First off, my review of the senior musical revue "New Wrinkles" sparked some differing opinions on the production from readers. Jill writes:

Hi....I just read your "take" on the "New Wrinkles" show in "7", and I couldn't agree with you more! I thought the show dragged in the first half, and the second half was not much better. And.... I understand that the AC was broken and I got so hot, I thought I was going to pass out!!! If they knew that, they should have passed out paper fans or something. The water fountains were also down ... Based on the above comments, we probably won't go next year!

A caller this morning had a different take on the show:

And at the final curtain, my feeling was, Darn, is it over already?

Over on Fresnocentric, blogger Solitaire reports that once again the Woodward Shakespeare Festival is getting beat up by the city. Last weekend, the cast and crew gathered to build this season's set at its new location in the park and learned that the theater company needed a building permit (even though they've built the same set for three years now and apparently never needed one before.) So a whole volunteer work day was lost. On top of that, to compound the bureaucratic irritation, it turns out that just like last year, there's a conflict with performance dates. Solitaire writes:

The City decided to double book the space we were relocated to and have informed us that our OPENING WEEKEND Saturday is cancelled. Now, to set the record straight, we have NO problem setting aside our show for a charity event to benefit children’s illnesses, that is not the issue here. The issue is the fact that the Events Calendar Coordinator (if there even is such a person) forgot to plug in OUR dates when we submitted them MONTHS ago and so there wasn’t anything on the calendar about us until it was already too late.

If you recall from earlier Beehive grumblings, something similar happened not once but TWICE last year.

The scene: An advance press/promotional screening of "Sex and the City" Tuesday night at the Edwards Cinemas at River Park.

The gimmick: A half-hour broadcast of the red-carpet arrivals at the New York premiere of the movie. Hosted by the hyperactive (and slobbering) fashion critic Steven Cojo, whose odd blond bangs make him look like Prince Caspian without as much testosterone, we watch such "Sex and the City" notables as Kristen Davis, Chris Noth and Sarah Jessica Parker endure excruciating questions and grainy close-ups of their pores.

The mood of the audience: near open rebellion. With the theater darkened and the movie not starting for half an hour, there's nothing much to do than listen to the deafening barks of the paparazzi ("Look this way, Sarah!" "Smile, Chris!" "Look at me, Kristen!") and try to combat eye strain from the slightly blurry images. As the red-carpet show proceeds, people in the Edwards theater crowd start yelling back at the screen.

If "Sex" is on your mind this week, you might get a kick out of this. (Warning: LOTS of ads on this site.)

Heavy.com has created “Flex and the City,” recasting this heavyweight show (and reinforcing countless pairs of Manolos) with female bodybuilders! They’ve shot three classic “Sex and the City” scenes, plus the title sequence, and Jamie Kovac (Fury on American Gladiators) plays the role of Charlotte. No soft lighting needed for these ladies: Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte are sinewy, sexy and can bench press 450 pounds.

There's a special vibe to "New Wrinkles." And there's a special vibe to any review I write of this long-running senior musical revue now tap dancing into its 20th year at Fresno City College. (It plays through June 8; tickets are $15; info at 559-442-8221.)

Above all else, I love the idea of the show, which is open to performers 55 years of age and above. (The oldest cast member, John Schaeffer, celebrates his 90th birthday during the three-week run.) Strictly in terms of entertainment value, the performances in a show such as this can vary widely, ranging from seasoned show-biz pro to slightly halting amateur. But the most important thing to me is that some performances simply emanate joy.

Perhaps that's why I'm so drawn to a song such as "I Remember It Well," sung with beautiful style and feeling by Chuck Creighton and Carol Salrin. Or a dance such as "42nd Street," in which we're treated to the iconic image of the curtain raised just enough to reveal all those dancing feet. So what if those feet have a few years more on them than the ones you'd normally find on Broadway?

Like it or not, many of the stories that journalists pump out each day are fairly predictable: the optimistic business story about the cocky young entrepreneur hoping to making a fortune; the inspirational sports story about the disadvantaged athlete overcoming adversity; the intellectual arts story about a painter stirring up controversy; the perky music story about an up-and-coming act trying to reach superstardom by trying hard and dreaming big.

