1997’s Who’s Who, What, Where, How

MOVIES

John Calley: Though Calley, president and chief operating officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, probably can’t take sole credit for the turnaround, Sony’s Columbia and TriStar film studios had one of their best years ever, the Hollywood comeback story of the year. The year began with a strong carry-over of return from “Jerry Maguire” and went on to produce such hits as “Anaconda,” “Men in Black,” “Air Force One,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer”--all of which more than offset disappointments like “U-Turn” and “Seven Years in Tibet.”

Chris McGurk: It was not a banner year for Universal and its chief operating officer, except for “Liar Liar” and “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.” Remember “McHale’s Navy”? “Fierce Creatures”? “That Old Feeling”? “Leave It to Beaver”? We rest our case.

Anne Heche: The actress was a face to watch in ‘97, all right, but not just because of her roles in “Donnie Brasco” and “Volcano”--no, it was because in 1997 she became America’s second-most-well-known lesbian.

Lindsay Doran: The jury’s still out for United Artists Pictures, which Doran serves as president: “Tomorrow Never Dies” will surely be another 007 home run; “The Man in the Iron Mask” was filmed in ’97 but won’t be released until ’98.

Jude Law: The actor had a supporting role in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and starred in “Gattaca,” which disappointed at the box office and made news mostly because of the love affair that reportedly sprang up between the film’s two other stars, Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Maybe Law should stick to period pieces.

F. Gary Gray: The director graduated from the indie and music-video world in ’97 and is just finishing his first big studio feature, for New Regency/Warner Bros. The film, “The Negotiator,” stars Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey and is due in October.

TELEVISION

Kathy Griffin: The comedian continued to haunt comedy clubs and talk shows while continuing her role as the feisty colleague of Brooke Shields in NBC’s “Suddenly Susan.” Griffin also completed an independent feature, “Dill Scallion,” with Peter Berg and Henry Winkler, and hosted “Premium Blend,” a stand-up comedy series for Comedy Central. A special with HBO is in the works, and she has signed with NBC to star in a series when “Suddenly Susan” ends its run.

Jamie Tarses: The president of ABC Entertainment survived a rocky year. It was rumored during the summer that Tarses, who moved to the network in June 1996 from NBC, might leave the network after clashes with various executives and producers. The rumors intensified when Stu Bloomberg was brought in over her as chairman of ABC Entertainment, and an unflattering New York Times Magazine profile turned the heat up further. But Tarses dug in her heels and stayed. Her first prime-time schedule for the network revealed only one bright spot, “Dharma & Greg,” and several failures, including “Time Cop,” “Total Security” and “You Wish.”

Sharon Lawrence: The former “NYPD Blue” star became a fixture on NBC’s “Women Who Work” Monday lineup with her series “Fired Up.” She also produced and starred in an NBC movie, “Five Desperate Hours.” She received her diver’s certification and hosted an ABC special, “Touched by a Dolphin.” She is currently developing a feature film based on a true story--a black comedy called “J.R.” in which Lawrence would play a woman who has the tables turned on her after she hires an assassin to kill her husband.

Ted Turner: The media mogul and vice chairman of Time Warner made his biggest headlines this year when he offered to donate $1 billion to the United Nations in the next 10 years for the funding of humanitarian programs. Turner also intensified his feud with News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch and asked for industry support in his efforts. In addition, Turner said CNN should carry more positive stories to counterbalance coverage of tragedies.

Jodi Applegate: Since reading the first newscast on the air when the MSNBC cable network launched in July 1996, Applegate has logged hundreds of hours as one of the primary anchors on the NBC cable news network. She also co-anchors the weekend “Today” show with Jack Ford and has substituted for Katie Couric on the weekday edition of “Today.” The ratings for the weekend “Today” are up 16% since Applegate’s arrival.

Tracee Ross: The actress-photographer-model-producer, who is also the daughter of singer Diana Ross, was the host of Lifetime’s weekly infotainment series, “The Dish.” But the series, which premiered in January, lasted only six months before being canceled. Although “The Dish” lives on in reruns on Lifetime’s late-night schedule, Ross has a much lower profile. Her publicist said Ross has several projects pending, but no specifics were offered.

THEATER

Julie Taymor: With one show, she morphed from the darling of the avant-garde to the most successful director-designer on Broadway. Whatever its flaws, “The Lion King” is unforgettable theater, thanks to Taymor’s brilliant puppets and her haunting direction.

Audra McDonald: She spent most of the year in Toronto in “Ragtime,” playing Sarah, the woman who abandons her baby and then finds a brief redemption. McDonald opens on Broadway in the role on Jan. 18. She also recorded her first solo album, still untitled, for Nonesuch Records, due out next year.

Richard Greenberg: His extraordinary “Three Days of Rain” had its world premiere at South Coast Repertory and is now playing in New York at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Greenberg is now at work on a new play and a musical.

