Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 79

W3Mifi PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 199S dSt7 ARTS EHTERTAJHMIN7 'Sports Night' one of best players in season's stalling lineup i 'J "isl. frf. i p. -M. 4 TV REVIEW "Sports Night" When: 9:30 tonight on ABC.

Starring: Josh Charles, Casey McCall, Felicity Huffman, Robert Guillaume. "1 i WW if Si! Yiv rfsLk Hi! IliMllBWlM IMnMTT More TV reviews, see Page radic, and I still think the shtiw would be better off without them Altogether, but great care has been taken to make sure they're not overly intrusive. 2 In both episodes the laughs primarily come during scenes with associate producer Natalie Hurley (Sabrina Lloyd) and the new research analyst on staff (Josh Madi-na), whom she has a crush on. Ttlis storyline warrants a laugh trajk more than any other, but it's als a bit of a revelation in TV: a cute gjrl who likes a semi-nerdy guy. 3 Avoiding cliches (except mayie the network meanie) is a hallmark of "Sports Night" Unlike last nighj's "Brian Benben Show," there are jio dumb anchors to be found ally-where.

"Having any character who if a fool makes your life just a little mgre difficult in terms of either comedy or drama," Sorkin said. "If it'J a straw man that you can knock down, it's not much fun. We really have no Ted Baxters on this shqw. Everybody can be smart. Everybody "can be dumb." Kind of like real people.

Sorkin said he chose to mix cqm-edy and drama because he doesn't "really do either one of them vtell enough to do only one of them. Sly fastball isn't fast enough, and my curve ball doesn't break enough He's being modest, because Bie truth of it is real life has equal dosjes of humor and drama, and Sorkiti is bringing that reality to "Spqfts Night." He's also pulling a reverse "Ally McBeal," which caught fire with critics and viewers for addfrig large doses of comedy to a one-hour drama. With "Sports Night," Sorkircis simply doing the reverse, and doing it well. By Rob Owen Post- Gazette TV EcJ 'or Each fall, those of us who watch TV for a living beg and plead with viewers to tune into a show that may not immediately appeal to a broad enough audience to keep it on the air. This year's show is "Sports Night" premiering tonight at 9:30 on ABC.

Smart writing, talented actors playing realistic characters and a pace and cinematography reminiscent of HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show" or make "Sports Night" one of only a handful of new series that warrant viewer attention. There's just one problem: It's a half-hour series that bears more resemblance to a drama than a sitcom. With the exception of "The Wonder Years," programs of this nature don't survive long on the broadcast networks. Prime example: "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" went to Lifetime for its last two seasons of original episodes when the show got axed by NBC. To make matters worse, ABC entertainment president Jamie Tars-es is insisting on use of a laugh track, which comes and goes sporadically because "Sports Night" has so many dramatic moments.

(An unwritten prime-time rule: All half-hour shows, except animated comedies like "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill," must have background laughs.) "Sports Night" goes behind the scenes of a daily sports news show akin to ESPN's "SportsCenter." But "Sports Night" is not a program about sports. Sure, some of the dialogue makes more sense if you know who John Starks and Patrick Ewing are, but that's immaterial to "Sports Night" stars, clockwise from front, Robert Guillaume, Sabrina Lloyd, Peter Krause, Felicity Huffman, Joshua Malina and Josh Charles. Tarses and said "Sports Night" would have a laugh track. "My gut is still no laugh track, but I'm listening to very bright people who say there should be a laugh track," Sorkin said. "So I'm going to go with them for a while.

We're going to reassess the situation after six episodes." Most of the show's cast, including "Benson" veteran Guillaume, were anti-laugh track, too. "If I were to be perfectly honest, I would say I don't like laugh tracks," Guillaume said. "But I'd rather have laugh tracks than nothing where there's supposed to be a laugh." No worries about that with "Sports Night." There's plenty of humor, but be prepared for a show that's predominantly drama. The laugh track is absent in tonight's first scene set in a hectic control room just before air time. This opening salvo is probably the fastest-paced depiction of real-life workplace chaos since the premiere episode of "ER." It's so well choreographed with rat-a-tat-tat dialogue, to insert canned laughter would be wrong.

