Omaha World-Herald from Omaha, Nebraska • 78

TODAY'S SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7. 2009 LIVING OMAHA WORLD- HERALD Performers struggle in recession Shriveling donations, plunging ticket sales and sagging endowments lead to layoffs and cancellations. PASADENA, Calif. (AP) After 30 years as a professional violinist, Vivian Wolf thought the days of nerve-racking auditions were behind her. Then, the recession hit.

In the span of a month, an opera company with which Wolf played for 19 years abruptly shut down and another orchestra slashed concerts to stay afloat. "I'm actually practicing like a maniac to take auditions," says Wolf, who has seen her income drop by at least one-third. "It's very frightening, and I'm even looking into doing something else because I'm not quite sure how I'm going to make it." Wolf isn't alone. Performers are scrambling across the nation, as symphonies, operas, theaters and ballet troupes struggle under the weight of shriveling donations, plummeting ticket sales and sagging endowments decimated by Wall Street. From Baltimore to Detroit to Pasadena, venerable performing arts institutions are laying off performers, cutting programming, canceling seasons, and doing without new and live music.

Some are closing down completely. Those on the brink face the difficult task of soliciting money from loyal donors who might be facing bankruptcy or unemployment themselves. "You can't expect people to do something that they're not able to do," David DiChiera, general di THE ASSOCIATED PRESS with violinist Vivian Wolf before practice clude sales and donations from last spring and summer, when times were better. With that in mind, leaders of national arts organizations have been lobbying the Obama administration and Congress for $1 billion of the federal bailout money and the creation of a White House arts czar. "The president is talking about creating and retaining billions of jobs and thousands of those jobs are arts jobs," Marc Scorca, president and CEO of Opera America, says.

"Those programs will disappear if we have to endure the current situation without some assistance." Some groups are trying to educate nonprofits about staying afloat. The New York-based League of American Orchestras has created a 45-minute Web seminar on money management for its members and held a recent conference on financial planning and fundraising strategies. Such assistance may come too late for some organizations. The Michigan Opera Theater, in its 38th season, has a deficit of its Trombonist Andrew Malloy talks with the Pasadena Symphony. rector of Michigan Opera Theand the Detroit Opera House, says.

"We're really functioning within a tsunami of economic and financial disasters, and we're just doing everything we have to do to get through." Those working feverishly to keep the arts alive point to a 2007 study that found nonprofit arts groups and their audiences generate $166 billion in economic activity each year and support nearly 6 million jobs. The report by the national nonprofit Americans for the Arts found that those institutions get half their money from ticket sales, 40 percent from donations and 10 percent from government all of which have taken big hits during the economic downturn. Bob Lynch, the group's president and CEO, says about 10,000 arts organizations nationwide about 10 percent of the total have shut down or stand on the verge of collapse. Many in the arts, too, believe the crunch is only the beginning, since many organizations are still operating on budgets that in- about $600,000 because of declining donations from Detroit's Big Three automakers, DiChiera said. The opera is also having difficulty securing a credit line and has huge mortgage payments on its opera house, parking structure and related retail space.

DiChiera has canceled a production, laid off some employees, cut others to part time and postponed plans to build an endowment fund. He prays every day that another major corporate sponsor won't announce bankruptcy or layoffs. Lagging ticket sales and deepening budget problems have forced the Sacramento Ballet to cancel the rest of its season. Ballet companies in Cincinnati, Miami and Madison, also have had to cancel shows or make other cutbacks in recent weeks. The Utah Shakespearean Festival has cut more than $700,000 from its 2009 budget, including three of the festival's 25 full-time employees.

In Sacramento, the canceled season came after a lackluster holiday season that forced the ballet to sell tickets to "The Nutcracker Suite" for $10 onefifth the usual cost. "We've tried to examine every nickel we're spending and why we're spending it," artistic director Ron Cunningham says. Meanwhile, Opera Pacific, in Santa Ana, ended four decades of performances when it abruptly shut down last November. The Baltimore Opera Company has also declared bankruptcy and canceled performances. The Orchestras of Pasadena abruptly canceled a November concert and a winter pops series after assessing its finances late last year.

