And not just because of some big, bloated, overwrought sporting event that sucks up every molecule of media oxygen in the room like some gasping ex-smoker on a machine. There are other things to do this weekend besides the Super Bowl. I plan to go tonight to "Divertimento: An Evening's Concert With the Fresno State Music Faculty" (8 p.m., Fresno State Concert Hall). It's one of our "7 Things to Do" for the week:

You'll have the chance to listen to solo vocal performances as well as solo instrumental performances on flute, bassoon, horn, cello, percussion, tuba, piano and harpsichord. Special bonus: original works by Fresno State composers Benjamin Boone, Kenneth Froelich and Brad Hufft. The concert benefits music scholarships. Tickets are $20, $10 seniors/students.

You also have to hand it to the Fresno Community Concert Band, which every year this weekend tries a clever bit of counterprogramming. Conductor Robert Nielsen writes:

Rather than fight it, we celebrate Super Bowl Sunday by playing our Super Concerts on the Saturday (3 and 7 p.m., Fresno City College Theatre) before the big game! Join us for a concert of super music including "Chorale and Alleluia" by Howard Hanson, "A Little Concert Suite" by Alfred Reed and music representing the two Super Bowl teams!! Our featured soloist, Matthew Horton, will perform "Introduction and Capriccio" by John Barnes Chance and a special Leroy Anderson surprise. Admission is free, but you must have a ticket. Call 440-9429; Murphy Bank (Diane Esparza) 225-0225; or the Fresno City College box office, 442-8221.

On Saturday night: I'm up for the Fresno Grand Opera's Mario Lanza tribute concert, one of the hottest tickets in town. And what non-music event am I thinking of attending on Sunday itself when others are transfixed to the tube? Find out after the jump.

A reader writes:

You may not be the person to ask, but wondering if you know. Obama gave a killer speech when he accepted the Democratic nomination. He did it again on Jan 20th. My husband said he must have had a prompter -- that his speech couldn't have just flowed as well as it did. I never saw a prompter. A big sheet of bullet-proof glass, but no screen feeding him. How can we find that out?

Hmmm, interesting question. I looked online, but it seems like a lot of partisan speculation. Anyone know the definite answer?

UPDATE 2 p.m. Friday: The consensus seems to be teleprompter. And my response to that is: So what? It's interesting how some people associate a teleprompter with something that's bad. But how is it really different from having the written text there on the podium? A reader named Ashley agrees with me:

Seriously--do people expect news anchors not to use them either? Besides, if he didn't use one, why was one there? I mean, if he wasn't going to read off it, that would be the talking point of the month. "Lookit! Our president knows how to memorize!" Without getting political, I must admit I do really enjoy having a leader who's also an orator.

UPDATE: Looks like we have a winner: Stephen Bohr. Thanks for playing.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: OK, Mario Lanza fans, your ticket giveaway is finally here. We're giving away a pair of tickets to the Fresno Grand Opera's "Tenors' Tribute to Mario Lanza" concert, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, at the Tower Theatre. This concert is sold out. We'll give the tickets away to the THIRD commenter to this post. Tickets must be picked up Friday in The Bee's front lobby during business hours. No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have the winner. Rules are on the jump.

The economy might be in the dumps, and arts organizations across the country are scrambling to keep their heads above water, but two upcoming local performances are selling really well. In fact, the Fresno Grand Opera's Mario Lanza tribute concert Saturday at the Tower Theatre is pretty much sold out. (There were only six tickets left late this morning.) General director Ronald D. Eichman advises:

There is no waiting list, but people can certainly show up at the door to see if anyone shows up with extras....this usually happens.

Then there's the Fresno Philharmonic's eagerly anticipated "Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to the Beatles," still more than a week away (it plays Feb. 7 at the Saroyan Theatre), which is really close to selling out. Executive director Don Reinhold told me this afternoon:

There are only about 200 seats left, counting seats added in front of the stage and in the loge. The availability is decreasing by the hour!

Here's the cool thing: I have tickets to give away to BOTH concerts. I'll be posting the Mario Lanza giveaway in just a few minutes. And watch early next week on the Beehive for a chance to win prime seats for the Beatles.