After viewing a revised version of tonight's show and next week's episode, I'm actually less concerned about the laugh track issue than I once was. True, the laughs are spo- that "Rush Hour" will win him the kind of fame in America that he enjoys in Asia. "Rounders" dropped from the top spot to No. 4 with $4.8 million in ticket sales, while "Simon Birch" ranked No. 5 with $3.9 million, according to weekend estimates.

The other films in the top 10 were holdover hits from the summer. "Rush Hour" broke the record for the three-month period of $18.9 million, set in 1996 by "First Wives Club," according to Exhibitor Relations. It also was the biggest opening for a New Line Cinema film, break ONE TRUE THING (R) DIGITAL 1:30 4:15 7:05 9:45 It's 'Rush-Hour' at weekend box office Opera, Public Theater receive $1 million gifts ROCERT CROAH ON MUSIC New Music Ensemble poised for new season Monday will mark the opening of David Stock's final season with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble the organization he founded in 1976 and nurtured until it became a major force among American chamber ensembles with a contemporary specialty. He has brought energy, skill, knowledge, but most of all vision to the task, which has been a labor of love and along with his own creative work a consuming passion in his life. What has made the New Music Ensemble so valuable has been the scope of Stock's point of view and familiarity with the manifold directions classical music has taken in the past quarter-century.

I'm told that a search for a new music director is down to three final candidates. It can only be hoped that the one chosen will be not just a good conductor, but also a musician of vision and view of the field, to guide and inspire performers and audiences as they face the music of the 21st century. The '98-'99 season will bring the ensemble into a new venue, Katz Auditorium of the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill. It will also be the season of Stock's 60th birthday, and the running theme all year will be works by eight composers Stock among them, of course who turn 60 during that time span. They include William Thomas McKinley, Joan Tower, John Harbison, John Corigliano, William Bolcom, Charles Wuori-nen and Ellen Taafe Zwilich.

New Kensington native McKinley will share the opening program with Stock's "The Philosopher's Stone" ind music by Jacob Druckman (celebrating a 70th birthday) and Michael Dougherty (who will be in town for the world premiere of his 'Spaghetti Western" at the Pittsburgh Symphony). Stock, just returning from the premiere of his new Viola Concerto on the Seattle Symphony's Music of Our Times series last Wednesday describes the mission of PNME: "to encourage the creation, performance, dissemina-ion and appreciation of contemporary music, with special emphasis Dn American and living composers." He's very happy with the present season which he designed carefully as an all-star series. His own latest work won praise from Seattle Post-Intelligencer critic R.M. Campbell for 'its restless energy, intensity and mercurial temperament." It's one of eight premieres Stock will have within a time span of less than a year. REDISCOVERED: Charles Ives (1874-1954) is the composer who wrote most of his music after he died.

Or, at least, that's the way it looks at first glance. Ives made his living and a good one in the insurance business. He invented what we now call estate planning, and wrote his music quietly, with little care for having it performed. As a result, much of his oeuvre was not performed publicly until after his death. And it's so original and forward-looking that it still sounds avant-garde today.

On Oct 1, the Cleveland Orchestra with pianist Alan fleinberg will premiere still one more "new" work by Ives his "Emerson" Concerto, reconstructed by musicologist David G. Porter from four sources: Ives' early sketches of an "Emerson" Overture for piano and orchestra; the "Emerson" movement of Ives' "Concord" Sonata for solo piano; four transcriptions, which are actually attempts to rework the above material; and additional piano studies and sketches. The Cleveland Orchestra, under its music director, Christoph von Dohnanyi, will play the "Emerson" Concerto in Severance Hall four times Oct. 1-4, along with Ives' popular "Central Park in the Dark and Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony. These performances will be the centerpiece of a five-day Ives festival, featuring an exhibit on Ives and the evolution of the "Emerson" Concerto, pre- and post-concert discussions with Ives specialists, and a chamber music concert of Ives music on Oct.

