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^BC-ENTERTAINMENT SUMMARY
^Reuters/Variety Entertainment Summary

Nashville Remembers Wynette
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) - Some of country music's brightest stars bid a song-filled and emotional farewell Thursday to Tammy Wynette. Naomi and Wynona Judd, Dolly Parton, Lori Morgan and Randy Travis remembered the 55-year-old singer as one of the biggest hearts and grandest talents in Nashville. The group assembled at Ryman Auditorium, where the Grand Old Opry broadcasts originate. ``There will never, ever be anyone like Tammy Wynette,'' said Naomi Judd, choking back tears. ``I was proud to call her one of my most cherished friends ... one of the biggest-hearted people I have ever known in my life.'' Wynette died Monday.

Pavarotti Spice?
NEW YORK (Reuters) - World famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti announced Thursday he will join Celine Dion, Jon Bon Jovi, the Spice Girls and other stars in a benefit concert for a children's village in war-torn Liberia. The third annual ''Pavarotti & Friends'' concert will be held in Pavarotti's home town of Modena, Italy on June 9 and will also feature Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, and Trisha Yearwood. Spike Lee will direct the concert, as well as the film and video of the event. Proceeds will benefit the Pavarotti & Friends Liberian Children's Village haven for children in Liberia, which has been ravaged by nearly a decade of civil war.

British Tabs Feast on Michael
LONDON (Reuters) - The British press Thursday splashed news of the arrest of pop star George Michael on lewd conduct charges, noting that he had always drawn a discreet veil over his private life. The 34-year-old singer, famed for hiding behind his dark glasses, was arrested for engaging in a ``lewd act'' in a public toilet in Los Angeles Tuesday night. The Sun tabloid called it a ``World Sensation'' and devoted seven pages to the news, which it headlined ``Zip Me Up Before You Go Go'' -- a reference to the hit, ``Wake Me Up Before You Go Go'' by Michael's former pop duo Wham. In the midst of the tabloid frenzy, pop singer Boy George came out in defense of Michael saying, ``I don't think he has done anything to be ashamed of.''

Jackson Wins $2.7 Million
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A jury Thursday ordered a man to pay Michael Jackson $2.7 million for failing to prove the existence of a videotape that allegedly showed the singer having sex with a young boy. Jackson, who denies having sex with a minor, had sued for $100 million after Victor Gutierrez went on the syndicated TV show ``Hard Copy'' and said he had seen a 27-minute video of Jackson and a boy engaging in sex. During the civil trial, Gutierrez, who once wrote a book entitled ``Michael Jackson Was My Lover,'' about an alleged relationship between the entertainer and a boy, refused to produce any evidence to back up the allegation. He invoked California's Shield Law, which allows reporters to protect their sources, but he did say anoher boy's mother had shown him the video. In 1994, Jackson, whose wife has just had their second child, settled a sexual molestation suit brought by a southern California boy he had befriended.

Life After Seinfeld
LOS ANGELES (Variety) - ``Seinfeld'' executive producer George Shapiro says now that the series is ending, its star Jerry Seinfeld can get his life back. But from what columnist Army Archerd reports, that's unlikely to happen any time soon. The ``Seinfeld'' troupe reunites on Saturday night for the show's wrap party (filming ended on Wednesday). But the press coverage is just beginning. Ahead of the May 14 finale, special ''Seinfeld'' coverage is coming up in People, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, TV Guide, and Vanity Fair. Jerry will also be busy with his American Express commercials, and his HBO special that airs live from Broadway on August 9.

Leo Considers 'Pretty Horses'
NEW YORK (Variety) - Box-office golden boy Leonardo DiCaprio is reportedly nearing a decision on his first starring role since ``Titanic.'' Dish reports DiCaprio is considering joining the cast of the Billy Bob Thornton-directed adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, ``All the Pretty Horses.'' DiCaprio would play the role of a teenage Texan who rides into Mexico in 1949 with a buddy and falls for the daughter of a wealthy rancher -- only to land in jail. But if DiCaprio joins the cast, it could be costly. His representatives are reportedly asking $20 million for his next picture. Columbia had budgeted ``Horses'' modestly, but the studio may bust the budget in this case.

'Monty' May Be Broadway Bound
NEW YORK (Variety) - The British box office hit ``The Full Monty'' may be resurrected on stage in New York. Dish reports Fox Searchlight is trying to secure a writer and lyricist to turn the film into a Broadway musical. The project is the passion of Searchlight president Lindsay Law, who has strong stage ties due to his days heading PBS' American Playhouse. Law wants to test the stage with a version of the $3.5 million picture, which grossed more than $220 million. Like the film, the musical will be about a group of out-of-work and out-of-shape guys who regain their self-worth as burly burlesquers.

She's Back
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Newcomer Dylan Bruno, coming off a small part in Steven Spielberg's ``Saving Private Ryan,'' has landed a major role in ``Carrie II,'' a sequel to the classic 1976 psychokinetic thriller based on a Stephen King novel. The new picture is set in a town neighboring the rural burg of the original film, which starred Sissy Spacek. As in the first story, high school jocks play a cruel joke on a female student (Emily Bergl) who is something of an outsider, triggering her destructive, supernatural powers.

Salma Hayek Heads West
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Salma Hayek has landed the female lead in ``The Wild Wild West'' opposite Will Smith, Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh. he plays Rita Escobar, a woman caught in a love triangle between government agents James West (Smith) and Artemus Gordon (Kline). Barry Sonnenfeld will direct the Warner Bros. feature, which is based loosely on the off-beat Western TV series that ran on CBS from 1965-1970. Shooting is set to start April 22.

US Viewers May See 'Lolita'
MONTREAL (Variety) - While all of the major U.S. studios, HBO and even three domestic pay-per-view networks have passed on director Adrian Lyne's ``Lolita,'' American audiences may yet get a peek at the picture. Canadian-owned distributor Lions Gate Films is awaiting a response from the film's producer, Pathe. ''Lolita'' has had a hard time in distribution because its racy subject matter -- a middle-aged man's erotic obsession with a 12-year-old girl -- limits its commercial potential. But Lions Gate Films president Jeff Sackman said his company isn't worried about controversy. He and his colleagues like the film, which stars Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons, and are willing to handle it.
^REUTERS