Author John Updike died at age 76 on Tuesday. The Pulitzer-Prize winner is best known for his "Rabbit" novels:

He released more than 50 books in a career that started in the 1950s, winning virtually every literary prize, including two Pulitzers, for "Rabbit Is Rich" and "Rabbit at Rest," and two National Book Awards.

If you're more of a movie person, Updike is best known for "The Witches of Eastwick," released in 1984, which was later made into a film of the same name starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon.

It'll be interesting to see how the various tributes and appreciations that unfold over the next few days will treat Updike's legacy. He could be a controversial: I can remember the author getting bashed for being a misogynist and a racist. But he inspires fierce loyalty from devoted readers who admired his lyrical and detail-obsessed style, especially those who got caught up in his "Rabbit" series.

That's how long it took for this comment to pop up in response to my Buchanan High School "Les Miserables" posting:

Nice... Remember when Clovis West did this first, last year for their alumni show and got no mention of it? WAIT!! West did it first? With Darren Tharp and Peter Allwine as Valjean and Javert, respectively? Michael Willet as Marius and Caitlyn Stevenson as Eponine? Danielle Jorn as Madame Thernadier? Some of the best performers in town went to Clovis West, come back for the alumni show, and it get's missed by a fair majority of people... And their version got no coverage... Hopefully their version of RENT will not go unnoticed in June...Heads up, Donald - I hear it's got an equally amazing cast...

This, folks, is exactly why high-school theater usually doesn't get covered in The Bee. It'd be impossible for me to see every high school show in the Valley and still do the myriad of other tasks I have in covering the performing arts scene (including community, college and professional theater). So I do it when I get a chance (and usually on my own time), and what happens when I do? Someone from Clovis West complains.

So what do you think, interested readers? Should there be a total and complete ban on high-school theater coverage on the Beehive and in The Bee because we aren't able to cover every single production in town? Without a competitive ranking system -- like in sports, or even with high school bands -- there's no quantitative way for us to be able to say, "OK, we're only going to cover the top theater program in the county." The subject is either going to get an occasional mention or none at all. What do you think it should it be?

I love a big, ambitious, over-the-top entertainment spectacle. So how could I stay away from Buchanan High School's concert version of "Les Miserables"? The school's Fine Arts Academy on Saturday night trotted out a nearly 100-voice chorus, symphony orchestra and full complement of singer-actors to tackle this challenging, audacious piece.

I like to get out and try different things in the Fresno area, and while I don't get many chances to sample high-school offerings on a regular basis, I'm always glad when I do.

Held in the sumptuous new Paul Shaghoian Concert Hall at Clovis North, the evening seemed every bit as elegant as a benefit performance at, say, Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. (Well, almost. No tuxes or glittery dresses in the audience, but, then again, this IS Clovis.) Just from the look and vibe of the event, I had to keep reminding myself that this was "merely" a high-school endeavor.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I'm not sure which member of the creative team (musical director Heidi Franklin, vocal director Roger Bergman and acting coach Julie L. Andrews) was responsible for the overall tone of the show, but the different elements of the production -- cast, chorus and orchestra -- came together in a rousing fashion.

I write in Sunday's Spotlight section about the upcoming Fresno Grand Opera tribute concert to Mario Lanza, which will be held next Saturday night at the Tower Theatre.

One of the interesting side stories to the concert is the fact that Lanza's only surviving child, his daughter Ellisa Lanza Bregman, lives in Southern California. She'll be coming up to Fresno for the tribute to her father. I had a delightful conversation by phone with her last week.

Bregman was only a few weeks shy of 9 years old when her father died in 1959 at the shockingly young age of 38, so her memories are definitely of the childhood variety. She freely acknowledges, however, that he had a stormy life.

"He had a big heart, but he had his problems in his life," she says. "I'm not going to say he didn't. He was probably too trusting."

Lanza was embroiled with major disagreements with his movie studio, and was the frequent target of Hollywood gossip magazines. (Yep, there was a gossip biz before the Internet, believe it or not, and it could be vicious.) Here's a good recap of his stormy career.

A reader writes:

You and Bentley seem to review so much of the Hollywood junk that gets released. And then, on a day like today, when the Oscar-nominated films "The Wrestler," "The Reader" and "Revolutionary Road" are released in Fresno, you use syndicated reviews. Why'd you skip the reviews of these films, which were almost certain to get Oscar nominations?

