January 10, 2000

WEBBER STAGES A COMEBACK

Will Andrew Lloyd Webber's next musical be called "The Comeback Kid?" The famed British producer and composer, best known for the megahits "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera," is staging...

THE DOW'S RALLY FLIES IN THE FACE OF REALITY

Y OU'VE probably heard this little piece of stock-market wisdom -- and if you haven't, you will. It goes like this: The yearly performance of the stock market is almost...

NO END SOON TO THE MARKETS' TWITCHES

The schizophrenic activity that jolted Wall Street last week -- with crazy ups and downs that left investors wondering exactly which way the market is heading -- is unlikely to...

ON THE NEWSSTAND

NOW that Millennium mayhem is over, it's time to get cracking on the next big soiree -- the wedding day. And what better way to start than reading what the...

LITTLE 'DEUCE' COUP -COMEDY'S LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

'STUART LITTLE" has the world by its tail, munching another No. 1 weekend. It's poised a whisker away from the $100 million mark. But the little mouse with the big...

WAR ON WOMEN - ONE AFGHAN REFUGEE SHARES HER TALE OF TERROR AT THE HANDS OF THE TALIBAN

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Freshta Karimi shudders when she reads news of her home country, Afghanistan. The screaming headlines bring back too many terrifying memories of the days when the Taliban...

LOOKING STYLISH IS IN THE BAG

Welcome to the cult of the status handbag. (-sdq-)Owning a handbag from a certain company is like belonging to a club: To become a member, all you have to do...

HELLO, DALI: PAINTER PLAYS MATCHMAKER IN 'ALICE'

SALVADOR Dali and Walt Disney? An odd couple? A likely pair? Well, said quickly, Dali and Disney do sound rather like a team of vaudeville hoofers. Likely or not, it...

'DOG' WILL HAVE ITS DAY - NEW DIRECTOR'S MEMOIR FILM BEATS THE ODDS AND HEADS FOR THE BIG SCREEN

WITH his first studio film, director Jay Russell is taking a gamble that old-fashioned notions of sentimentality and quiet reflection have survived amid the blitzkrieg of hype and special effects...

THE STARR REPORT

Now she's 'special'Laura Ingraham is moving into prime time. MSNBC will announce today that Ingraham will leave "Watch It! with Laura Ingraham" to become a special correspondent for MSNBC and...

20TH CENTURY FLEX - HOW AMERICA CAME TO RULE THE DANCE WORLD

MAURICE Bejart, the French choreographer, once called the 20th century "the century of dance," just as the 19th century was "the century of opera." He had a point. But not...

A NEW CHARACTER ON 'BLUE' - 'WORLD' STAR SIMMONS STEPS IN TO BOOST SEASON OPENER

AFTER all the hassle and waiting around, a fresh season of "NYPD Blue" starts up again tomorrow with 22 new episodes and a new character -- Det. Baldwin Jones. Played...

ROSIE HAS RIVAL WHO CAN COOK;- A CHATTY CHEF IN THE A.M.

"The Ainsley Harriott Show" Weekdays at 10 a.m. on WNBC/Ch.4 Not yet rated HE'S as lively as Emeril, he's got better shtick than Martha, a better tailor than Bryant Gumbel,...

OPRAH'S WEDDING DAY IS STILL TABOO

OPRAH Winfrey is willing to open up about some very private parts of her past, but there's one question she refuses to answer. The forbidden question: Why did she call...

FUTURISTIC AIR TRAVEL NO FLIGHT OF FANCY

There will be no need to sit in traffic, wait in check-in lines or carry luggage at the airport of the 21st century. Suitcases will be picked up at travelers'...

STAND CLEAR OF THE OPENING DOORS - LIRR TRAINS MISSING THE PLATFORM

Long Island Rail Road conductors are imperiling riders by opening train doors into thin air. The LIRR has confirmed 13 incidents last year in which doors were opened "off the...

DEMS GET MCCALL TO ARMS IN GOV WAR VS. ANDY

STATE Comptroller Carl McCall, in a move aimed at blocking Andrew Cuomo, will begin asking Democrats this week to back him for governor in 2002, it was learned yesterday. McCall's...

HARRISON HOUSE CAUGHT OFF-GUARD

George Harrison's English mansion was completely unguarded the night a crazed intruder broke in and stabbed him. "No guards were on duty the night of the attack," a security chief...

'HANNIBAL' MAY FEAST HIS EYES ON 'X-FILES' STAR

Agent Scully could soon turn her attention from battling evil aliens to matching wits with Hannibal the Cannibal. "X-Files" actress Gillian Anderson is said to be the front-runner to battle...

ANGUISH ON ROAD TO FREEDOM

THE Cuban-born Hernandez sisters, who feel they are living the American dream, think Elian Gonzalez should stay in the United States -- even though the road they have traveled in...

TOP DEMS FEAR DETEST OF TIME - AL AND BILL'S FEUD THREATENS UNITY OF PARTY

It's starting to look as if Democratic presidential rivals Al Gore and Bill Bradley can't stand each other -- and that's starting to worry other Democrats. Bradley says he's "really...