But sometimes you read a story that doesn't follow the route you'd expect. Such is the case with a fascinating article in Tuesday's Life section by fellow Beehiver Mike Oz about fraternal twins Sean and Justin Richey, who are both stars in Buchanan High School's jazz band. Our common societal narrative when it comes to twins is that they're inseparable: finishing each other's sentences, linked by a telepathic-like bond, so close that none of the rest of us can really understand. But in Mike's story, it's different. He writes:

"They're not your typical twins. They really don't get along," says Dee Navarro, who has raised Sean and Justin as a single mom for the last two years after a divorce.

So the twin brothers who are so gifted in playing jazz really don't like each other?

"No," Sean says.

Justin shakes his head.

They're not even friends on MySpace.

It's a fascinating read, and touching as well. It makes you think about how competition really does sometimes bring out the best in people.

Any show you can direct, Dan Pessano can direct better.

OK, sure, that line is a little over the top -- and is of course a bit of word play on the well-known Irving Berlin tune "Anything You Can Do" in the much-loved "Annie Get Your Gun." And I'm guessing that such singling out of praise will make the veteran Pessano, who famously believes in theater as a team effort, wince a little. But it's impossible to attend the rousing Good Company Players production of the show, which opened Thursday at Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater, and not walk away thinking how well directed it is.

I'm not just talking about the individual components of the show: the superlative singing, the endearing characterizations, the clever staging, the wonderfully low-key set. What sets this production apart is the way all those things come together. The total package, in other words. It's the perfect scale for the intimate Roger Rocka's space.

I'm in an inquisitive mood today. Does anybody have any answers?

• I see on Mindhub that the Knuckledraggers improv comedy group performs alternate Thursday nights at M restaurant in the Tower District. Just what is the status of M these days? Some nights I drive by and see bouncers outside and big lines of people waiting to get in, and other nights it's shut up tighter than Reedley on a Tuesday. Is it a restaurant? A bar? A dance club? (And if so, does it have the requisite permits?) Can I still get hummus there?
• Speaking of Tower restaurants, is Palomino's ever going to put up proper signage? Or at least paint over the faded remnants of the name of the Japanese flower shop/ice cream store/whatever it was that used to be there? I sort of understand Palomino's shabby-chic aesthetic of a little sign propped in the window, but at what point does the storefront just make the block look vaguely dilapidated?
• Does Mike Oz know that there can be consequences for taking on big bad Bill O'Reilly?
• Has anyone tried the Plaza Oaxaca restaurant (5730 N 1st St, in the SaveMart strip mall at 1st and Bullard)? I gave it a try a couple of weekends ago and LOVED it. They put chunks of potatoes in the burritos, which I assume is a Oaxacan specialty. Does anyone know any other good Oaxacan-style Mexican restaurants out there?

In Friday's 7 section, I talk with director Dan Pessano about the new Good Company Players production of "Annie Get Your Gun" at Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater. Here's a continuation of the interview:

I know this is an updated version of "Annie Get Your Gun." Has Good Company performed the musical before?
This is our third production. We did it in 1984 and 1997. I think many people still do it with the original version. I was aware of the other version when I saw it in New York and really wanted to do it.

UPDATE (for those who don't want to read to the end of the blog): David Cook wins. Utah sighs.

FROM LAST NIGHT: It's here, folks. The culmination of the season. The battle of the Davids. The standoff resolved.

My only hope and desire at this stage in the game, other than to wish that my fellow Beehive blogger, Felicia Matlosz, would be suddenly zapped away from her vacation and forced to share this night with me, is that I don't have to go through two hours of boxing.

8 p.m. Please, please, please, American Idol deities, let this final show not continue the labored boxing metaphor that unfolded in last night's episode. Oh no. First shot. David Archuleta and David Cook, swathed in white, square off on a darkened stage as if -- please don't say it -- they're in a boxing ring. And here's Ryan,taking the stance of -- no, not the ring announcer! -- and he's going to say something, and if it's about boxing I think I'll just crawl into a corner right now.