5. Details: 216- the story of the "Sports Night" characters. US magazine describes "Sports Night" as a show for "sensitive jocks," but it has the potential to appeal to a much broader audience. Josh Charles stars as Dan Rydell, who anchors "Sports Night" with Casey McCall (Peter Krause from a newly divorced dad who has trouble picking up the pieces of his life in tonight's pilot. His lack of enthusiasm brings down the sports-cast, much to the consternation of the "network suit" (re: corporate bad guy) responsible for "Sports Night." The network is close to firing Casey, but producer (and possible future love interest) Dana Whitaker (Felicity Huffman) defends him to her boss, executive producer Isaac Jaffee (Robert Guillaume).

"It's your call, Dana, but pretty soon it's going to be my call," Jaffee says. "Because here's the thing: I'm not going to let it be their call." Series creator and writer Aaron Sorkin, who earned admiration from critics and film audiences alike for his screenplays of "A Few Good Men" and "The American President," thinks a laugh track is wrong for "Sports Night." "For some of us the laugh track was actually interfering with our enjoyment of the show," Sorkin said at a "press conference with TV critics this summer in Pasadena, Calif. One day later at an ABC press party, Sorkin came out of a huddle with Artistic Director Tito Capo-bianco said the money ensures Pittsburgh Opera has "a vibrant future in Pittsburgh." Ann and Barry Sullivan of Laughlintown, Westmoreland County, have given PPT $1 million, the largest individual gift in the Public's 23-year history. In turn, the performance space in The O'Reilly Theater, which is currently under construction on Penn Avenue in the Cultural District, will be named The Barry Rigg Sullivan Auditorium. Sullivan is president of SME.Inc.

The donation is part of the $8.5 million already raised in the $12.8 million fund-raising campaign under way at the Public. Family and friends of Heinz chairman Anthony O'Reilly contributed between $3 million and $5 million to the Cultural Trust, owners of the building, to have the theater named after him. S4.2S-AU SHOWS BEFORE 6 P.M. a-OME TRUE THINS (Rl 5:30,7:45, 10:00 POLISH WEDDIHE (Pfi-13) 5:35, 7:35, MO 'THE SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS (HI 0:20, 7:30, 0:40 SIMON BIRCH (N) 5:15,7:20,9:35 S4.2S-ALL SHOWS BEFORE P.M. SAVING PRIVATE RTAK R) 0:25,0:30 RUSH HOUR (P5-13) 5:35, 7J5, 0:35 TOUR FRIENDS I NEIGHBORS (R) 5:40,7:40,0:45 ROUNDERS (R) 5:30, 7:45, 10:00 BLADE (R) 5:20,7:30,0:50 rj(R) 5:20,7:20,0:30 mm JL LAND GIRLS (R) 5:30,7:35,0:40 5:15,0:30 7:20 5:25,7:40,0:45 5:10,0:20 1 SAVING PRIVATE RYU (R) 4 4 POLISH WEDDING (PG-13) THERE'S SOMETHING IBM KM! (R) EVER AFTER (PG-13) EVERY WED.

ALL SHOWS SLOP ARMAGEDDON (PG-13) THE PARENT TRAP (PC) KNOCK OFT (R) 54(R) 7:00 7:00 0:30 0:13 HUH MIL NO KM! WCWHt HCUTI UTf UC 1MH IWWi FEATURE TIMES FOR TODAY ONLY CHRISTUCKER HOUR FREEPORT RD. IWILKINS MONHOEVIUi 823-1980 884-4484 I south forward ave. waterworks mau OB1-78QO 784-IWe RUSH HOUR (PG-13) DIGITAL 2:30 4:45 6:55 9:10 POLISH WEDDING (R) STEREO 12:40 2:45 5:00 7:45 9:55 SLUMS OF BEVERLY HLLS (R) DIGITAL 1:05 3:00 5:40 8:15 10:00 JL SIMON BIRCH (PG) i 12:30 2:45 5:10 7:35 10:00 DIGITAL (R) I 12:35 2:55 5:30 7:45 10:00 DIGflAL AIR BUD 2 (G) STEREO 1:00 HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK (R) 5:05 7:30 9:50 STEREO SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (R) DIGITAL I 4:05 7:25 I BLADE (R) STEREO 1:30 4:20 7:00 9:30 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (R) 1:45 4:30 7:15 9:40 DIGITAL What would you do with $1 million? That's a question Pittsburgh Opera and Pittsburgh Public Theater are glad to answer. The opera has received more than $1 million in gifts from four area corporations. The gifts were made by Mellon Bank PNC Private Bank the H.J.