My response: Believe me, neither Rick nor I wanted to skip those reviews. We jump at the chance to review Oscar-buzz films. But this is a perennial problem for Fresno-based movie critics: Not all the studios pre-screen in this market. Sure, we get a chance to preview just about every big-budget/mainstream release. But Oscar-track films often are made by smaller studios or have a more selective release pattern. It simply depends on the studio and how willing it is to set up a special screening for us. "The Wrestler," "Revolutionary Road" and "The Reader" all opened in bigger cities weeks or even months ago. All of these movies are screened in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and Rick and I would be welcome to attend, but sometimes it just isn't possible to spend that much time traveling. When Rick and I are on the road in San Francisco or Los Angeles, we try to catch as many of those possible Oscar titles as we can, but with these three films, it didn't work out.

It's frustrating, believe me. I'm usually pretty grouchy the Friday after the Oscar nominations come out. Some years it works out better than others.

Rick already has weighed in with his Oscar nomination musings. Now it's time for Felicia and me to grouse/gloat. Here's our live conversation:

DONALD WRITES: OK, I'm the first to admit that I was a strong supporter of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." I gave the movie a B+ grade and found a lot to like about it. But even I think that the spectacle of that film scoring a whopping THIRTEEN nominations this morning is excessive. Considering how much my Beehive colleague Felicia Matlosz actively disliked the film, I swear I could hear her anguished war cry from the other side of town when the nominations come out.

How did "Benjamin Button" end up on top? What do you think, Felicia?

FELICIA WRITES: Donald, I had no idea my scream of woe carried that far. Excessive is a good word to describe the love that the Academy has thrown at this film. It reminds of the overrated, bloated productions that Hollywood used to nominate for Best Picture, like "The Towering Inferno." Yeah, that bad. And "Inferno" was an intentional disaster movie.

The remarkable thing about "Rabbit Hole," the stirring and sad new Artists' Repertory Theatre production at the Severance Building, is how unadorned this play seems. No idiosyncratic oddball characters. No grand flights of rhetorical fancy. No absurdist moments where you suddenly make great, gaping philosophical leaps of insight.

Instead, it's a spare, tight, plaintive look at a family dealing with the aftermath of a horrific event -- the death of a young child -- that unfolds with a quiet intensity. Don't get me wrong: David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer-Prize winning play has plenty of intellectual heft, and it does use an intriguing metaphor, namely the concept alluded to in the title of a "rabbit hole," a term that some physicsts use to describe the possibility of alternate universes. But the play isn't showy about its smarts. It's more like the way a person behaves who has been truly rattled by a trauma: too caught up in the immediate circumstances to try to impress, cajole or maneuver through the myriad of mundane social niceties that make up daily life.

Director Julie Ann Keller and her cast have a keen, measured commitment to the tone and impact of the play. And while the story itself is sad, they relish finding the gentle humor and redemptive qualities of the material. It isn't a bouncy experience, but it's worthwhile for the near transluscent quality of the prose.

For all you online readers out there who might have forgotten what the actual physical newspaper looks like, you'll want to find a copy of Wednesday's Bee.

Sure, the dead-trees version of the paper might seem impossibly clunky to some, but you have to give it this: A full-page front-page photo in the print edition is a lot more dramatic than one more screaming headline online, no matter how big it is.

Some Beehive readers might remember me making a fuss when The Bee gave a full front page to the Fresno State baseball team, by the way. One of my arguments (see the reader comments on this post): that we don't give the same play to events that have a REAL impact on history. I'm glad to say that now we do.

For five long years, Broadway's "Avenue Q" -- a take-off on "Sesame Street," except with extremely randy and profane puppets -- has closed the show with a song titled "For Now." Nothing lasts forever, the characters sing. Sex: It's only for now. Your hair? Only for now. George Bush? "Only for now!"

I have often idly wondered while listening to the cast album, in that state of mind that only an aficionado of Broadway lyrics can really appreciate, what would happen when George Bush wasn't in office anymore. Nothing lasts forever, after all.