Jose Rivera: His high-concept comedy “The Street of the Sun” premiered at the Mark Taper Forum’s New Theatre for Now Series. It was risky but not entirely successful--featuring Los Angeles as a main character, the play attempted to span absurdist comedy, magical realism and naturalism, and at times it clunked with the effort. “Maricela de la Luz Lights the World,” a fable that Rivera wrote for the Seattle Children’s Theater, was a highlight of the Migrant Theater Project.

MUSIC

Emanuel Ax: The first pianist to become artist director of the Ojai Festival, Ax brought a varied, if not altogether innovative, program to this small jewel of a festival, and saw to it that the level of soloists was generally high. But Ax has a more likely chance of getting into the 1997 record books for having played the premiere of John Adams’ new piano concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra in the fall.

Stewart Wallace: The new opera “Hopper’s Wife,” by the composer of “Harvey Milk,” proved just as sensationalist (read: pornographic) as had been promised when it premiered at Long Beach Opera. But it also proved a lot less prurient than feared. For those who could take it, Wallace’s work was a hard, cruel and important look at the uglier side of fame, art and Hollywood society.

Pierre Audi: The stage director and head of Netherlands Opera brought his modernist, uncompromising production of Monteverdi’s “The Return of Ulysses” from Amsterdam to L.A. Opera in the spring. Though hardly a traditional audience pleaser, it demonstrated that when theater is original and vital, even the very early Baroque can astonish an audience normally inclined toward grander and more sentimental opera.

DANCE

Matthew Bourne: His re-sexed, updated “Swan Lake” enjoyed full houses for nearly two months at the Ahmanson Theatre--unprecedented for a dance event. A Broadway run will be announced shortly, and PBS plans to telecast the video edition. However, Bourne’s new “Cinderella” (set in World War II) has earned very mixed reviews in its ongoing London engagement.

Bella Lewitzky: At 80, the legendary Southland choreographer, teacher and arts activist received the National Medal of Arts from President Clinton early in the year. Lewitzky then staged a bittersweet farewell gala for her 30-year-old modern dance company, oversaw its disbanding, sold her home in North Hollywood and now lives in Albuquerque.

Jacques Heim: His locally based Diavolo Dance Theatre sold out at UCLA and was chosen as one of eight DanceWest semifinalists competing to appear at a prestigious contemporary summer festival outside Paris (winners to be announced). Early in ‘98, Diavolo dances in Bovard Auditorium at USC and opens the new performance series at the Getty Center.

ART

Stephanie Barron: The senior curator of 20th century art and vice president of education and public programs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art organized the landmark exhibition “Exiles and Emigres: The Flight of European Artists From Hitler.” It was a popular and critical success, winning the International Assn. of Art Critics’ award for the year’s best show organized by an American museum outside New York.

Cindy Sherman: The New York-based artist’s mid-career survey of photographic self-portraits, organized by L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art, opened at MOCA in November to raves by critics who praise her for elevating photography’s status in the hierarchy of contemporary art.

J. Paul Getty: The long-awaited Dec. 16 opening of the Getty Center, a $1-billion arts complex in Brentwood endowed by the American oil baron’s fortune, was the art event of the year, attracting an international media blitz and garnering largely positive response both from the public and the art crowd.

ARCHITECTURE

Rem Koolhaas: Slowed by local opposition to Universal’s plan to dramatically enlarge its studios and theme park, Koolhaas’ design for the new complex--originally due to be unveiled last summer--was suddenly scaled back. The current design includes only a new headquarters building. It should be made public in late 1998.

POP MUSIC

Deana Carter: The daughter of renowned Nashville guitarist Fred Carter Jr. got a late start in country music, but she blossomed in 1997 as her debut album, “Did I Shave My Legs for This?,” was certified triple platinum (shipping 3 million copies) and established her as one of the hottest artists in country music.

Prodigy: There were more than a few doubts at the start of the year that the English quartet’s mix of the energy of techno and the attitude of punk rock would work in the U.S., but Prodigy’s live show and album “The Fat of the Land” proved equally dazzling. By far the biggest-selling album from the techno world, “Fat” has sold more than 1.5 million copies in the U.S. since its release in July.

Maxwell: With a sexy soul-singing style that has been compared to that of such masters as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, the lanky performer continued to win fans with a series of dynamic live shows. Maxwell released a live EP, “MTV Unplugged,” and his 1996 debut, “Urban Hang Suite,” continued to sell, passing the 1-million mark.

RADIO

Stephen Lama: After serving as acting general manager of KUSC-FM (91.5) for almost a year, Lama lost out to Brenda Pennell in his bid to win the job full time. He was recently given the post of deputy general manager, overseeing KUSC’s three satellite stations--KFAC in Santa Barbara, KPSC in Palm Springs and KCPB in Thousand Oaks.

JAZZ

T.S. Monk: In his role as director of the Thelonious Monk Institute, he announced a new Los Angeles partnership with the Music Center. His quest to “bring jazz into the mainstream” is reflected in the alliance’s programming plans, which include educational projects, professional seminars and several major concerts.

In 1998 Monk, also a noted jazz drummer, will have to deal with some criticism regarding the relatively slow movement in the partnership’s planning. But the optimistic Monk asserts full belief in the project’s potential.