Half the staff has been laid off. The 81-year-old institution still owes nearly $1 million to vendors. Digital: Change threw a monkey wrench' in efforts Continued from Page 1 That led WOWT to go ahead folks had to make their own deci- boxes," said Marty Riemensuch with the transition as planned. sions." schneider of the Nebraska Terry voted against the delay, "The viewers that aren't ready The result is likely to be added Broadcasters Association. as did Nebraska's other two rep- won't be any more ready on June confusion.

With two Omaha sta- "There are some people who resentatives, and cited the effort 12," Peterson said. tions going all-digital on Feb. 17 have no way to get them hooked made by Nebraska broadcasters Had the original date re- and the others waiting until June, up and operating otherwise." to get the word out about the digi- mained in place, the four stations the Nebraska Broadcasters As- Stations that plan to switch on tal TV switch. would have ceased analog trans- sociation expects an increase in Feb. 17 must inform the FCC of "I really do believe Nebraska's missions together at noon on Feb.

calls to the 211 help line. their intentions by Monday. done it well," Terry said. "We've 17. But when Congress post- Established by a coalition of Those changing on June 12 don't done it better than most every poned the date, the coordinated local agencies and businesses, have to do anything -except run other state." effort fell by the wayside.

including the United Way of the a few more months' worth of Two "soft" tests in December "We were working toward the Midlands, Woodmen of the public service announcements. and January, in which Omaha's 17th collectively," said KETV World and Nebraska Educa- Said Terry: "This has made it five non-PBS network affiliates station manager Sarah Smith. "It tional Telecommunications, 211 more confusing by the power of participated, showed 95 percent was a solid effort on everybody's is designed to help citizens with 10. It's going to be replicated viewer readiness, said Charlie part. The change threw a mon- the digital television transition.

across the country." Peterson, WOWT station man- key wrench in those efforts. "We have volunteers going Contact the writer: ager. "Obviously as time went on, into homes to install converter 444-1387, bryan.redemske@owh.com Churches: Choirs entertain as they spread Gospel Continued from Page 1 Asia for church choirs to have concerts in casinos and nightclubs," Montague said. But some church members worry that's going a little too far. Montague has dealt with a few of those comments.

"We've overcome that," he said. "It's a blessing to reach people who wouldn't normally come to church." Still, he said, "We don't ever want to put ourself in any negative situation." At the Lovett concert, Montague said the choir performed in a banquet hall, not inside the casino's gambling area. "We always want to maintain the integrity of Jesus Christ," he said. Salem's choir plans to launch two music projects next year. Montague commended Sacred Heart for breaking away from the church's fellowship hall for its CD release party.

"We may look at doing something outside of these four walls," Montague said. Sacred Heart isn't your traditional Catholic parish. It's known for its spirited, high-energy, gospel-flavored Mass on Sunday mornings. At a recent 10:30 a.m. service, choir members clapped and swayed and danced in front of the altar minutes before the liturgy.

The Rev. Tom Fangman hadn't appeared yet, but the church was already full. The Freedom Choir which consists mostly of people in their late 20s to early 60s tried to squeeze in a quick rehearsal. "All right," shouted Jim Boggess, the music director. "Let's go through a few more of these songs." Boggess, who is also the music director at the Omaha Community Playhouse, draws out emotion, excitement and lots of clapping from his singers.

Twenty members lined up and launched into the song, "If I Had My Ticket, Lord." "This train, is a holy train, can I ride?" the choir sang, "Ride away to heaven on the morning train." Musicians on piano, drums, guitar, sax and tambourine played along during the rehearsal in front of the congrega- tion. The music is what drew Carrick to Sacred Heart. She's not even Catholic -her husband and daughter are, she said. "I fell in love with their sound," Carrick said. "I felt extremely at home there." She's a singer who lives a very creative life.

She works as a marketer for a west Omaha corporation and owns theater company. "Music is something that moves me," she said. And did she ever move that Sunday morning. She plans to do the same tonight at the album party, spreading the message of the choir and the Gospel to the audience in a new venue. Contact the writer: 444-1075, j.loza@owh.com 'Not That Into Well, now we know why "He's Just Not That Into You" isn't exactly a romantic comedy BY CHRISTY LEMIRE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS at least, not in the most traditional sense.

