“Pirates” with the ISO, Madonna, etc.

–You no doubt already heard that Madonna will, in fact, be providing the halftime entertainment at the Super Bowl. In a previous column, I was less than enthusiastic about that prospect but readers pushed me to come up with someone better suited for the job and, to be honest, I had trouble doing that given the requirements of the gig (basically those being superstardom and availability). So welcome, Material Girl. Hope you enjoy your stay here. Try to keep it relatively family-friendly.

–Exciting news coming today from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. It will soon be announced that the ISO will be one of the first orchestras in the country to offer a screening of "The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" with live musical accompaniment. The orchestra will be playing the entire score, replacing the soundtrack version which will be stripped from the print. The event will happen in March at Clowes Hall. Erik Ochsner, a Park Tudor graduate, conducts. (And I'll be announcing a giveaway contest here soon.) Details posted soon here.

–The Cabaret at the Columbia Club has announced its 2012 lineup and it's a very impressive one. Included are Broadway stars Karen Mason ("The World Goes 'Round"),  Gavin Creel ("Hair"), Victoria Clark ("A Light in the Piazza"), Carol Woods ("Smokey Joe's Cafe") and Laura Benanti ("Gypsy"). Also on the schedule: Former "Star Search" star Sam Harris and "American Idol" competitor Melinda Doolittle. Locals, including Steven Stolen and Cynthia Laine will also take the stage. Details here.

Your thoughts?