Performance year 2002-03 goes out like a lion.

Byline: Fred Crafts The Register-Guard

What do Christopher O'Ri- ley, "Gross Indecency," "Spirit of the Dance," "Americana," Maria Jette, "A Mom's Life," Trio Voronezh, Mildred Wilde, "La Cage aux Folles" and "Fosse" have in common?

If you said they will all turn up in Eugene in March, then you know your local fine arts scene very well.

For an arts gourmet, something delicious will be offered just about every night for the next three months.

If you want "name" artists, you can choose from O'Riley and fellow world famous pianist Jon Nakamatsu with the Eugene Symphony. Or soprano Jette, a Garrison Keillor favorite, with the Oregon Festival of American Music's American Symphonia. Or the Russian folk and classical Trio Voronezh (now living in Eugene) appearing with the Oregon Children's Choir Association.

On the podiums will be conductors James Paul (American Symphonia chamber orch- estra), Marin Alsop and Giancarlo Guerrero (Eugene Symphony) and Robert Ashens (Oregon Mozart Players).

Those who like to sing along at concerts will be most welcome when the Eugene Concert Choir sings American folk favorites. But they might want to back off when the choir sings F.J. Haydn's "Creation" and its elite Eugene Vocal Arts Ensemble sings "Flower Songs."

Songs galore are ahead also in the national touring shows "Fosse" and "Swing" (Hult Center), and the musicals "Oklahoma!" (Cottage Theatre) and "La Cage aux Folles" and "Babes on Broadway" (Actors Cabaret).

War talk and the economy got you down? The Willamette Repertory Theatre should take your mind off your woes with the comedy "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)." Other grin factories should be "A Mom's Life" (Hult Center), "The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wilde" and "One Shoe Off" (Very Little Theatre), "The Misanthrope" (Robinson Theatre) and "Faith County" (Spotlight Theatre).

Kids will get a kick out of Rose Children's Theatre's "The Hobbit" and the National Theater for the Deaf's "The Giving Tree."

Not everything is sweetness and light on the theater scene.

Sober moods will be generated by Samuel Beckett's "Endgame" (Very Little Theatre's Stage Left), "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet" (Lord Leebrick Theatre), "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde" and "House of Yes" (Actors Cabaret) and "The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek" and "This Lime Tree Bower" (University Theatre).

Dance fans will get a double dose of Irish dancing in the touring shows "Spirit of the Dance" and "Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance." And they can appreciate a classic in Eugene Ballet's "Firebird" or the whimsy of Dance Theatre of Oregon's "Thumbelina."

Fred Crafts can be reached at 338-2575 or fcrafts@guardnet .com.