Well, I have my answer. According to Playbill.com, the producers of "Avenue Q" are testing four possible replacement lyrics for the song:

The first of the contest lyrics -- "Recession is only for now" -- will be performed in the Tony-winning show Jan. 20 at 8 PM after President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. The other contenders are: "Prop 8," "This show" and "Your mother-in-law."

All I know is that a whole ton of people on Broadway are probably surprised that "Avenue Q" lasted LONGER than President George Bush. Speaking of Bush and Broadway, have you heard about Will Ferrell's limited-run one-man show? It's titled "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush." According to the New York Times:

It features Ferrell-as-Bush reminiscing about the last eight years and mounting an impassioned defense of his administration.The evening begins with Mr. Bush dropping onto the stage, apparently from the Marine One helicopter after it carries him away from the lawn of the new Obama White House.

The first preview performance is -- you guessed it -- tonight.

Let's hear it for the boys -- and girls -- of "Footloose." After taking well-deserved bows in the new Good Company Players production at Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater, the members of the dance ensemble launch into one last frenzied recap of the '80s pop hits that buttress this slight but amiable musical. Kicking up their heels to such tunes as "Let's Hear It for the Boy," "Holding Out for a Hero" and of course the title song, the dancers in the show expend several thousand community calories just saying farewell to the audience.

I feel like I got a workout just watching them. And all I did was eat half a piece of chocolate cake.

"Footloose" is the kind of show, however, that elevates your heart rate just watching it. (Or was that the cake?) That's especially true if you're old enough to remember those '80s hits when they first came out -- along with all the fashion excesses and amusing acoutrements of the era. When Daniel Rodriguez, who plays the lead character of Ren McCormack, the rebellious Chicago high school transplant who finds himself in a dinky Texas farm town, came out on stage wearing an old-fashion cassette-player Walkman -- as big as a loaf of bread! -- I just had to smile. Remember when we thought that was small?

Just heard on CNN that this morning's worldwide telecast of the Inauguration will be the most-watched TV event in history. I've been sitting here at home in my pajamas on the couch since 6:30 a.m., unable to tear myself away from the television even for food or a shower, waiting for the Big Moment. How are Beehive readers experiencing the event? Are you at work, at home, online or listening to the radio? Share with us.

Of course, there's a whole slew of coverage online at fresnobee.com as well, including on-the-scene dispatches from Bee reporters Diana Marcum (how much sleep did you get last night, Diana?) and Michael Doyle. Be sure to check it out.

Photo: New York Times

I have an interview with director Julie-Ann Keller in Friday's 7 section about "Rabbit Hole," the new production from Artists' Repertory Theatre. Here's a continuation of the interview:

Question: From the description, this show is obviously a lot different in tone than ART's last show, "The Rocky Horror Show." Do you think audiences will be surprised?

Answer: Well yes, they might be surprised but, of course, some people who loved Glengarry Glen Ross were pretty surprised by The Rocky Horror Show. We hope to draw the Rocky fans into the world of this play as effectively. We found that many people who came to see "The Rocky Horror Show" were expecting the movie, or didn't know what to expect, and were quite surprised to see a live band and a live show. Many times we heard, "I had no idea what this was going to be like when I walked in, but I loved it!" We are not tied to any genre. We try to present shows that are meaningful or engaging for us and communicate to the audience what is special about each piece.

In Friday's 7 section I chat with Scott Hancock, director of the new Good Company Players production of "Footloose" at Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater. Here's a continuation of the interview.

Question: Is this the first time that Good Company has done the show?

Answer: Yes. "Footloose" was originally slated for the 2008 season, but the rights to "Chicago" and "The Producers" both became briefly available. Due to the limited availability of both of those shows, "Footloose" was bumped to open the 2009 season. I was scheduled to direct "Footloose" originally in the previous season, and I was very excited that it was re-assigned to me for this season.

Tell us about the Broadway show.

It opened in 1998 and ran for 709 performances. The incomporable Dee Hoty was in the original cast, as well as Orfah (who went on to play the Tony nominated role of Paulette in Legally Blonde.) Incidentally, Derek Hough from "Dancing With the Stars" played Ren on the West End.

