Last minute

Jazz quartet: Tonight, rising local jazz star Janelle Reichman, last seen here sharing the tenor sax spotlight with Joshua Redman, leads her quartet for New Talent Night at the Blue Wisp (318 E. Eighth St., downtown; 241-9477). Music at 9:30 p.m.; $2.

Concert canceled: Tonight's concert by singer/songwriters Melissa Ferrick and Jeff Lang at Southgate House has been canceled because of illness. The show will be rescheduled, but refunds are available at point of purchase (Magus Productions: 779-9462).

Larry Nager

Countdown

Off to New York: Two Cincinnati pianists are among the 29 winners of the Cincinnati-based 2003 World Piano Competition who will perform in New York's Carnegie Hall on Saturday. Connor Chee, 15, a student of Simon Goykhman, and Blake Selnick, 11, who studies with Anna Weinstein, will play in Weill Recital Hall, as winners in the 5 to 17 age category.

Janelle Gelfand

FYI

New post: Neeme J”rvi, father of the Cincinnati Symphony's Paavo J”rvi, has been named the next music director of the New Jersey Symphony. J”rvi senior will succeed Zdenek Macal to become the orchestra's 12th music director, beginning in the 2005-06 season. He is also the music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and holds several other orchestra posts.

Audition winners: The talent level was so high, they couldn't pick just three. Four students at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music won the Metropolitan Opera District Auditions, held Saturday at CCM. They are Deborah Selig (student of William McGraw); Laura Smith (student of Barbara Honn); Brocha Evans (student of Tom Baresel); and Adam Schulz (CCM grad; student of Barbara Honn). Each won $1,000 and will go on the regionals, Nov. 22, at Butler University.

Janelle Gelfand

Decisions, decisions: The writers for Will & Grace will soon be faced with that age-old dilemma: whether to hide their leading lady's pregnancy or write it into the scripts. Debra Messing, the 35-year-old actress who plays the titular Grace Adler on the NBC comedy, and her husband, Daniel Zelman, are expecting their first child next summer.

Zap2it.com

Movies opening Friday

Elf

The Holy Land

Love Actually

Pieces of April

Coming Friday in Weekend

Hotel holidays: Tristate hotels offer a lot of holiday options: Thanksgiving dinner, New Year's Eve parties. A look at what's available.