The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 57

CALENDAR E11 LOSANGELESTIMES tickets from $20213.972.8001 www.laopera.com dorothy chandler pavilion MAGDA PATRICIA RACETTE RUGGERO MARCUS HADDOCK LISETTE AMANDA SQUITIERI PRUNIER GREG FEDDERLY RAMBALDO DAVID PITTSINGER CONDUCTOR KERI-LYNN WILSON DIRECTOR MARTA DOMINGO DESIGNER MICHAEL SCOTT CHOREOGRAPHER KITTY NAMEE LIGHTING DESIGNER MARY LOUISE GEIGER ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR CHORUS MASTER GRANT GERSHON Revival made possible by a generous gift from Watt Family. NEW! Crosstown Motor Coach Service from the Westside for weeknight performances. Call 213.972.8001 for more info. THUJUN SUNJUN THUJUN SUNJUN WEDJUN SATJUN ROBERT MILLARD Can a worldly Parisian courtesan find lasting love in the arms of a naive young man from the provinces? cross between La and La Traviata buoyant waltzes and rapturous OPERA NEWS ProgramNet- work Viewers ProgramNet- work Viewers 1 NBA Finals: Game 2 (Sun.) ABC13.50 2 NBA Finals: Game 1 (Thu.) ABC13.38 3 Two and a Half MenCBS9.81 60 MinutesCBS9.81 5 Million Dollar PasswordCBS9.62 ------------------------------------------6 CSI (9 p.m.)CBS9.61 7 So You Think You Can Dance(Wed.) FOX9.56 8 HouseFOX9.44 9 KitchenFOX9.36 10 So You Think You Can Dance(Thu.) FOX9.25 ------------------------------------------11 CSI: NYCBS9.11 12 NCISCBS8.93 13 CSI: MiamiCBS8.91 14 SwingtownCBS8.57 15 Criminal MindsCBS8.27 ------------------------------------------16 CSI (8 p.m.)CBS8.21 17 Rules of EngagementCBS8.12 18 Cold CaseCBS8.08 19 Dateline: NBC 20 48 Hours Mystery ------------------------------------------21 Without a TraceCBS7.56 22 Price Is Right Primetime CBS7.00 23 BonesFOX6.91 24 Stanley Cup Finals: Game6 (Wed.) NBC6.78 25 Moment of TruthFOX6.76 ------------------------------------------26 Numb3rsCBS6.74 27 Dateline: NBC 28 The Bachelorette ABC6.46 29 Stanley Cup Finals: Game5 (Mon.) NBC6.25 30 Most Outrageous Moments (8:30 p.m. Sun.) NBC6.22 ------------------------------------------31 How I Met Your MotherCBS6.02 32 SupernannyABC5.99 33 Law Order: SVU (10 p.m.) NBC5.95 34 Law Order: SVU (9 p.m.) NBC5.78 35 (Thu.) ABC5.71 ------------------------------------------36 Most Outrageous Moments (8:30 p.m.

Tue.) NBC5.61 37 Ghost Whisperer (9 p.m. Sun.) CBS5.59 38 The Big Bang TheoryCBS5.58 39 Ghost WhispererCBS5.38 40 Most Outrageous Moments 8:30 p.m.) NBC5.32 ------------------------------------------41 Fear ItselfNBC5.26 42 Men in TreesABC5.24 43 Family GuyFOX5.15 44 American DadFOX5.08 45 Last Comic Standing 6NBC4.97 ------------------------------------------46 (Sun.) ABC4.96 47 Wife SwapABC4.94 48 Most Outrageous Moments (8 p.m. Sun.) NBC4.92 Wonderful World of Disney ABC4.92 50 ------------------------------------------51 48 Hours Mystery 52 Most WantedFOX4.83 53 Al Diablo con los Guapos (Wed.) UNI4.81 54 55 The MoleABC4.67 ------------------------------------------56 Al Diablo con los Guapos (Mon.) UNI4.66 57 Al Diablo con los Guapos (Tue.) UNI4.65 58 Fuego en la Sangre (Mon.) UNI4.60 59 Cops (8:30 p.m.)FOX4.48 60 Fuego en la Sangre (Wed.) UNI4.40 ------------------------------------------61 Funniest Home Videos (Fri.) ABC4.38 62 Fuego en la Sangre (Thu.) UNI4.34 63 Al Diablo con los Guapos (Thu.) UNI4.31 64 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ABC4.24 65 Most Outrageous Moments (7:30 p.m. Sun.) NBC4.23 ------------------------------------------66 The SimpsonsFOX4.21 67 The UnitCBS4.17 68 Most Outrageous Moments (7 p.m. Sun.) NBC4.16 69 Friday Night Smackdown! CW4.08 70 Most Outrageous Moments (8:30 p.m.

