. Twoperformersembodynota- but.JonealJoplinportraysthe Goingshowsthatitmadesenseto terfromateentoalittlegirl.She’s adorable. willplaymostcitiesduringthe holidays.That’sfine.InSt.Louis, daintytosavortreatsoutofsea- son.Withthatinmind,don’t leaveearly.Theendingincludes acoupleofsurprisesworthwait- ingfor.

314-340-8243 DirkLumbardandShannonM.O’Bryanperformduring“The Advice Whenwifemeetsmistress, introductionscanbeconfusing Plateletdeficitleads tobruisingandbleeding rubshimwrongway DearMissManners: Myhus- bandandIhavebeensepa- ratedfortwoyears.Wehave threeadultchildrenandthree younggrandchildren.Heis muchclosertomanymem- bersofmyfamilythanhis ownfamilyandthereforewe areinsocialsituationsoften. Wehavea friendlyre- lationship. He starteddat- ingabout sixmonths agoandal- thoughIal- readyknew informed meone weekbeforehisbig60th birthdayparty.Hegavemea courtesycall.Ittookhimtwo hourstofinallystopbymeto introduceher. Ihavesincebeentoldthat itwasmyplacetoinitiatethe introductions.Ifailtoseethe logicinthat.Whoseresponsi- bilitywasit? Justwhen MissMannersbe- lievesthattheannalsofeti- quettecontainrulingsonev- erythingandshecanretreat suecomesalong.Whoops,we forgottoruleontheissueof precedenceininstancesof friendlyhusbandsintroduc- ingtheirwivesand mistresses. seniority.Butifyouhave managedtomaintainfriendly relationsundersuchvolatile wouldnotadviserisking themonthispoint.

DearMissManners: Mypart- nerandIenjoyfruitafter lunchanddinner.I’mafraid, howtoeatfruitwithaknife learn.WouldMissManners besokindastogivealesson? Wepromisenottoshowoff ournewlylearnedskillson makethemfeelinferior). commitpropertablemanners infrontofyourguests.Just whethertheyaredoingit right.Thatmightbehardto avoidiftheyhaveapplesor bananasprotrudingfrom thattheymaybeemploying manners. Thebasicwayofeating butsharpfruitknifeandfork thefruitintohalvesorquar- conveypiecestothemouth withthefork.MissManners isspeakinghereofapples, tryingthiswithanything smallorsquishy. E-mailyouretiquettequestionstoMiss Mannersat DearAmy: MygirlfriendandI havedifferentopinionson thissubject. malefriendofherswasseated nexttoher.Heplacedhisarm aroundherbackandengaged inathree-wayconversation withherandanotherlady.In theprocess, hebeganto rubher back.Helat- erstarted strokingher upperarm.

Ifelthis actions wereinap- propriate andhadsex- ualover- tones.Shesaidthathisactions didnothavesexualovertones. IsitOKforamantohave girlfriendwhileengagedina backandstrokingherarma askedhimtoremovehisarm fromaroundher? Thisissueiscausingprob- lemsinourrelationship. Themostimportant thingis howthesegesturesmadeyou girlarereactingtoyourfeel- ings. Inoticethatduringallof Yourgirlfriendshouldrealize thatnotincludingyouinthe openforbehaviorthatmakes youuncomfortable. Yourgirlcanhandleanoth- toldthefunnieststorylast night.Honeycomehere,and Thensheshouldmakea spaceforyoutostandnear hersothatshecanputher armaroundyourbackandin- cludeyouintheconversation.

Ifthetwoofyouaregoing ofyoushouldgooutofyour waytomaketheotherfeel comfortableandsecure.Ifshe overtfamiliaritybutitmakes considerbeinginarelation- shipwithher. DearAmy: terregardingwomenasking ment.Ihadbeenattendinga churchinmyareaforseveral grownchildrenwithnointent ofhavinganotherrelation- ship. gregantgettingintohiscar.I turnedtomysisterandsaid, askedhimifhewouldliketo goouttobrunchsomeSun- day.Therest,astheysay,is history.Wewillbecelebrat- ingout10thweddinganniver- sarynextyear. ManytimesI havespied havehimturnoutnottobe mynexthusbandafterall.But foryou! 60611. DearDr.Donohue: Ihaveidio- pathicthrombocytopenicpur- pura.Thisillnesscanbelife- threatening.Iwouldappreci- ateyourdevotingacolumnto isasupportassociationat www.pdsa.organd 1-877-528-3538.

another namefor bloodcell thatforms indicatinga deficiency. Thrombocy- topenia, platelets.Purpuraisabruise, theconsequenceoftoofew platelets. Idiopathicthrombocyto- penicpurpuraisanillness wherethenumberofplatelets hasfallensolowthatitsvic- timscanhavemanybruises andbleedeasily.Duringtheir tientsbleedquiteheavily.If theplateletcounthas droppedbelownormalbut nottothepointwherebleed- nessisdetectedwhenablood counthappenstobeordered forsomeunrelatedcondition orreason. ITPcomesonatanyage andhappenstobothmenand toyoungwomenbetweenthe agesof20and40.Theim- munesystemmakesantibo- thespleenseestheseantibo- dy-coatedplateletsassand- wichesandgobblesthem. ITPisabruptandusuallyfol- lowsaviralinfection.Most childrenrecoverinonetosix months.Inadults,theonsetis gradualandtheillnessispro- years.

Iftheplateletcounthas droppedtoadangerouszone given.Iftheplateletcountre- beremoved.Thereareother thatreducesthenumberof cellsthatproduceantibodies. TheWebsiteofthePlatelet DisorderSupportAssociation providesanastonishing amountofinformation.I’m surethetoll-freenumberpro- videsthesameinformation. Thanksforinformingus. DearDr.Donohue: Whatisbi- Whatcanhetaketogetridof it? Everyonehas bilirubin.It’sa breakingdownoldredblood cellstorecycletheirparts. Highbloodlevelsofbiliru- binpointtolivertroubles.

Suchhighlevelsturntheskin andthewhitesoftheeyesyel- low. Doyouhavehisbilirubin malvalueswillbeindicated nexttohislevel.Ifhisare toworryabout. WriteDr.DonohueatP.O.Box536475, ASK AMY DR. DONOHUE MISS MANNERS.