Yes, the characters work themselves into the same sorts of tizzies over falling in and out of love or REVIEW finding love in the first place but mixed in with the fizziness is an unexpected seriousness, an attempt at injecting realism and even failure. All those A-listers in the ensemble cast (Jennifer Aniston! Scarlett Johansson!) are smiling in the movie's posters, but don't let that fool you. Some heavy stuff falls upon their pretty heads. But while it's admirable that the film from director Ken Kwapis Sisterhood of the Traveling tries to shake up a typically frivoious formula, too many other elements undermine his intentions. Based on the best-selling advice book by Greg Behrendt and a a a a a a a a a a a People Whitmore excelled on stage, screen James LOS ANGELES (AP) James Whitmore, the many-faceted character actor who delivered strong performances in movies, television and especially the theater with his popular one man shows about Harry Truman, Will Rogers and Theodore James Roosevelt, Whitmore died Friday, his son said.

He was 87. The Emmy- and Tony-winning actor was diagnosed with lung cancer the week before Thanksgiving and died Friday at his Malibu home, Steve Whitmore said. His long-running "Give 'em Hell, Harry," tracing the life of the 33rd president, was released as a theatrical movie in 1975. Whitmore was nominated for an Academy Award as best actor, marking the only time in Oscar history that an actor has been nominated for a film in which he was the only cast member. His Teddy Roosevelt portrait, "Bully," also was converted into a movie.

He later became the TV pitchman for Miracle-Gro plant food, using the product in his large vegetable garden at his Malibu home. Actress stirs Harvard's Pudding CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) Accompanied by Harvard men in drag, Zellweger was honored Thursday as the Hasty Pudding Theatricals woman of the year. The actress rode in the back of a Bentley convertible during a parade through Harvard Square. Hasty Pudding is the nation's oldest undergraduate drama troupe.

By tradition, many of its Zellweger male members wear women's clothes for the parade. Katrina jokes are Mardi Gras -no NEW ORLEANS (AP) Comedian Carlos Mencia has been pulled from a Mardi Gras parade's list of celebrity riders for jokes about Hurricane Katrina. That's according to Krewe of Orpheus officials who Wednesday had announced Mencia as one of about a dozen celebrity guests slated to ride in this year's, parade, which rolls through New Orleans on Feb. 23, the night before Mardi Gras. But Orpheus Captain Sonny Borey said in a statement Thursday that the club be came aware of "certain remarks Mr.

Carlos Mencia has made in regards to New Orleans and HurriMencia cane Katrina." He said Mencia would not be riding because "our krewe is very sensitive to the feelings of our community and the way our city is viewed." Borey did not provide details, but a clip of Mencia making jokes about Katrina victims in a standup routine can be found on the Web site YouTube. Springer to leave TV talent show LOS ANGELES (AP) "America's Got Talent" isn't getting more of Jerry Springer. Springer says he won't return as host of the NBC talent contest this summer. In a statement Thursday, Springer said he's leaving because of other commitments, including his Springer syndicated talk show and a stage role. He didn't offer details about the play.

Actor considers race for governor SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Holy hornet's nest, Batman! The New Mexico governor's mansion? Actor Val Kilmer says he is pondering a run for governor in 2010, when twoterm Democrat Bill Richardson will be forced from office by term limits. Kilmer "I'm just looking for ways to be contributive," Kilmer, 49, said Thursday. "And if that ends up being where I can make a substantial contribution, then I'll run." He grew up in Los Angeles but has called New Mexico home for more than 20 years. His screen credits include Batman in "Batman Forever" in 1995, a fighter pilot in the 1986 hit "Top Gun," and Jim Morrison in the 1991 Oliver Stone film, "The Doors." TOPS IN TOPS IN CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 1.

"The Priests." The Priests. RCA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BMG. 2. "The Duets." Luciano Pavarotti. 1.

"Audience of One." Heather Headley. EMI Universal Classics Group. CMG. 3. "Bach: Concertos," Julia 2.

"WOW Hits 2009: 30 of the Year's Top of St. Martin in the Fields. ClasChristian Artists and Hits." Various artists. sics Group. EMI Christian Music 4.