LOOKS LIKE HIZZONER IS LOSING HIS GRIP

THE rhetoric that followed Mayor Giuliani's stinging loss before the Board of Education yesterday was quite ironic. It didn't matter who was speaking -- board President William Thompson, Queens board...

RUDY LOSES ROUND ONE - BOARD OF ED TAPS DEM AS INTERIM CHANCELLOR

The Board of Education bypassed Mayor Giuliani's choice for interim city schools chancellor yesterday -- instead tapping a banker with strong ties to the Democratic Party. The 4-3 vote by...

PERES: BANKER'S FIERY MURDER SLOWED MIDEAST PEACE

Former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres said yesterday the murder of billionaire banker Edmond Safra was a setback to peace efforts in the Middle East. "He understood the potential for...

GETTING ON N.Y. BALLOT IS PETITION IMPOSSIBLE

T RY not to be too disappointed. But I will not be your next president. It's not my fault, of course, but the fault of New York's bizarre election laws....

BLACK COPS RAP VIOLENT SONG LYRICS

A group of black cops yesterday asked the record industry to help them combat violence in the streets by putting a muzzle on aggressive hip-hop lyrics. Eric Adams, co-founder of...

WHERE'S BUBBA WHEN IT'S TIME TO FOOT THE BILL?

CLINTONISTA loyalists performed with Olympian skill at catching javelins for their master when he was on the impeachment hot seat. But now, an impoverished Democratic Party is asking where Big...

'CYBERFIEND' RIPS PROSECUTOR - SAYS SHE WIELDED POI$ON PEN

Accused cybersex torturer Oliver Jovanovic and his girlfriend yesterday blasted Manhattan prosecutor Linda Fairstein as bent on getting convictions to further her crime-writing career. Among Jovanovic's supporters at a press...

ROCK-KIN-ROLL STUNNER - ETHERIDGE: SINGER CROSBY MY KIDS' DAD

Rock 'n' roll's biggest secret is out: Lesbian hitmaker Melissa Etheridge and her live-in lover have revealed that the biological father of their two kids is legendary rock bad-boy David...

WISECRACKING CARDINAL ISN'T SAYING IF BIRTHDAY MEANS HE'LL RETIRE

A visibly stronger John Cardinal O'Connor celebrated Mass yesterday, less than a week away from his 80th birthday -- staying mum on the question of when he'll retire. Instead, O'Connor,...

IRA BEGINS DISARMAMENT WITH A BANG

In a major development for peace in Ireland, the Irish Republican Army has reportedly offered to blow up some of its weapons -- and invited the head of a disarmament...

'ELIAN PAL' POL: LET COURTS RULE

The Republican congressman who issued a subpoena to keep Cuban tug-of-war tot Elian Gonzalez in this country said yesterday he would back down if courts rule the 6-year-old should be...

FBI SPIED ON DETROIT MAYOR FOR 40 YEARS

The FBI kept former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young under surveillance for four decades, newly revealed FBI records show. G-men started trailing Young in the 1940s, when he was a well-known...

MCCAIN TRIES TO GET FOCUS OFF 'FAVORS' FOR FAT-CAT PALS

WASHINGTON -- Tired of talk about whether he acted hypocritically on behalf of fat-cat money donors, Arizona Sen. John McCain tomorrow tries to change the campaign subject to taxes. McCain...

COULD HE? WOODY? ALLEN AND CLAN LEAVING APPLE FOR LONDON

Diehard New Yorker Woody Allen is saying "ta-ta for now" to the Big Apple and moving his bride and baby to London, sources confirmed yesterday. The Post reported last week...

ONE DEAD, 2 HURT IN BX. CAR SHOOT

A gunman opened fire on a car in The Bronx early yesterday, killing one man and wounding two others, police said. Investigators said the motive for the shooting - which...

MAN SLAIN FOLLOWING DISPUTE IN QUEENS

A 31-year-old man was shot to death while leaving a deli in Queens early yesterday morning, police said. Two gunmen got into a dispute with Roy Douglas of Queens near...

PINOCHET MAY NOT LIVE TO SEE SPANISH TRIAL

Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is in such poor health, he probably won't survive his upcoming trial in Spain for human-rights abuses, it was reported yesterday. The 84-year-old general was...

STATE'S 'FOUND $$' PAYOUTS GET SNAGGED IN 'NET

So many New Yorkers are flocking to the Internet to see if they're owed money from long-forgotten bank accounts and other sources that there's now more than a yearlong wait...

COUNCILMAN PLANS TO BE COUNSEL MAN

Most law students are frazzled just trying to keep up with class work and making the law review - but one Fordham student has a whopper of an extracurricular activity....

TRACKING DOWN HIS EX-SWEETIE

A spurned Czech suitor hopes his ex checks out the ad he's placed in dozens of Prague subway cars - pleading for a second chance. "The only thing you left...

COUNTRY COPS' REAL-LIFE 'CLOSE ENCOUNTER'

It's not unheard of for a police department to get a call about a UFO sighting - but this time, it's four cops who say they spotted a mystery vessel...

