Last minute

Opening, closing: Spend your weekend at the opera, when Cincinnati Opera presents Bellini's Norma and Verdi's La Traviata, back-to-back at Music Hall. Today and Saturday, the company puts on its final production of the season, Norma, starring Lauren Flanigan in the title role and Kristine Jepson as Adalgisa. On Friday, it's your last chance to see the company's glorious La Traviata, a lavish production with an impressive cast. Curtain is 8 p.m.; a free lecture starts at 7 p.m. Tickets: $22-$120; 241-2742 or Web site

Janelle Gelfand

Countdown

Latin flavor: Cine Latino, a new Hispanic film series, returns to the Madison Theatre in Covington on July 31 with Chasing Papi, an English-language romantic comedy from first-time feature director Linda Mendoza.

The cast includes Roselyn Sanchez (Basic), Freddy Rodriguez (Six Feet Under), Maria Conchita Alonso and D.L. Hughley. It is rated PG.

The evening runs from 6 p.m. to midnight and includes music, food and live entertainment before and after the film. Tickets are $10 at the door or in advance from the Madison (859-655-4807), Wizards Music (351-5500), or online at www.CincyLatino.com. 379-6462.

Margaret A. McGurk

Romance and Riverbend: What could be more romantic than Tchaikovsky? Violinist James Ehnes made his New York Philharmonic debut on Monday, performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto for 45,000 people in Central Park, then he walked offstage and proposed to his girlfriend.

Ehnes visits Sundaes at the Symphony at Riverbend, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Riverbend Music Center. The Canadian violinist will play the Tchaikovsky again, in an all-Tchaikovsky program conducted by Erich Kunzel.

Everyone gets free ice cream. A cocktail party for young professionals begins at 6 p.m. Tickets: $17-$35; $12 students. Kids 12 and under sit free on the lawn. 381-3300 or go to Web site.

Janelle Gelfand

FYI

No Outlet, for now: Plans for the first 24-hour gay cable channel have been put on hold.

The premium network, being developed by Showtime and MTV, was to have launched in the spring. But with the weak economy and ferocious competition for cable slots, all bets are off, Showtime boss Matthew Blank says.

"I'm disappointed. There's a lot of people out there selling new channels and having a tough time of it."

The network, tentatively named Outlet, would feature original news and entertainment programming as well as reruns of such gay-themed series as Showtime's Queer as Folk.

Knight Ridder News Service

Movies Opening Friday

Bad Boys II

The Hard Word

How to Deal

Johnny English

Winged Migration

Coming Friday in Weekend

A Reds-hot date: Baseball is secondary at Great American Ball Park when you consider that the park is also a destination for mingling, eating out and having a beer with your favorite guy or gal.