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POP/ROCKTexas Remembers Selena: Texas Gov. George W....

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Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press

POP/ROCK

Texas Remembers Selena: Texas Gov. George W. Bush has declared Sunday “Selena Day” in the state, in honor of the tejano singer who was shot to death March 31. Selena would have celebrated her 24th birthday on Easter Sunday. “Proclaiming April 16 as ‘Selena Day’ ensures that Selena will remain one of Texas’ brightest jewels and most successful role models,” Corpus Christi Democratic State Sen. Carlos Truan said. Bush’s proclamation says Selena represented “the essence of south Texas culture” and was known as the girl from Corpus Christi who achieved international stardom but never forgot where she came from. “This ambitious and determined young singer was a role model who inspired millions of people and broke through ethnic, cultural, age and language barriers,” the proclamation added. Bush also noted Selena’s “firm belief in family values” and her contributions to drug abuse and AIDS prevention programs.

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Birthday Celebration: New York’s Carnegie Hall will honor Ol’ Blue Eyes this summer with “Carnegie Hall Celebrates the Music of Frank Sinatra,” a three-concert tribute in honor of the singer’s 80th birthday this Dec. 15. The July 24-26 concerts will inaugurate “American Popular Song Celebration,” a new Carnegie summer series, that will pay tribute each year to a particular artist, song style or composer. Scheduled performers include Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Rosemary Clooney, Vic Damone, Michael Feinstein, Jack Jones, Maureen McGovern, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Sinatra Jr., Margaret Whiting and Joe Williams. . . . And speaking of Sinatra, the “Frank Sinatra Legendary Neckwear” collection, based on paintings by the crooner, debuts at all Nordstrom department stores this month.

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Bossa Nova Tribute: Rock star Sting, pianist Herbie Hancock and other musicians from around the world will pay tribute next week in New York to the late composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, who introduced Brazilian rhythm and song to the world as one of the fathers of bossa nova. Best known for his 1963 hit, “The Girl From Ipanema,” Jobim died in December. The tribute takes place Tuesday at Lincoln Center and coincides with a state visit by Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who is expected to attend. Joining in the tribute, in a rare U.S. appearance, will be guitarist Joao Gilberto and singer Astrud Gilberto, who played and sang on “The Girl From Ipanema.” Also participating will be Brazilian pop stars Caetano Veloso and Milton Nascimento.

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MOVIES

‘Waterworld’ Games: Kevin Costner’s upcoming $175-million flick “Waterworld,” the subject of continued Hollywood speculation as to whether it will succeed or fail at the box office, has gained the support of Irvine-based software company Interplay Productions, which will create video games and CD-ROM software based on the movie. The company plans to introduce both an action-adventure and a strategy game based on the science-fiction movie, which is due out this summer from Universal Pictures. “We had the opportunity to spend some time on the ‘Waterworld’ set in Hawaii,” Interplay President Brian Fargo said. “Once we saw firsthand the magnitude of the production, we knew it had all the right elements--a great story line, a rich universe, amazing visuals and edge-of-your-seat excitement--which combine to make both a hit movie and entertaining interactive software.”

TELEVISION

Redford’s TV Plans: Cable’s nascent Sundance Film Channel, which is scheduled to launch as a 24-hour-a-day network this fall, will feature several of the independent films honored by the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, including “Crumb,” a film about cartoonist R. Crumb that took the Grand Jury Prize as well as awards for best documentary and documentary cinematography. Other festival films to be shown on the new channel include “The Usual Suspects,” “Before Sunrise,” “Safe,” “Window in Paris,” “Mute Witness,” “Shallow Grave” and “Cold Blooded.” The channel, a joint venture between Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford and Showtime Networks, has also lined up several of this year’s independent Oscar nominees, including “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert,” and foreign film nominees “Burnt by the Sun” and “Farinelli: Il Castrato.”

QUICK TAKES

Kate Pierson, a singer with the rock group B-52’s, will lead a procession of prancing barnyard animals around Italy’s Vatican City today as part of a vegetarian Easter plea to the Pope. Pierson will lead the march, organized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, by waving a giant scroll reading: “Thou Shalt Not Kill--Vegetarians Agree.” . . . Former “Price Is Right” model Dian Parkinson, who dropped her sexual harassment suit against game show host Bob Barker on Wednesday, claiming she was too ill to continue, isn’t done with the courts yet. She has been fined $2,100 by Los Angeles Superior Court for failing to hand over court-requested documents and refusing to answer questions about her health and income. . . . Sid and Marty Krofft will produce a feature film version of their 1970s TV series “Land of the Lost” for Walt Disney Pictures. The duo hope to eventually take 15 of their past TV titles to the movies, including their signature show “H.R. Pufnstuf.” . . . The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has appointed Mariss Jansons as its next music director, effective with the 1996-97 season. Jansons has been music director of Norway’s Oslo Philharmonic since 1979.

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