On the newsy side of things: I read with interest the story in yesterday's Bee about the City of Clovis luring a Fresno medical company and its 80 employees to an industrial park in town. Bee reporter Marc Benjamin writes that the city has agreed to loan $150,000 to Sierra Pathology. The company, which is on East Dakota Avenue in Fresno, wants to build a 16,528-square-foot building on 2 acres in an industrial park north of Herndon Avenue and west of Clovis Avenue. From the story:

The loan will help Sierra Pathology pay for furniture, fixtures and equipment. The loan must be repaid over 10 years, but could be forgiven if the company meets employment and salary goals called for in the agreement.

Clovis Mayor Bob Whalen said Tuesday that he was glad the city could reach agreement with Sierra Pathology's owners. "These are unusual times and we need to respond in a way that is not just business as usual," he said.

Translation: So let's steal the company from Fresno!

Besides the amusing visual image of a boatload of Clovis buccaneers sailing over to East Dakota Avenue and pillaging a tax-paying business -- "Ahoy, maties, we'll agree to take prisoners if you embrace the Clovis Way of Life!" -- I have to say these kinds of stories bother me a lot. Especially when the business will be moving from the established urban core to what I assume is undeveloped land on the outskirts, thus contributing even more to our sprawl problem. If the company wants to move on its own, fine. But why the incentives? I know this stuff goes on all the time, with cities/counties/states using taxpayer money to poach businesses from each other, but that doesn't make it any better.

Those of you lucky enough to have tickets to tonight's sold-out Keyboard Concerts solo recital by Emanuel Ax at the Fresno State Concert Hall know that you're in for a treat. I didn't want his intimate concert here -- and, remember, this is a guy who often performs in the world's largest and most prestigious concert halls -- to go without a mention. According to Andreas Werz, the artistic director of Keyboard Concerts, this is "without doubt the high point of our season, and we are extremely proud to present a pianist of this caliber and reputation to Fresno audiences."

As I wrote in last week's 7 section, Ax has performed with such powerhouses as the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, St. Louis Symphony and Toronot Symphony. He'll play works by Schubert and List.

Although the 8 p.m. concert is sold out, Werz says that unclaimed tickets will go on sale right before the concert. A waiting list for these is being started at 7 p.m.

If you go, tell me what kind of reception Fresno gives this renowned artist.

A reader named Chue writes to let us know that "Gran Torino" also has a connection to Visalia: "One of the actors is from Visalia. Her name is Brooke Chia Thao and she plays Sue and Tao's mom." The Web site Hmong Today reports:

Brooke Chia Thao, who plays the widowed mother of Tao and Sue, is a mere 36 but she has done her share of mothering. She was born in Laos, immigrated via Oregon and Seattle, and settled in Visalia, California. There she raised four kids who are now 21, 20, 15 and 10. A multitasker, she completed high school with two babies at home. Now that her kids are growing up, Brooke's been thinking about her own life again. She's got no shortage of ambition. She's attending Fresno State studying Political Science and Business with an eye toward law school.

When the casting agent called with the good news: "I was speechless. I thought I was too young. I didn't expect to get the part," she remembers. She'd had no training in acting, but she'd done Hmong dancing when she was young and singing was her specialty.

She approaches the acting with verve. "Clint is very kind. He doesn't yell at you. It makes my job more creative." People on set praised Brooke for her energy in a fighting scene where she's trying to prevent Tao from being dragged off by the gangbangers. "The gang fighters said it felt real," she remembers with pride, "After that, everyone knew me."

Thanks for the link, Chue. I'd love to track down Brooke Chia Thao for a Beehive interview.

What a gratifying feeling to call up Box Office Mojo and discover that the No. 1 film at the box office for the weekend was "Gran Torino." Sometimes art and commerce do mix! I write in my review that the film is one of my favorites of the year.

For those who haven't heard by now, "Gran Torino" has a special connection to Fresno. Several of its supporting Hmong-American actors were born here, including Bee Vang, who has the pivotal role of the young man living next door to Eastwood's character. For my Sunday column, I caught up with Bee by phone for an interview. I write:

Bee isn't sure what the overall reaction to the film will be, especially from members of the Hmong- American community. Some people likely will take issue with some of the small details of the film, such as the way a soul-calling ceremony with a shaman is depicted. [Bee says that in reality, only the parents would be vocalizing at that point, and that most people would be outside.] And he suspects that some will object to the emphasis on gangs. That's just a device used in the film, he says. "It was never just about the Hmong community. It uses the backdrop of the gangsters to show the struggles that Walt and Thao are going through."