But no. It's just the two contestants dressed in snug white outfits that make them look like tennis pros.

No boxing. Maybe it's going to be an OK night after all.

8:08 p.m.: Well, maybe some second thoughts about those white outfits. The Top 12 are decked out in various permutations of white, and they're dancing around, and they all look deliriously happy, as if they just landed in the remake of the "Brady Bunch" reunion movie. Look! There's Brooke! And she isn't crying! Give her time.

8:14 p.m.: Man, those movie studio execs are GOOD. We're in the midst of the most elaborate movie tie-in imaginable, with a costumed Mike Myers done up as "The Love Guru." He "meets" the two Davids. Best line of the exchange: when Myers tells David Archuleta that someday he's going to grow hair in strange and wonderful places and then he'll make a boom-boom in his pull-ups. The look on Archie's face is utterly confused. He's probably thinking: What am I supposed to do now, Dad? Dad: He said a naughty!

8:17 p.m.: Ryan Seacrest is sitting on a magic carpet. Seriously. And it moves. The carpet starts out on a journey -- is it on the way to West Hollywood? -- before he puts on the brakes.

8:23 p.m.: The consolation prizes start. First up is Syesha Mercado, who launches into a duet with Seal and is immediately overpowered by the power of his voice. Sorry, Syesha, but you sound downright tinny tonight. You look great, though.

8:26 p.m.: Jason Castro is up next, singing "Hallelujah." Did he get those lyrics wrong? No matter. You'll always be our little dreadlocked, brain-cell-zapped, patron saint of upper-middle-class stoners.

Just a reminder: I'll be hanging out here on the Beehive from 8 to 10 p.m. tonight live-blogging "American Idol." The announcement of the winner will take, what, two minutes at most, so we'll have 118 minutes to fill with goofy footage of inept auditioners (and I'm not talking about Jason Castro), special guest artists, commercials, witless banter between Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell, more commercials, perhaps Miley Cyrus dressed as a nun-in-training so she can rehabilitate her image, breathless Fox plugs for upcoming series, still more commercials, strange gurglings from Paula Abdul that some kind people might classify as cogent sentences -- well, you get the picture. The same old stuff, only glitzier! Keep me company if you're not completely Idoled out.

Well, you have to hand it to "American Idol" on at least one count: The producers knew they had a potential snooze-fest on their hands with a David vs. David finale, so they cracked the whip with the writing staff and came up with an overly elaborate metaphor of a boxing match to frame the show. The intro included the golden tones of boxing announcer Michael Buffer ("In this corner ...") and the two contestants decked out in red and blue robes (and prancing around in that silly way that boxers do before a match even though it looks like they're dancing in their pajamas), and while the thought of David Archuleta being able to generate enough aggression from the depths of his relentlessly cheery personality to hit another human being is ludicrous -- it'd be like putting Mother Teresa in a cage match -- it at least gave a theme for the evening.

My special guest co-blogger this week, "AI addict" (and faithful Beehive commenter) Stephen Mintz, who is filling in for the vacationing (and, frankly, lucky) Felicia Matlosz, writes that "clearly the producers have their fingers on the pulse of the key core American Idol crowd...going with the sports theme? Boxing, even? Brilliant."

I wasn't quite so enamored of the boxing thing because it seemed so labored. But perhaps it was because the judges seemed so intent on naming Archuleta winner by a knockout.

UPDATE: Felicia Matlosz and I continue the "American Idol" hoopla with a story on the cover of Monday's Life section that details some of the low points of the season. (We promised five low AND high points, but unfortunately our one high point -- David Cook's superb rendition of "Billie Jean" -- got squeezed out of the print edition. But here online, you can easily go back through all our blogs.)

UPDATE 2: Join me right here on the Beehive at 8 p.m. Wednesday for a LIVE BLOGGING EVENT (woo-hoo) as the winner is announced.