Heinz Co. Foundation ($200,000) and Na-dine Bognar of Bognar and Co. These gifts follow a $1 million gift made earlier this year by Frank J. PasquerillaCrowh American Realty Trust. Mark J.

Weinstein, executive director of Pittsburgh Opera, said the financial support will "enable us to do what we do best challenge the imagination of our audiences, both on-stage and at theaters, schools and community centers around the region," THERE SOMETHING ABOUT MARY R) 7:15, 9:45 1 Tuesday, Sept. 22 f-or into: 41 2-t82-41 1 1 I Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss 1uesdav: 7:30 Little Dieter (Last day!) Tuesday: 7:30 nnmTETOrtiiffOTTr i The Thief (Russia) Tuesday: 7:30 I iMMUmiK-ni -MMMmMIFS-lll TMFMfNTTMNK tuBHimiira UUllMHnMSM-ni ftNIIMTMMIlHIH 1 45 9 00 100 4 00 8 00 1 3C 4 30 7 00 1 '5 3'5 515 715 9 '5 4 15 700 915 1 HB" UOO 800 SHOWS TKENUIMTTIWirU 7 00 THtinm(KsiK-in 915 'UMUiMWIK-tJI 800 sift tEtTiHhtts mium in kii mjm Egg ERE rac I lilt I DO FOOLS FALL LOVE (R) STEREO 12:30 2:45 F77TCT3 I CHECK Ol'TOl'R WEBSITE WWW.MOVIESCOOP.COM ing the record set in March 1990iy "Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles. BOX OFFICE: The top-grossing movies last weekend 1. Rush Hour S31 million. 2.

One True Thing $6.6 million. 3. There's Something About Mary. $6 million. 4.

Rounders $4.8 millipn. 5. Simon Birch $3.9 million. 6. Saving Private Rvan $3.4 million.

7. Blade JS3.3 million. 8. Ever After $1.7 million. 9.

Armageddon $1.2 million. 10. Snake Eves $950,000. I7QO SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE iw-ijiocb i isa. ts SLUMS Of 8EVERLT HILLS iqh 1:10.

3:10. 5:10. 7:10. til MWlllleg 1:20. 4:30.

7:30, 1M0 KltOCIOFFlHlia tS.t.6 HftflB 1:30. 100.7:10 aD mr oo foots fail ik love ra 7 no mmim to puaihse in ob mom MSTBUVVtWRHOiafaB 1:30. 4:10. 7:15. 10:00 mlSI0fM0(Pfr13Ha.

1:00.7:10 THERE SOMETHING ABOUT MART 4:15. 7:15. 9:45 ARMASEOSON (PG-13) Ibc GSa 7:00.10:00 tmoooiioiDa m. a milium it MONROEVILLE MALL, laiirrjrsT KNOCK OFF Rr 130, 3:30, mi! SOMETHING ABOUT MA tT l) 3:10. 7130.99 THE PASEIIT TUP (PG) ET 1:30.

430. 720. Erl KOAJIK IV Ml. ONE TIDE THING (K) "9 SIMON BIRCH (PG 5 SNAKE EYES iR) 45.3:30.710.9$ ..1:00. 3:50, JHO.

