MORNING REPORT - News from June 3, 2000

STAGE

Final Curtain: The Broadway production of “The Green Bird” will close Sunday at the Cort Theatre after 16 previews and 35 regular performances. Julie Taymor (“The Lion King”) directed Carlo Gozzi’s Italian tale, set to music by Elliot Goldenthal. The show, Taymor’s first stage outing since the highly acclaimed “The Lion King,” hit a peak in its second week, after which it continued to decline steadily. Last week’s gross represented only 35% of capacity--Broadway’s lowest for that time period.

Potpourri: East West Players’ 2000-2001 season will open with a Nov. 8-Dec. 3 run of the new “The Theory of Everything,” a co-production with Singapore Repertory Theatre, by Prince Gomolvilas, whose “Big Hunk o’ Burnin’ Love” was seen at East West in 1998. Three revivals follow in 2001: Frank Chin’s “The Year of the Dragon,” directed by Mako, Jan. 31-Feb. 25; “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” March 21-April 15; and Philip Kan Gotanda’s “Yankee Dawg, You Die,” May 23-June 17.

POP/ROCK

Waiting Room: Celine Dion underwent two small operations over the past few days to improve her chances of becoming pregnant, according to her husband and manager, Rene Angelil. “We will know on June 10 if she is [pregnant],” he said. “We hope it will be the case.” Dion, who canceled a performance Wednesday night for the funeral of hockey great Maurice Richard, is on an extended sabbatical from touring to spend time with Angelil, who is recovering from skin cancer.

No Go (I and II): Citing scheduling problems, a KROQ-FM (106.7) official said Friday that it is “unlikely” that Eminem, one of the announced acts, will perform at the station’s Weenie Roast concert. Tickets for the June 17 show at Anaheim’s Edison International Field go on sale today. . . . And Sunday’s Hollywood Bowl show--part of a six-city Mondo Melodia tour featuring Middle Eastern performers Bijan Morta, George Dalaras and Kazem Al Saher--has been canceled. Tour organizer Miles Copeland issued a statement saying that members of the Iraqi band Kazem Al Saher had not obtained required State Department clearance in time to begin the tour as scheduled. Refunds for the Bowl concert are available at point of purchase.

MOVIES

Freebies: As a way of promoting its Movie Awards, MTV is taking over three L.A. theaters next week--the Mann’s Chinese Theater on Monday, the Magic Johnson Theaters Crenshaw Plaza on Tuesday and the Mann’s Village Westwood on Wednesday--offering free screenings of “M:I-2” and “Big Momma’s House.” Moviegoers will be able to line up two hours before the 7 p.m. show times and will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. The awards telecast, to be taped tonight, will air Thursday at 9 p.m.

QUICK TAKES

Johnny Carson has sent a $100,000 check to a senior citizens center in his hometown of Norfolk, Neb. The donation follows on the heels of another $100,000 he recently donated to the town’s arts center. . . . The Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences has presented its 2000 Governors Awards to Warner/Chappell Music Chief Executive Les Bider, Atlantic Records artist Brandy, producer-songwriter David Foster and film composer James Newton Howard. The recipients will be honored at the annual membership awards luncheon on June 15. . . . The second Method Fest Independent Film Festival will begin June 16 at Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 theater in Pasadena. The eight-day event will feature screenings of 18 movies and 15 shorts, as well as workshops and symposiums. “Poor White Trash,” starring Sean Young and William Devane, opens the showcase. It closes with “The Hiding Place,” with Timothy Bottoms and Tim Hunter.