I unleash on this season of "American Idol" in my Sunday Spotlight column, but then again, if you've been reading the Beehive blog entries from Felicia Matlosz and me in these recent weeks, you know we've already taken on a flak-jacket mentality toward this mostly disappointing season. (Re-reading all the entries, it's funny how many times we tried to find different ways to say "boring": try "underwhelming," "monotonous," "mediocre," "bland," "flat," "aging," "shaky" -- you get the picture.) The big question in advance for next week's finals, of course, is: Which David is going to triumph? Will the teeny-bopper Archuleta's rabid fan base pull through? Or will Cook's genial rocker appeal -- which is probably broader than his opponent's but not as intense -- take the day?

Up till now, it's been relatively easy predicting the finalists: We all knew that Jason, Syesha and Brooke would go home before the Davids. But now that we're down to D vs. D, who has the advantage? I'm fervently hoping for Mr. Cook, if only because he doesn't remind me of one of the marionette puppets in "The Lonely Goatherd" (thank you very much for that mental image, Heather, which I now can't erase), but there are a lot of teen-age girls out there.

What do you think? And do you agree with Felicia and me that this season has been a yawner?

On the jump: Links to our past "AI" blog entries.

From AP via Yahoo: Honda's ASIMO robot conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as it performs 'Impossible Dream' during a concert in Detroit, Tuesday, May 13. Honda Motor Co. designed ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility. ASIMO can run, walk on uneven slopes and respond to simple voice commands, but Honda says this is the first time ASIMO has ever conducted an orchestra. ASIMO can't respond to the players, but mimicked the actions of a conductor who was videotaped beforehand.

No word on whether ASIMO can schmooze donors or tolerate hot Fresno summers. On the jump: a few more shots of the robot just because it's so darn cute.

Twenty-eight years ago, Fresno's own Marcel Nunis -- Rogue Festival founder and local arts-scene fixture -- wrote the book for a musical titled "Frogway." Back in 1980, Malaysia's Sunday Star newspaper described it as "the very first made-in-Malaysia musical, produced and directed by unknowns in theatre. It was a hit!" The show "re-premiered" last year in Malaysia, and Nunis learned recently that the new production had been nominated for five Boh Cameronian Arts awards. (Think the Malaysian version of Broadway's Tony Awards, Marcel explains.) A description of the musical's plot:

Eddy, a singing frog, is rejected by his pond community because frogs aren't supposed to sing! He leaves the pond, and the love of his life, to seek his fame and fortune downriver at the Swamp. Here Eddy's singing talent propels him to stardom with the help of two cunning agents, a Snake and a Stork. He reaches the top of the entertainment world when he gets to perform on 'Frogway'. But fame, fortune and riotous living take their toll on our star. Blinded by pride and rejection, he turns to the dark side and dumps his best friend Freddy the Toad. To his horror, Eddy stumbles upon a dastardly plot by his agents to rob him of his fortune before killing and EATING him.

On Monday, Nunis learned that the show received one award for Best Group Performance (Voice). Congrats, Marcel. Not even Audra McDonald can say she's won a Boh Cameronian award. Now for the burning question: Does Livingstone's serve frogs' legs?

A couple of things on my mind:

I'VE GOTTA ECHO my colleague Mike Oz and send a big fat So What? out to the folks on Mindhub and Valley Notebook fidgeting over the so-called "brain drain" affecting Fresno. Memo to those who worry that we're losing our "best and brightest" to major urban areas: Ever since young Marcus Tullius Overachiever bailed on his backwater town of Naples to head for the bright lights of Rome, say, it's been a rite of passage for some members of the younger generation to seek out fame and fortune in exotic locales. (Why is it, by the way, that it is always the best and brightest that we always seem to lament/gnash teeth/rent our clothing in a Biblical sense over and not the average, medicore, barely literate types who shove off for Santa Rosa or Topeka who wound our sense of civic pride?)

Once again, the end of the performing-arts season in Fresno is approaching, and while I will enjoy having more nights and weekends free, I will also miss the frenzy of activity as people have to pick between competing events.