"Chant: Music for the Soul," the Cistercian (Gold) Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz. 3. "Fiction Family," Fiction Family, lower- Classics Group. case 5. "Vivaldi: The Four Seasons," Joshua 4.

"The Sound," Mary Mary. My, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Sony BMG Masterworks. 5.

"Hello Love." Chris Tomlin. 6. "Bel Canto: Spectacular," Juan Diego de la Comunitat Valenciana CMG. (Oren). Classics Group.

6. "Speaking Louder Than Before," Jeremy 7. "Handel: Opera Arias: Furore," Joyce Camp. CMG. Talens Lyriques (Rousset).

Virgin 7. "A New Hallelujah," Michael W. Smith. 8. "A Chopin Treasury: Studio Concert Re8.

"Revelation," Third Day. cordings (1947-1957)," Nadia Reisenberg. Provident Bridge. 9. "The Altar and Casting 9, "Souvenirs," Anna Netrebko.

Crowns. Beach Classics Group. Provident-Integrity. (Gold) 10. "Four Last Songs Arias," 10.

"What It We," Brandon Heath. Renee Philharmoniker chestra (Thielemann). Classics Group. SOLUTIONS ABC HEP GAS BAGS DIE EUR AREOLAE ELL RA STERILE LULU OYSTER MIS GER PIERRE LA SACS ANNOYS NEW TI TE SETAE TR IN I MEN ELAND REVET ANT SUR ADE CANCEL DYER MAN HETERO ECCE PLO RID DIC SALS IGUANAS TKO NAE NANETTE ER ATA GESSOES ST 6 3 7 8 1 4 9 2 428639175 195427638 8 JUMBLE 8 1 5 7 2 4 Answer: 5 1 9 7 4 2 3 8 6 MERCY FLEECE 2 7 4 8 6 3 9 5 1 When VIRUS the skunk drew the EXTENT 9 8 635 4 21 7 crowd's attention, it became the 341278569 9 "SCENTER" of it. 752196843 He's Just Not That Into You Stars: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, Justin Long Director: Ken Kwapis Rating: PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language.

Running time: 124 minutes. Liz Tuccillo, the script from Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein Been follows nine intertwined characters struggling to make sense of their love lives. The women, especially Ginnifer Goodwin's hopeless romantic Gigi, tend to be needy and demanding; the men, like Bradley Cooper's cheating Ben, are often caddish and evasive. And their stories are broken up with title cards taken from the source material's chapters he's not calling you," for example) that make "He's Just Not That Into You" feel like episodic television rather than a cohesive whole. Maybe that's fitting, since the title comes from a line uttered on "Sex and the City," for which Behrendt and Tuccillo were writers.

But it doesn't always work. We begin with Gigi obsessing over the blind 1 date she just had with Baltimore real-estate agent Conor (Kevin Connolly). Winsome and attractive as she is, she's also annoyingly desperate, to the point where she drives herself and everyone else mad analyzing every "uh" and "er" she exchanges with a guy. Thankfully, Conor's restaurant manager pal Alex (Justin Long) is there to strip her of her girlish illusions. Functioning as the voice of the book, Alex gives her advice that's hilarious in its harshness: "Maybe he just didn't call because he has no interest in seeing you again." Long brings a charisma to this cruelty, and his scenes with the perky Goodwin provide the film with refreshing honesty and zest.

Because from there, everything else is a downer. Gigi's coworker, Beth (Aniston), has been living with boyfriend Neil (Ben Affleck) for seven years, but he's never asked her to marry him, and that's beginning to wear on her. Their other colleague, Janine (Jennifer Connelly in a meaty performance), is married to her college sweetheart (Cooper), who's having an affair with yoga instructor Anna (Johansson in full va-va-voom mode). Drew Barrymore, also an executive producer on the film, has a supporting role as the sales rep who helped place Conor's ad in the local gay newspaper; with the help of her flamboyant co-workers, she laments the way technology has actually made dating harder, but her observations aren't particularly funny or insightful. After more than two hours, what we're left with feels like a Robert Altman movie on Botox.

It has some real substance and heft, but it also might be a bit too glossy..