SWITCHING PLAYERS: What if you paid to...

SWITCHING PLAYERS: What if you paid to see your favorite star in a musical, then had to accept a substitute mid-show? . . . That’s what Marie Osmond fans experienced this week after the singer, suffering from flu, got replaced for parts of two performances of “The Sound of Music” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Now that she’s feeling better, says spokesman Gregory Patterson, “we have tried to relocate some (disappointed) patrons” to other performances, which run through Sunday.

PLAYING NOAH: During this week’s downpour, Orange County animal-control officers were deluged--with rescue calls. . . . Animals saved so far include a mother and five puppies trapped beneath a concrete deck, as well as a Belgian sheepdog and two pigs pulled out of flood control channels. “We encourage people who see any animal in the water to call us immediately,” Lt. Marie Hulett says. “People should not attempt to do a rescue themselves.”

TRUMPETING IVANA: Ivana Trump is coming to town to inspire local woman with her tales of post-divorce success. . . . Appearing at the Hyatt Regency Irvine in a Jan. 17 benefit for the Orange County Philharmonic, the former wife of billionaire Donald Trump will speak on “Women Who Dare.” “She reminds me of Jackie O.,” event chairwoman Margo Chamberlin says of Trump, now an entrepreneur and writer. “She decided she wanted to do more in life, so she dared to do more.”

LESS SHOOTING: Santa Ana Police Chief Paul M. Walters says that about half as many people fired guns into the air this past New Year’s Eve as compared to the year before. He attributes the phenomenon to a new citywide education campaign, as well as increased police vigilance in enforcing anti-shooting laws. . . . “We’re not always able to catch them in the act,” Walters says, “but we can always follow up later.”