I'm curious: What do Beehive readers think about "Gran Torino"? Does it live up to the hype? How do people feel about the Hmong gang connection? And can anyone address the authenticity of the Hmong customs depicted in the film?

On the jump: More of my thoughts on the film. (Warning: spoiler alert.)

We've already given away tickets to the Fresno Philharmonic's "An Evening in Hollywood" concert (8 p.m. Saturday, Saroyan Theatre). Now's a chance to learn a little more about it. I caught up with guest conductor Carl Topilow, conductor of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, as he hung out in the Denver airport waiting for his flight to Fresno. Here's some of what he had to say:

Question: You're devoting the second half of the program to scores by John Williams, including "E.T.," "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Is it common to give Williams such big play in your Hollywood concerts?

Answer: Oh, yes. He's the best.

Why do you think music is so important to the movie experience?

Try watching one without it. One of my favorite examples is the end of "ET." Imagine the end when they're leaving in the spaceship without the music. We're just lucky enough to have someone like John Williams who is so talented, who knows how to push the right buttons to create the right atmospheric and emotional possibilities.

UPDATE 10 a.m. 1/9: Finally, our winners' names: Tanya Gutierrez, Amanda Tout and Shawn Carlson. Congratulations! Let us know what you think of the concert.

UPDATE 12:45 p.m.: OK, it looks like we have three winners. I'll be sending out confirmation e-mails shortly.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: It's a ticket bonanza: I have SIX tickets -- three pairs! -- to give away to what's sure to be one of the most popular (and accessible) Fresno Philharmonic concerts of the year: "An Evening in Hollywood." The one-time only performance is 8 p.m. Saturday at the Saroyan Theatre.

Guest conductor Carl Topilow, who leads the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, will be on hand to guide the Philharmonic through such classic movie scores as "Silverado," "The Wizard of Oz," "Chicago," "Spiderman," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the "The Godfather." Fans of John Williams will get an entire second half of the program, including such favorites as "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Star Wars."

There will even be members of a local "Star Wars" group -- the 501st Legion: Vader's Fist -- on hand to provide some atmosphere. (Any members out there care to give us a hint what you'll be doing?) Folks at the Phil are encouraging audience members to dress up and walk down the red carpet as their favorite star or movie character, so if you've always wanted to do your best Anne Hathaway or Harry Potter impression, or perhaps Jabba the Hutt, here's your chance.

Here's how this giveaway will work: the first pair of tickets will go to the second commenter to this post. The second pair of tickets will go to the eighth commenter. And the third pair will go to the 11th commenter! No multiple entries, please. If you've won tickets in the past 30 days on the Beehive, you're not eligible, sorry. Include a valid email address so we can verify the winner. I won't post any of the comments until the winners are determined. Rules are posted on the jump. If you win, you'll need to pick up the tickets at The Bee on Friday.

The best song in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is the bombastic "Great Big Stuff." It's sung with full-of-itself bravado by Freddy Benson, the slovenly one of the pair of colorful con men on whose shoulders this trifle of a musical rests. Freddy has just seen what it's like to be rich, and he sings:

Oh give me a home
Where the centerfolds roam
Guccione on the phone, he
got a party going on-
And Hef'll have me over
To play some naked Twister
Blotto in the Grotto
With a Playmate and her sister.

Yes, we are definitely not talking Rodgers and Hammerstein.

With its occasionally raunchy lyrics and crass commercial sheen, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is most interested in the American fascination of bilking others out of their wealth. (The national tour plays for one more performance 7:30 p.m. at the Saroyan Theatre.) In today's financially slammed world -- in no small part brought about by con men and women who stole amounts of cash far greater than anything that Freddy Benson and his partner, Lawrence Jameson, could even imagine -- could this musical be a perfect artistic match for the times?

People die. Such stuff is the backbone of literature, of course, and the theme of mortality is so deeply entrenched in our storytelling that we consider it to be a given, like the air. If you are a regular theater-goer, you likely will have seen scores of characters meet their ends on stage. Traumatic, yes, and sometimes wrenching, but often not unexpected. And very cathartic.