9 ,.1:30.4:15.715,9 SAVING PRIVATE WAN (Ft) EtEl. SAVING PRIVATE RTAN (Rf THE PARENT TRAP (PGa. 9fl MO, 3 110,3:45, EVER AFTER (PG-13)' it oniric 1 NOHI'H lPG-13) EB ..12:30. 40. 445, 7:15.

Sfl ONE Tf'jE THING 111 LI EVER AFTER iPG-13) 1:15,4:10.7:10,94 IUUK0ERS mi 1:20. 4-00, 730, 9-4 MOB OFF () 435.9$ BLASE (Ft) 1M.t10,Tffl,9 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (R) 1M, 115, PARENT TRAP (PS) 115.7 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MART R) 1:10. 430. 715. iSl I KT.

51 PLEASANT HlAXSh RUSH HOUR PG-13 1:45,4:30,7:40 0 ROUNDERS IR 1:20,410,730,935 KNOCK OFF (R) 1:20, 5:30. 00 FOOLS FALL I LOVE (R) 1:45. 430, 730. 930 BLADE IN) 330.715 BEAD MAN ON CAMPUS (HI 330,145 HOW STRIA GOT HER GDOOVE BACK 1:20. 490.

710. tj40 SNAKE EUSlRI 1:15. 410. 7 MO SAVUG WIVITE RTtt IR! 'T 1 00. UO mrnmmm uotrr mut i 3:38 hi mo i CKNTL'HVQIjARE plaza MAFIA IFWlEE 1, 1 Til 11 AVENGERS IPG-13)' 1:6,4:30, 7 101 MULAN (0' UO.

5:30,7:30,930 TRUMAN SHOD (Pt-131 1:20, 3:45, 7'30, iti OR. BOUTTU 1:10, J15, 5:20, MS. 9i5o MADELINE (PS) 1:10, 420, 710, UTS. STEN NHUrrS (P-1 1 :30. 3:50.

7:30, MO SOOaUA (PG-13J K-FHESIPG-131' A PERFECT MURDER INI' ..1:20. 410, 7.HB. M5 ..110,409,710.11 ...1:15.1:45, 7. $0 ..1:30. 415, 7:15.

tSO ...1:00, 4:10, 7:40. CITT OF ANGELS P-1S' DtSTDRGNI BEHAVIOR fMa.L'iinrvn i.t.i.-.jj-a iTADlUIVli SEATIAI lid By Claire Vitucci Associated Press LOS ANGELES "Rush Hour," starring Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan and comedian Chris Tucker as mismatched cops, earned $31 million in. its debut weekend, breaking the record for best opening ever in August, September and October. The film sailed past the No. 2 film, "One True Thing," a family drama starring Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger that brought in $6.6 million.

