Monitor Picks

Mrs. 'Doubt' on fire

Cherry Jones leaves no doubt why she was Broadway's best actress in 2005. Jones owns the stage as Sister Aloysius in Doubt, the Tony Award-winning play about a nun who confronts sexual abuse in the Catholic church in the 1960s. Book your trip now: Her run ends Jan. 8. If you can't make it to New York, "Doubt" begins a national tour next fall.

David Halberstam, with his trademark economy of prose, traces the origins of modern football's best mind. The Education of a Coach ($24.95) follows the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick from the coal mines of Pennsylvania to his three Super Bowl victories. Most revealing: At age 9, Belichick helped his father, then defensive coordinator with the Navy, analyze game film.

At foliagenetwork.com, leaf peepers compile biweekly reports of the best places for fall colors across the US, as well as a guide to the best trails and attractions in each locale.

When a bag of stolen cash falls from the sky, 5-year-old Damian thinks it's from God and wants to give it to the poor. His older brother, and the robbers who nabbed it, have other ideas. Money as the root of all evil is the theme of Millions, now out on DVD. It's a tale as old as the Bible itself, but has never been told so sweetly. An instant Christmas classic.

Before Billy Crystal was a city slicker or looked maaahvalous, he was a New York kid who went to Yankees games with his father and hung out at jazz clubs with Billie Holliday. Those formative years comprise his one-man show, 700 Sundays, now touring nationally. Funny, though often ribald, Crystal embodies aunts, uncles, and family friends, leaving the impression of a man in love with life itself. Next up: Chicago (Nov. 8-19) and Los Angeles (Jan. 8 - Feb. 18, 2006).