You have one more chance to listen to the Fresno Philharmonic, which concludes its 2007-08 season with one more performance this afternoon (2:30 p.m. Sunday) at the Saroyan Theatre. My colleague George Warren reviews the performance in this morning's Bee.

I went to Saturday night's concert, which I enjoyed. It wasn't my favorite of the season -- I think I'd vote for the January concert featuring pianist Valentina Lisitsa -- and isn't necessarily the event you'd take a first-time Philharmonic-goer to -- but it's a rousing conclusion. Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" is the kind of choral piece that can grow on you: perhaps not as beefy and rousing as some of the choral spectaculars we've heard from the Philharmonic in the past, but something that builds. The Copland symphony -- with its clear, open tones that somehow evoke the promise and sweep of America -- was also a delight.

Looking for a cultural event this weekend that won't set you back any dough? Fresno State's Associated Students is presenting a free concert 7 p.m. Sunday (May 11) by Kybele Dance Theater of Los Angeles. Founded in 2003 by Seda Aybay, it's a contemporary dance company comprised of 8 dancers. The athletic, strength and stamina-requiring movement vocabulary is created by fusing together elements of theatrical, modern, and different ethnic dance forms. The pieces are often enhanced with props such as fans, scarves and folding chairs and are performed to music that combines ethnic with modern melodies.

The concert, co-presented by the Fresno State Tap Tones, will take place at the Satellite Student Union. Could be a great Mother's Day finale. (And you don't even have to tell Mom that it's free!)

Everyone's got to call in sick once in a while. But some jobs are hard to fill. How do you replace an orchestra conductor on short notice?

You scramble.

That's what the BBC National Orchestra of Wales did recently when officials called Fresno Philharmonic music director Theodore Kuchar in a panic and told him conductor Walter Weller was ill. They wanted to keep the program as printed and asked Kuchar to conduct Josef Suk’s Asrael Symphony at that weekend's concerts. A broadcast recording of the symphony, which Kuchar had conducted in Prague only a few months before, had circulated through Europe and caught the attention of the Welsh orchestra. He was the only one who could do it, they said.

(By the way, a healthy Kuchar is in Fresno this weekend for the final concert of the Philharmonic's 2007-08 season, which you can read about in Friday's 7 section.)

So, Donald, you're all done with your theater and arts reviews for the week. Where to now?

I'm going back to "Urinetown." Tonight, in fact.

I don't often make repeat visits to local theater productions, especially more than one time within a span of less than a week, but there are certain shows (especially well-loved musicals) for which I'll make an exception. And with a limited-run production such as Fresno State's "Urinetown," you can't dawdle. The university stages a musical just once every two years, so it's a special event. (You can check out my review here along with reader comments.)

Why go again? There's so much to take in the first time in a show such as this: the costumes, the lighting, the musical nuances, the special little touches. Also, I'm wishing pretty strongly that the sound design, which was the only major flaw on opening night, has gotten better. Wish me (and all those hard-working students and community members at Fresno State) luck. "Urinetown" plays just three more performances: 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If you've got a musical-theater bone in your body, you won't want to miss it.

Some things never change: The sun sets in the west. Food from McDonald's tastes worse an hour after you eat it. When Annie sings "Tomorrow," her side-stretched hand will sweep to the sky, and she will end the song in a spectacular, note-crashing climax so inspirational you'll want to rush out and invent some sort of new vaccine.

I like the fact that "Annie" is predictably cheery. There are certain things that just seem right in this happy-go-perky musical: the cute dog; the evil Miss Hannigan; the eternal optimism of the orphans even when Annie gets picked to go live with the rich guy. The national touring production that opened Tuesday night at the Saroyan (and continues 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night for one more performance) might not be the snazziest or most cutting-edge touring musical of the year, but it knows how to get its happy job done.

The 10-year-old Amanda Balon (who has been performing since the age of 2, according to the program notes, and has her own Web site), who plays the demanding role of Annie, has a strong voice and a sassy personality. I think one test of playing Annie well is the ability to pull off the "I love you" scene with Daddy Warbucks in a heartfelt way that is neither too flippant nor too goopy. Scrappy and equipped with a powerful set of lungs, the young Amanda has no problems carrying a two and a half hour musical.