Fri.) NBC4.06 ------------------------------------------71 Fuego en aa Sangre (Fri.) UNI4.00 72 Cops (8 p.m.)FOX3.98 73 Fuego en la Sangre (Tue.) UNI3.97 74 According to Jim (8 p.m. Tue.) ABC3.90 Al Diablo con los Guapos (Fri.) UNI3.90 ------------------------------------------76 King of the HillFOX3.84 77 According to Jim (8:30 p.m. Tue.) ABC3.80 78 Most Outrageous Moments (8 p.m. Fri.) NBC3.66 Network averages Here is the number of viewers (in millions) that each network averaged per hour of prime time, for last week and for the season. Network Last week Season to date CBS7.249.86 FOX6.5110.57 ABC6.138.67 NBC5.737.59 UNI3.193.52 CW1.822.42 Here are the rankings for national prime-time network television last week (June 2-8) as compiled by Nielsen Media Research.

They are based on the average number of people who watched a program from start to finish. Nielsen estimates there are 286 million potential viewers in the U.S. ages 2 and older. Viewership is listed in millions. LOS ANGELES CBS was the most-watched network for the second consecutive week with four of the six most-watched programs, while the opening two games of the NBA Finals on ABC drew their largest audiences since 2004, according to figures released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

CBS averaged 7.24 million viewers for its prime-time programming between June 2 and Sunday. Its most-watched program was a rerun of the comedy and a Half third overall with 9.81 million viewers. Although viewership for the second episode of Dollar dropped it still ranked fifth with 9.62 million viewers. coverage of the first two games of the NBA Finals finished 1-2 for the week. The Boston 108-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 was the most-watched program, with 13.5 million viewers, the most-watched Game 2 since 2004, the last time the Lakers played in the finals.

The 98-88 victory in Game 1 was second with 13.38million, the most- watched Game 1 since 2004. Finals viewership through two games is up over the first two of last finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs. In spite of the strong showing, ABC was still third for the week. Meanwhile, Fox Broadcasting was second for the week, averaging 6.51 million viewers, with the two episodes of You Think You Can a rerun of the medical drama and the cooking competition series all finishing in the Top 10. NBC was fourth, averaging 5.73 million viewers, while the CW was fifth as usual, averaging 1.82 million.

ABC third despite NBA lift From City News Service Prime-Time TV Rankings OLLYWOOD usually shuts down for the summer. After all, private beaches in Italy and the French Riviera await. But this year, anyone with even a fleeting interest in Democratic politics is being urged to stay in touch and keep the checkbook close at hand. going to be a long, hot, money-raising summer here for Sen. Barack Obama presidential campaign.

The Democratic contender will make a quick trip to Los Ange- leson June 24 for a star-studded event at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Then be back for more events (perhaps another large soiree in Santa Barbara, this time at producer Jon Peters And stand by for the list of musical talent: Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder are already supporters of the Illinois senator. Talks are underway to get longtime Clinton supporter Barbra Streisand singing as well. You can visit David Geffen giant yacht at its various tony ports of call; just make sure your cellphone has satellite service and Hollywood fundraiser extraordi- naire, Nicole Avant is on speed-dial. Jay Leno mused in one of his monologues this week about Hillary Rodham Clinton future.

big question people are asking what is she going to do next? Where will she go? Where will she end up? Is she going to He paused and added: sorry, what they keep asking me. sorry, I of legal maneuvers Call it an example of art imitating life imitating art. This week a small cadre of Hollywood activists are on alert for updates about the fate of Russian gun runner Viktor Bout the of for his role in covert international arms trade. Bout, who was the inspiration for NicolasCage character in the 2005 film of is being detained in Thailand awaiting extradition to the United States, where he will face terrorism charges in connection with aconspiracy to sell missiles to members of a Colombian rebel group. Officials at Global Witness, ahuman-rights group based in London, were staying closely in touch with industry execs involved in the production of of as international officials weigh fate.