Towns die, too. When they do, it's incredibly poignant -- maybe even more so than when a person dies, at least in a fictional world. Perhaps it's because towns wither away and disappear far less frequently than people. We don't expect them to go. We think of a town as something that lives on for future generations.

Horton Foote's classic "The Trip to Bountiful" finds the feeling and the tenderness in this theme, and it's a testament to its quality that the play holds up so well over the years. Joyce Anabo, who directs the accomplished new Good Company Players production at the 2nd Space Theatre, matches this distinguished pedigree with a warm, smart vision. Anabo highlights an exquisitely sweet performance by community-theater veteran Mary Piona as the inimitable Mrs. Carrie Watts, the frail long-timer who wants nothing more than to return for a last time to the tiny Texas town where she grew up.

UPDATE 5:16 p.m.: And that winner is Janet Heidinger, who upon learning that she won the tickets wrote "OH MY GOD, DONALD!!!! I HAVEN'T WON ANYTHING IN THE LAST 25 YEARS!!! I AM SIMPLY ECSTATIC!!!" And she doesn't usually write in all caps.

See how the Beehive can change your life?

UPDATE 4:30 p.m.: Looks like we have a winner. I have an email out to confirm. Thanks for playing.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: I've got a nice pair of tickets to give away to the next Broadway in Fresno touring show. The tickets are for Tuesday (Jan. 6), opening night of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," 7:30 p.m. at the Saroyan Theatre. (The show continues on Wednesday, Jan. 7.) They're good orchestra seats: row N!

I'll be giving the tickets away to the seventh commenter to this post (no multiple entries, please). Include a valid email address so we can verify the winner. I won't post any of the comments until the winner is determined. Rules are posted on the jump. If you win, you'll need to pick up the tickets at The Bee on Tuesday.

A little about the show: "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" opened on Broadway in 2005 and starred John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz. It's based on the 1988 movie about two con men who have a chance meeting in the lavish world of the French Riviera. (That movie, incidentally, was itself based on the 1964 film "Bedtime Story" starring David Niven and Marlon Brando.) This version you'll see in Fresno is an Equity production (a relatively rare occurrence here) and is presented by a Canadian theater company called Drayton Entertainment. I interviewed him in Friday's issue of 7, so if you want to know more about this production, check it out.

Don't believe everything that tweets your way. The Huffington Post is reporting that a number of prominent high-profile Twitter accounts were hacked today, most prominently the Fox News account, which declared on Monday morning that Bill O'Reilly is gay.

The post has since been removed.

Among the other victims:

• CNN's Rick Sanchez, a prominent Twitter user, was also hacked. His malicious tweet read, "i am high on crack right now might not be coming to work today."
• Britney Spears's Twitter also fell victim, with hackers announcing that her vagina is "4 feet wide with razor sharp teeth."

And the Washington Times reports that Barack Obama's Twitter account got hacked, too.

You think the Beehive's Twitter account is safe? All I know is that you should be extremely wary if you get a tweet proclaiming that Heather hates "Mad Men" and Jon Hamm.

Time to catch up on some correspondence. In response to my Sunday column in which I listed 20 top cultural/arts/performance events for 2008, Dave Meyer writes:

I'm the treasurer of Spectrum Gallery, but I wish to make it abundantly clear that I am not speaking for the gallery, its board of directors, nor its membership collectively or individually. Your column today highlights what I perceive to be an ongoing and most irritating prejudice on your part. Throughout the year, Spectrum Gallery has consistently presented the greatest volume of photographic art, and the highest quality photographic art to be seen between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Yet we consistently get only passing mention in your columns (if any mention at all).

In October, we held an auction at which we auctioned photographs from nationally and internationally known artists, as well as from many well know regional artists. These prints consistently sell for far less at our auction than the same prints would at the usual gallery sales. I think any knowledgable art gallery owner would agree that the prices were truly bargains. This would have been a great opportunity for you to encourage collectors to purchase at very favorable prices. Maybe even spark a few folks into investing in art long term. But, thanks to you, we recieved a perfunctory blurb from the Bee. You could have really helped a well established gallery remain fiscally vibrant. And, at the same time increased awareness of the photographic arts.

On the jump: the conclusion of Meyer's letter, plus a question about "Frost/Nixon."