DOC STABBED, ROBBED NEAR NYU HOSPITAL

A Manhattan doctor yesterday was stabbed in the back and robbed of $40 just a block away from New York University Medical Center. "I've walked down that street a thousand...

'BID DADDY' GRABS PEOPLE'S CHOICE

Box-office blockbusters were richly rewarded at the People's Choice Awards last night -- as the Bruce Willis thriller "The Sixth Sense" and the Adam Sandler comedy "Big Daddy" took top...

MUGGER GUNS DOWN 'GREAT KID' IN FRONT OF B'KLYN HOME

A studious Brooklyn teen who dreamed of becoming a doctor was killed last night during a robbery just steps from his Coney Island home. Gary Wong, 18, a freshman at...

STREISAND FOTOG HELD ON $1M BAIL

MALIBU, Calif. -- Bail has been set at $1 million for a paparazzi who allegedly had been following Barbra Streisand and her husband James Brolin. Striesand and Brolin were driving...

JUGGLIN' JEFF STILL TRYING TO FIT PIECES

The Knicks didn't practice yesterday, but chances are basketball was on their minds anyway. After Saturday's humbling loss to Cleveland, many of the players were looking in the mirror admitting...

AS USUAL, JESSE'S RANT IS OFF-BASE

Someday, someone in an authority position in sports will summon the guts to cease pandering to Rev. Jesse Jackson and instead politely tell him to take a hike. Currently, Jackson...

GAMES WITH HOYAS STILL CAUSE STORM

A real rivalry transcends players and coaches. A real rivalry endures, regardless if one team is enjoying a good season and the other is struggling. A real rivalry comes down...

TITANS FEELIN' LIKE DESTINY'S DARLINGS

NASHVILLE -- Jeff Fisher, still breathless after watching his Titans steal one of the most improbable victories in NFL playoff history from the hard-luck Bills on Saturday, said, "There's something...

PROOF? IT WASN'T CLOSE - EVEN ON REPLAY, ANALYSTS MISS THE POINT

THE only thing more misunderstood by broadcasters than the NFL's original replay rule is the son of replay rule. Saturday's wild lateral pass and TD run on the kickoff to...

ISLANDERS GIVE LUONGO A SEAT

BOSTON -- Like Islander coach Butch Goring, Mike Milbury has been disappointed about the recent shoddy play of rookie goaltender Roberto Luongo. In his last two games, the 20-year-old Luongo...

BUCK'S BOY FLOPS IN RETURN

Buck's Boy, the 1998 Breeders' Cup Turf Champion and third-place finisher in last year's BC Turf, made an unsuccessful return to the races in the Grade 3 Mac Diarmida Handicap...

'BOYS' WOES 'OLD' STORY

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the second straight season the Cowboys were bounced out of the playoffs in the first-round with no clear indication their future will get better before it gets...

SURGING VIKES CRY: BRING ON THE RAMS - SWAGGER PAST BOYS AS SMITH, MOSS STAR

Vikings 27 - Cowboys 10 MINNEAPOLIS -- The swagger the Vikings have today is different than a year ago when everyone was giving them a free pass into the Super...

RAVENS SOAR IN CHSAA - HODGE, ST. RAYMOND'S STOP BISHOP LOUGHLIN

St. Raymond's 74 - B. Loughlin 65 At the beginning of this season, it was widely believed that Rice and Christ the King would rule the CHSAA. And while teams...

DON'T GET MAD, GET EVAN

ORLANDO -- One night after their four centers were outscored by Vancouver's Bryant "Big Country" Reeves by 2-0, the Nets went up against All-Star Alonzo Mourning in Miami. Now, they...

DAVIS SORELY KNEEDED - INJURED SKINS' RB HOLDS KEY VS. BUCS

The marquee matchup will be hyped and analyzed all week: The Redskins and their prolific offense, ranked No. 2 in the NFL, vs. the Buccaneers and their formidable defense, ranked...

JETS SALE DOWN TO WIRE - 'WOODY' HAS EDGE ON DOLAN

The Jets ownership question is coming down to the last minute -- literally -- as the Leon Hess estate positions itself to get the last dollar of value out of...

RANGER PLAN STAYS

RALEIGH - So the Rangers were able to beat Toronto twice in four days by outskating the Maple Leafs, whose up-tempo style leaves opponents plenty of room to skate. Were...

RANGERS' GLASS HALF-EMPTY - SHUTOUT LOSS TO 'CANES MARKS MIDWAY POINT

Hurricanes 1 - Rangers 0 RALEIGH -- A first half that wasn't good enough ended here last night with a performance that wasn't good enough, either. The 1-0 loss to...

DAN & THE DOLFS GET TO PLAY ANOTHER DAY

SEATTLE -- In the shadow of his own goal post, as a shadow of his old self, Dan Marino faced third-and-17. On second down, he had thrown pitifully short of...

SEAHAWKS ARE FEEBLE IN FINALE

SEATTLE -- The rebirth of the Seahawks under Mike Holmgren died pitifully with five losses in the last six games, then a home playoff loss. The shelves he inherited were...