Reba show Saturday

Country music's first big concert of the year comes Saturday when Reba McEntire visits Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, with Brad Paisley and Joe Nichols.I recently spoke with McEntire, and she said this show would have plenty of the usual razzle-dazzle, but not quite as many costume changes.

"There will be only two outfit changes," she said. "I know the audience gets a kick out of the changes, but it takes me away from them too much."

McEntire spent a month in rehearsals for the tour, in-between plugging her new Reba line of clothes, which is sold at the Dillard's at SouthPark mall.

The tour comes when McEntire is still releasing singles off her 2003 album, "Room to Breathe," which has so far produced the No. 1 hit "Somebody," and the Top 10 hit "He Gets that from Me." Her current single is "My Sister."

Tickets for the concert range from $29.50 to $54.25 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, the amphitheater box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (704) 522-6500.

On the same day as the concert, Dillard's at SouthPark is holding a "To Meet Her, You Got to Be Her" contest, from noon to 2 p.m. The winner gets tickets to the show that night at Verizon, backstage passes and an outfit from the Reba collection. The red-head lookalikes should head to the Reba department on the second floor. Details: (704) 365-3111.

Coincidentally, Brad Paisley's legion of female fans might be interested to know he recently told CMT that he and his wife, actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are hoping to have a child soon.

CLICK HERE to discuss in our forum.

It's good to be the star of the show

So Goodlettsville native Jamie Denton from Desperate Housewives said he enjoyed smooching Reba McEntire when he did a guest shot as a sexy marriage counselor on the WB show Reba.

Did Reba enjoy that as well? Heck, Reba says she's the one who made the smooch happen.

Originally, the script called for Jamie's character to smooch only Reba's nemesis on her show, Barbra Jean. That didn't set well with Reba. ''I kinda threw a Reba McEntire fit,'' Reba said during a teleconference recently to promote her show.

''I said, 'Why does (actress) Melissa Peterman (Barbra Jean) kiss Jamie Denton? Write it different.' They came back where I kissed Jamie,'' Reba said.

Then a second kiss was added for Barbra Jean and then another for Reba.

''If it had been an hourlong show, no telling how many kisses there would've been,'' Reba said, laughing.

CLICK HERE to discuss in our forum.

REBA RELATED

Parton's TV wish comes true -- late
By Terry Morrow

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. -- Dolly Parton says her upcoming guest appearance on "Reba," airing 9 p.m. Friday on The WB, turned out so well that the producers asked her to do a spin-off.

On "Reba," Parton will play Dolly Majors, a real estate mogul who Reba wants desperately to impress. "They already started talking to me as soon as we did this (episode). Someone mentioned to me (about) taking this character and doing a (spin-off)," Parton says.

"But I don't want to do a show now because I am involved in so many other things."

Playing Majors was "a good part for me," she says. "She's the kind of character (who would) allow me to go back and be a little visitor now and then."

Parton wants to see Majors become a recurring character not only on "Reba" but also all over the WB network. She envisions that the character could turn up anywhere on any WB show since she's always on the prowl for a good real estate deal.

Working with the "Reba" cast and crew was positive for Parton.

"Everybody on that whole show is great. I had one of the best weeks I ever had in show business," she said.

Parton is working on music for two new stage productions, a musical version of "9 to 5" and a play about her life's story. The latter project is being considered for a Broadway berth.

She is also pitching the idea of a Dollywood musical special to the Country Music Television network. She says she will also take the idea to Great American Country channel. Throughout its 20 seasons, Dollywood has featured concerts by Allison Krauss, Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney early in their careers.

The chance for her to do a weekly TV series now is ironic for Parton.

"For years, I tried to (get) a series," she says. "I would have done (an opportunity) like this then. Now, a series is the last thing I want to do. It's too much of one thing. It's too much of a 9-to-5 job."

For most of the 1990s, Parton made several attempts to get into weekly television. Most of the ideas were half-hour situation comedies. She shot a pilot of one series that did not make it onto the air.

Parton has hosted two variety shows, both titled "Dolly." The first one was a half-hour series that emphasized musical numbers. The second one was an hourlong ABC series that included sketches and remote pieces.

When the ABC series, a highly anticipated show during the 1987-88 TV season, ended after a few months, a disappointed Parton went back to the drawing board.

Many ideas from several writers came her way -- playing a hairdresser, a singer and even a cook with her own TV show -- but none of them panned out.

She found the process of working with networks and making creative decisions by committee too difficult and stifling.

"That's not to say I won't do a (series) later," she says, "but I don't want to do one in this section of my life."

CLICK HERE to discuss in our forum.