The former Russian major, who eluded arrest for years, was taken into custody on March 6 after a lengthy operation involving U.S. and Thai officials. He has denied any wrongdoing and says he intends to fight the extradition. Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, diplomatic sources said the Russian embassy in Thailand isfighting to have him released and returned to he could be granted immunity. The Thaicourt was scheduled to rule this week on whether to extradite Bout to the U.S., butthe hearing was delayeduntil July 28.

Global Alex Yearsley and Participant Productionsgate stormer Bonnie Abaunza immediately stepped into the fray. it stands, the real Lord of War might get off scot-free, maybe Yearsley wrote in an e-mail. Abaunza, who previously worked as head of Amnesty celebrity outreach program, went to work calling everyone concerned, including of writer-director Andrew Niccol Perhaps only one thing left to do: Give Cage a real-life sequel role to bring Bout back to the U.S. for justice. tina.daunt@latimes.com CAUSE TINA DAUNT Obama to see plenty of Hollywood this summer Some of this biggest movies feature motorcycles in supporting roles.

a Harley-Davidson in Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal an MV Agustain Dark andmultiple customs in the late-summer biker flick by Quentin Tarantino. While the two-wheel vehicles are all different, the riders are mostly the same. men. One in 10 motorcyclists is a woman, but that statistic is rarely reflected on screens big or small. If an actress does it tends to be only for the camera and usually rigged, as it was for Zellweger in Indian was operated by remote.

Enter Tricia Helferand Katee stars of SciFi Galacti- Helfer, who plays the part of sexy cylon Number Six, and Sackhoff, a.k.a. combat pilot Starbuck, are both avid motorcyclists who will be taking their off-screen passion to guest roles on other TV shows when Season 4 of the space-age series ends. Helfer, 34, is game for doing her own riding on an upcoming episode of the USA show playing Carla, a slinky spy who may have figured into the of ex-CIA opera- tiveMichael Westen. According to show creator Matt Nix, to find an episode where we can incorporate Sackhoff, 28, willdo her own stunts when sheplaysan anesthesiologist with a fondness for body ink and bikes on four episodes of the FX show The love interest of Dr. McNamara, character rides a motorcycle to work every said Sackhoff.

really interesting when writers and producers find out that you said Sackhoff, a self-described tomboy. so excited wow. We need to use Sackhoff, from Portland, and Helfer, who grew up on a farm in Canada, both rode all-terrain vehicles when they were young. They took up motorcycling last year because they were each of being on the back of a said Sackhoff. Tricia and I started working together, and we both started going, should do Helfer bought a Harley-Davidson; Sackhoff, a Honda Shadow.

They signed up for a safety course and vroom, were off. On Number Six and Starbuck rarely appear in the same scenes, so they were rarely in Vancouver at the same time for filming. But a girl fight between the two characters helped forma fast friendship. The two actresses now ride their motorcycles together any weekend L.A.. kind of feel like I need to take on a role of getting it out there in public knowledge that women can said Helfer, a lanky Canuck whose everyday hair color Mansfield blond but a tawny brown.

she said, before Sackhoff finished her sentence, on the back of the bike making susan.carpenter@latimes.com Ready to roll for a guest role Don Kelsen Los Angeles Times TWO-WHEELERS: Tricia Helfer, left, and Katee Sackhoff rest during a motorcycle jaunt in the San Gabriels. Tricia Helfer and Katee Sackhoff of will ride their motorcycles in other shows this summer. By Susan Carpenter Times Staff Writer.