People talk 9/16/02

'Friends' cast pegged for award show duties

LOS ANGELES -- "Friends" stars Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry aren't just up for receiving Emmy Awards this year -- they'll be giving them out as well.

Along with co-stars Courteney Cox Arquette, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer, the three will be presenters at the Sept. 22 show, organizers announced Saturday.

Aniston is nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her portrayal of Rachel Green.

The 33-year-old actress has been nominated twice before for best supporting actress.

LeBlanc, 35, and Perry, 33, have each been nominated as outstanding lead actor for their roles in the show.

The Emmys will be hosted by Conan O'Brien and air on NBC.

Cleveland Orchestra welcomes new director

CLEVELAND -- Franz Welser-Most received an enthusiastic reception in his debut as music director of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Before an encore, he told Saturday night's gala concert crowd that he was "overwhelmed by the warm and generous welcome."

The program included Edgard Varese's "Tuning Up," Glinka's overture to "Russlan and Ludmilla," Haydn's Symphony No. 60, Marc-Andre Dalbavie's "Rocks Under the Water" and Respighi's "The Pines of Rome."

The Austrian-born Welser-Most first led the Cleveland Orchestra as guest conductor in 1993.

He has conducted the orchestra in more than 70 concerts.

Welser-Most is also music director of the Zurich Opera.

Audience response turns musician's head

LOS ANGELES -- India.Arie, the neo-soul singer nominated for seven Grammy Awards earlier this year, said the response of audiences after Sept. 11 reinforced her belief in the power of music.

"I always felt that music had this special power, but it was mostly a theory -- until I started seeing it for myself," said Arie, 26. "There's a connection that you can feel on stage and in talking to people about music -- and that's especially true after Sept. 11."

Arie, who takes her inspiration from singer-songwriters like Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers, said she channeled her post-Sept. 11 feelings into "Voyage to India," a new album with a strong spiritual edge.

Actor Olmos joins protest of border policy

LOS ANGELES -- Actor Edward James Olmos joined other activists Saturday to call for ways to stop the deaths of hundreds of illegal border crossers from exposure, accidents and other dangers.

"These people are dying, and we're watching it happen," the Mexican-American actor said at a rally outside Our Lady Queen of Angels Church on Olvera Street.

"We have to do something about it."

The U.S. Border Patrol said 290 illegal immigrants have died and 1,700 have been rescued along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border since October, 2001.

Rev. Richard Estrada, director of Jovenes Inc., the advocacy group that organized Saturday's event, said the support of high-profile people like Olmos shows that awareness of the problem is growing.

"The purpose of our journey is to raise the consciousness of both countries, Mexico and the United States," Estrada said.

Televangelist plans appearance in Moscow

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. -- The Rev. Robert H. Schuller will speak today in Moscow to mark a decade since the start of weekly Russian broadcasts of his televangelist show "Hour of Power."

Schuller is scheduled to appear at the Concert Hall of the Moscow Mayor's Administration Building, according to church spokesman Michael Nason.

Schuller will discuss how the debut of his Sunday program was made possible by then-Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

"Hour of Power" is broadcast weekly to more than 30 million viewers throughout the United States and in more than 180 countries.