Also this issue: American Beauty Celebrate the Fourth by taking in the works of the Hudson River School painters. -Robin Rice Roman Britten -David Shengold Going to Commercial -A.D. Amorosi March of the Falsettos -Steve Cohen Sports Bar Larry Platt drives hard, but he doesn’t always score. -Andrew Milner

July 5-11, 2002

artpicks

Roker Face

There are two kinds of people who dislike Al Roker: hopelessly twisted cynics and irredeemable misanthropes.

The rest of the world will no doubt be thrilled that the chubby Today show weatherman is coming to town.

Uncle Al will be in town to plug his latest opus: Al Roker's Big, Bad Book of Barbecue (Scribner). Along with "100 Easy Recipes for Backyard Barbecue and Grilling," America's most popular weatherman will share grilling recipes, family anecdotes, tips, techniques and rules for the grill game. (Rule # 1: Never touch another man's grill.)

Roker has been on a well-publicized diet for the past few months. No doubt he's in a special kind of hell, trying to simultaneously lose weight and promote a cookbook. The rumor mill says he may bring a grill with him to the Free Library gig (weather permitting, of course), and dole out barbecue books to anyone holding up an "I Love Al Roker" sign outside.

Tue., July 9, 7 p.m., free, Montgomery Auditorium, Free Library of Philadelphia, 19th and Vine sts., 215-686-5322, www.library.phila.gov/writers/coolbooks.htm.

—Meredith Broussard