Chan, whose previous movies were only modest U.S. hits, hopes 3 TUE, 1 BAR6AIN PAT THEM'S SOMETHING UOUT MA1T 7:30,9:35 ARMAGEDDON (PO-13) 1:00 SAVINO PRIVATE CYAN (R) 8:00 LETHAL WEAPON 4 (R) 7:70, 9:35 nnnnzznznnz BARGAIN matinee all shows starting before spm CONTINUOUS SHOWS DAILY jmA LATE SHOWS FRIDAY 1 SATURDAY ffi FAWWtV EAST EOT 14. BUS. ATE MAINS MONHOCIflLLE 824-4424 271-9000 RUSH HOUR (ON 2 SCREENS) 1250 120 300 330 510 540 720 750 940 1010 PO-13 ONE TRUE THING 1 30 420 710 945 ROUNDERS (ON 2 SCSEENS1 100 1 400 430 715 745 950 1015 SAVINO PRIVATE RYAN (ON 2 SCREENS) 100 215 445 715 800 BLADE 1 10 410 725 lOOO WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE 400 930 HOW STELLA OOT HER OROOVE BACK 1245 700 SNAKE EYES 1240 250 505 740 955 AIR BUO: GOLDEN RECEIVER 1230 530 PARKWAY WEST RTE. 60787-5788 923-2760 RUSH HOUR 1250 300 510 720 940 FO-M ONE TRUE THING 1 30 420 710 945 ROUNDERS I ON 2 SCREENS) 100 130 400 430 715 745 950 1015 SIMON BIRCH 120 420 725 945 PO BLADE HO 410 725 1000 THE PARENT TRAP 1245400 PO THE MASK OF ZORRO 645 925 po-o SAVINS PRIVATE RYAN (ON 2 SCREENS) 100 215 445 715 80C OGITAL LETHAL WEAPON 4 1 20 430 720 955 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY 125 425 730 1005 EVER AFTER 115 415 700 930 PO-13 AIR BUO: GOLDEN RECEIVER 1230 530 MCKNIGHT MCCANDLESS 412-S3MI7IW24-93S-5MS RUSH HOUR 1250 300 510 720 940 PO-13 ONE TRUE THING 130 420 710 945 SIMON BIRCH 120 420 725 945 PO ROUNDERS (ON 2 SCREENS) 100 130 400 430 715 745 950 1015 BLADE 1 10 410 725 1O0O LETHAL WEAPON 4 120 4 30 720 955 SAVINO PRIVATE RYAN (ON 2 SCREENS) IOC 215 445 715 600 EVER AFTER 1 15 415 700 930 PO-13 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY 125 425 730 1005 AIR BUD? GOLDEN RECEIVER 1230 530 tmm NORTHWAY MALL 367-1593 ARMAGEDDON 345 630 915 SNAKE EYES 515 715 915 DR.

DOLITTLES10 710 THE AVENGERS 530 730 930 S4 520 720 920 HALLOWEEN: H20 910 A PERFECT MURDER 725 925 THE MASK OF ZORRO 640 920 KNOCK OFF 740 940 THE PARENT TRAP 415 MADELINE 525 MULAN 445 iiiBJ SHADES TO FIT ANY LAMP ALL AUTHORIZED STIFFEL REPAIR EXPERT LAMP REPAIRS-ALL BRANDS BRING IN LAMP FOR PROPER FIT Lighting ERIKinc Famous for Selection 3 With Or i I HOUR (PG-13) DIGITAL 12:45 3:00 5:10 7:30 9:40 JL. ROUNDERS (R) DIGITAL 12:00 2:25 4:50 7:20 9:45 THE PARENT TRAP (PG) DIGITAL 1:00 4:00 54 (R) DIGITAL 7:25 9:50 WHY DO FOOLS FALL LOVE (R) a 9:45 DIGITAL DEAD MAN ON CAMPUS (R) DIGITAL 12:45 2:45 4:55 i 7:35 ft EVER AFTER (PG-13) DIGITAL 12:00 2:30 5:00 7:25 10:00 BLADE (R) J0 1:15 4:15 7:15 9:50 DIGITAL COMWGSOOfV" I 3 NSW AUDITORIUMS WITH STADIUM MATING AND DIGITAL SOUND! jLONE TRUE THING (R) 7:15 9:50 DIGITAL SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (R) 4:30 8:00 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (R) 5:00 7:25 9:50 DIGITAL Sony, we are mM allowed to accept JL passes ot discount coupons for these films 42" and 52" sizes THE PERFECT LOOK COLOR AND SIZE FOR ANY ROOM! FANS FEATURE; TEiSE 1 EtfflVIE AHEHSCA "Two Thumbs Up!" 1 JACKIE CHAN RUSH 1 VriPMrMl SPEEDS REVERSIBLE SEALED MOTORS-NO OILING GUARANTEED NOT TO HUM. BUZZ OR CLICK Quality Ceiling Fans 10 Years. 25 Year Lifetime Warranties HOURS: Mon. Thurs 9-9 Fri.S Sat.

9-5 NORTH HILLS 2250 Babcock Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15237 821-6443 SOUTH HILLS 31 09 West Liberty Avenue Pittsburgn, PA 15216 561-6555 MALI. 778-3111 NOW SHOWING 700 COUCH no. B35-7700 Mcknight rd. robinson twp.i I rte. 31 787-B7BB II CRANBERRY I.