My colleague George Warren offered a review of Fresno Grand Opera's impressive "Porgy and Bess" in Sunday's paper. I saw the matinee performance and wanted to offer a few more thoughts:

• The voices: simply amazing. The principals were world-class. Alvy Powell can bore a hole into you with his voice. Marquita Lister is a terrific actress as well as singer. Mary Elizabeth Williams was positively beatific. The growly Ashley Howard Wilkinson was tremendous. Judith Skinner was a feisty crowd favorite. Dwayne Clark oozed charisma. And the list went on and on. A couple of things came to mind: "Porgy and Bess" is hard to stage because the music is so taxing and the settings so varied. But also, you need deep pockets of talent to pull it off. Even when portions of the opera seem a little dated and even stiff, the voices in this production were so strong that they carried the day.

"It's a privilege to pee," the desperate crowd sings in "Urinetown, the Musical," a show about a city so short of water that its citizens have to pay to use the facilities. And it's a privilege to relieve yourself of the cares of the day and indulge in Fresno State's wacky and accomplished production of the acerbic Broadway musical.

Indeed, at the start of the show, as you watch members of the ensemble contorting themselves into various positions suggesting that an immediate restroom break would not only be desirable but essential, you become aware just how dedicated this cast and crew is when it comes to bringing the audience into a bizarre and amusing world. They can't wait to go for it. So to speak.

From the musical's light-hearted self-referential Broadway jabs (complete with "Les Miserables" spoof) and merry songs to its darker impulses involving environmental disaster, corporate greed and the tyranny of the masses, "Urinetown" connects on a number of levels. It's funny, tuneful, sardonic and downright thoughtful, which is quite an accomplishment considering the subject matter.

ArtHop in the spring: what a fine Fresno thing to do. Not too cold, not too hot. And light enough to easily find a parking place. Felicia Matlosz and I headed out in different directions Thursday night to hit some of the big ArtHop venues. At the top of the list is a new show at Fresno City Hall. Felicia writes:

This month's art scene in Fresno welcomes back a beloved figure: Polly Brewer, who owned Plums Contemporary Arts until she closed it in 2003. And I start by mentioning her because she has curated a wonderful exhibit on the second floor at Fresno's City Hall. It's called "Garden of the Sun," a companion event to the Vernacular Architecture Forum conference May 7-10 in Fresno.

It's a show that is rooted in the premise of how our region -- with its heat, rural landscapes and community icons -- is seen by talented artists and how this area influences their work. She freely admits there were many artists who would fit this show, but she wanted to give visitors a richer, deeper experience by focusing on the visions of seven artists in 32 pieces of art. And they happen to be well-known and respected figures: Adam Longatti (whose "House and Dog" is pictured above), Elaine Lynn, Pat Hunter, Robin Gay McCline, Sally DeLap-John, Jerrie Peters and Joel Pickford.

As we head into one of the busiest theater weekends of the year, lots of news to share:

The Woodward Shakespeare Festival is moving across the street from its current performance space. The company will shift from the mammoth Rotary Amphitheater, which in some ways was far too big, across to the activities area of the park, which is best known as the setting for the "Concerts in the Park" series.

The move is one result of the $1.5 million in renovations the city is completing on the underused amphitheater, including a shade structure, pictured. Though it was completed 14 years ago, the concrete amphitheater proved far too hot in the summer for most productions. (Um, you would have thought that someone involved in the design process -- the architects, say, or the folks who paid for it, or any 8-year-old you stopped at random in the park and showed them the plans -- would have anticipated such a problem, but no.) The Shakespeare folks were one of the few to utilize the space the past few seasons (ah, those theater folks are hardy creatures), but even they had to bring in misting machines to keep the broiling temperatures to manageable levels.

On the jump: More on Woodward Shakes' new space, awards for the Fresno State dance program, a memorial service for beloved theater professor Phillip Walker, a Helen Hayes acting award for GCP alum Heidi Blickenstaff and a roundup of the theater riches available this weekend.