Sue’s time in Spokane nearly over

About 40,000 people have taken a gander at Sue, Spokane’s favorite T. rex, during her stint at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture since late April.

That’s roughly a quadrupling of the MAC’s normal attendance. The museum’s Jill Strom said it “exceeded our expectations.”

If you weren’t one of those 40,000, time is running out. Sue will be leaving the MAC on Sept. 2 and heading for the Anniston Museum of Natural History in Anniston, Ala. (Talk about Runaround Sue.)

So you have exactly one week to head down to the museum at 2316 W. First Ave., in Browne’s Addition.

Be sure to check out another exhibit there as well, “River of Memory: The Everlasting Columbia.” It includes 60 historic photos of the Columbia River in the pre-dam era.

Makin’ rain at Interplayers

Interplayers, Spokane’s professional theater institution, is gearing up for its new season with “The Rainmaker,” by N. Richard Nash, from Sept. 13 through 29.

This 1954 romantic comedy-drama is about a handsome con man who arrives on a Western farm promising to end a drought. As it turns out, he ends a drought of the romantic variety.

The people at Interplayers hope the theater’s financial drought is coming to an end as well.

Jim McCurdy, one of the board’s vice presidents, said the goal two years ago was “to save the theater and then stabilize it – and we did that.”

He said the financial future looks considerably brighter after a 2006-07 season that included two popular hits, “Bus Stop” and “Driving Miss Daisy.”

Interplayers has a seven-play 2007-08 season lined up, which includes such familiar titles as “Same Time, Next Year” and “On Golden Pond.” However, the theater still does not have an artistic director.

“The Rainmaker” will reunite Jonathan Rau, Kelly Quinnett, Bill Rhodes and Maynard Villers, all of whom were in last year’s “Bus Stop.” Todd Jasmin will pull double duty as director and cast member.

“The Rainmaker” will be produced as part of a joint venture with the Lake City Playhouse, Coeur d’Alene’s community theater, where it will play later in the fall.

For tickets to “The Rainmaker” or season subscriptions, call the box office at (509) 455-PLAY.

‘Preslee’ did it his way

Spokane’s own Ben “Preslee” Klein did not finish first at the Ultimate Elvis Competition in Memphis on Aug. 17.

Yet he was one of 10 finalists, which had its own rewards.

According to his mom, Gwen, Klein has been asked to perform on the first-ever official Elvis Cruise to the Bahamas this week and has been offered a contract with Elvis Presley Enterprises.

Labor Day concert

Spokane’s traditional end-of-summer events are almost upon us: the Spokane Symphony’s free Labor Day weekend concerts in the park.

Sousa and Tchaikovsky will ring out at Liberty Lake’s Pavillion Park on Sept. 1 at 6 p.m., and at the South Hill’s Comstock Park on Sept. 3 (Labor Day) at 6 p.m.

Music director Eckart Preu and associate conductor Morihiko Nakahara will preside over the usual mix of movie themes (“Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Jurassic Park”), marches (“Stars and Stripes Forever”) and thunderous classics (“The 1812 Overture”).

This year’s concert will also feature a reprise of the symphony’s specially commissioned “Children of the Sun” by Preu’s brother, Hans Peter Preu.

This is undoubtedly Spokane’s premier picnic event, so start planning your basket now.

Symphony ticket release

By the way, tickets for individual Spokane Symphony concerts – Classics, Pops, Casual Classics and just about every other kind – are on sale at the symphony ticket office, 819 W. Riverside Ave., Suite 100, or by calling (509) 624-1200.

Tickets are also available through TicketsWest outlets (509-325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).

Up until last week, sales had been limited to subscriptions.

The return of DJ Manic

Chuck Wright, aka DJ Manic, is back in the Spokane radio market.

He’s hosting the 6 to 10 p.m. slot on KQQB-FM (The New Live 104.5). He’ll also tackle some of the music programming duties.

Wright was with the old Wired 103.9 before its demise in 2004, and then he headed off to South Bend, Ind.

A Libby asbestos documentary

“Libby, Montana,” a documentary about that area’s asbestos ordeal, will air as part of the “P.O.V” series on PBS this week.

This film, by Drury Gunn Carr and Doug Hawes-Davis, tells the story of the city’s 30-year pollution nightmare.

The show will air Tuesday at 9 p.m. on KSPS-7 in Spokane, and at 10 p.m. on KUID-12 in Moscow and KCDT-26 in Coeur d’Alene.