"People sometimes ask me, 'Why adapt another movie into a musical ' " says Jerry Mitchell, who has earned a reputation as one of Broadway's most sought-after choreographers after his impressive track record with recent screen-to-stage hits "The Full Monty," "...

"I f Arafat were alive..." one hears this phrase increasingly often in conversations with Palestinians, and also with Israelis and foreigners. "If Arafat were alive, what's happening now in Gaza wouldn't be happening...&qu ot; "If Arafat were alive, we would have somebody to talk with..."

A busy March and April are planned, with three concerts and two stage shows aimed at young people set for the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson.

Last week, Mike Jackson, CEO and chairman of AutoNation, joined with Congressman Jay Inslee, Sen. Orrin Hatch and Sen. Maria Cantwell on Capital Hill for a forum on legislative efforts to promote ''plug-in hybrids'' and address America's need for a National Energy Policy. What follows is his testimony:

With fishing, golf, history, wildlife and just plain old relaxation, Alabama coast hits the spring-break spot for families.

Few classic movie stars are as consistently enjoyable than Robert Mitchum. Going down a list of his credits, the entertaining shows outnumber the losers by 4 to 1, and even the losers can be pleasant just to see the man with the big shoulders slouch nonchalantly through his paces.

City: Scottsdale, AZ -- As one of the most popular Californian poprock bands of the '70s, the Doobie Brothers evolved from a mellow, post-hippie boogie band to a slick, soul-inflected pop band by the end of the decade.