Matthews may make return to Fenway

So if Sir Elton John and Billy Joel are bringing their "Face 2 Face" tour to Gillette Stadium on July 18 - and they are - who'll be rocking Fenway this summer? Well, it won't be U2, we're told, even though Bono and the boys are about to drop their new CD, "No Line on the Horizon," and then embark on a North American tour. Instead, it's sounding like the Dave Matthews Band will be at the ballpark for a return engagement. (You'll recall that DMB and opener Sheryl Crow played two shows at Fenway in 2006.) E-mails to Live Nation, the team, and the band's publicist yielded no official comment yesterday, but we're told the jam band is indeed on board to play a couple of shows at the ballpark. Wondering about dates? Nothing's set, but for planning purposes, the Sox are out of town during the last week of June, the third week of July, and the first week of August. Whither U2? The Irish band hasn't announced the deets of its summer tour yet, but we're told the itinerary will include a stop at Gillette Stadium in mid-September, probably the 20th. In the meantime, get your wallet out. Tickets for the Elton John/Billy Joel show go on sale Feb. 28, and they could cost as much as $175 a piece.

Imagine our surprise yesterday when we turned on "The People's Court" and saw Arthur Holmberg pleading his case. Holmberg, the literary director at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge and a professor at Brandeis, was seeking to recoup $3,000 he'd spent on a trip to see puppets in Sicily. (It's a long story.) Holmberg told TV Judge Marilyn Milian that a US-based entity called Casa Sicilia had promised to pick up the cost of the trip but it never did. Asked by the judge if he at least enjoyed his time in Italy, Holmberg became quite animated. "Oh, it was paradise. It was wonderful," he said. "The puppets were wonderful. The people were wonderful. . . . I wouldn't take back those 10 days for anything." He won't be getting his money back, either. Because he was invited by Sicilian officials, not their agents in America, Holmberg's suit was tossed out by Milian. The judge suggested the academic sue the government of Sicily itself. Will he? Holmberg didn't return our call yesterday.

Nate and Rob Corddry will hit the stage at the Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer. The comedic brothers from Weymouth will play a pair of squabbling siblings in "True West" by Sam Shepard, which runs July 15 through July 26. Nate Corddry is a former theatre apprentice and has appeared on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," following in the footsteps of big brother Rob, who was a popular show correspondent. The Williamstown 2009 season, which kicks off July 1 with A.R. Gurney's "Children," will close with the world premiere of "Caroline in Jersey" by local playwright Melinda Lopez, opening Aug. 5.

Eleven student designers showcased their creations at Symphony Hall last night, competing in Boston Symphony Orchestra's Project Mozart fashion contest. (Designs were inspired by the composer's music.) Patrons attending the Symphony's all-Mozart concert viewed and voted on the pieces, as will concertgoers at next Tuesday's and Thursday's shows. The winner will be announced Thursday at a post-concert bash. Local judges who will also weigh in include: Gretta Monahan, the Improper Bostonian's Jonathan Soroff, Miss Massachusetts USA Alison Cronin, designer Denise Hajjar, and Tonn, executive director of Tonn Model Management.

After a steamy night of "Dirty Dancing" on stage, cast members from the Broadway musical exited the Opera House for an opening night party at Maggiano's Little Italy Wednesday night. Celebrating their rendition of the '80s movie: Josef Brown (a.k.a. Johnny), Britta Lazenga (Penny), Amanda Leigh Cobb (Baby), and Ben Mingay, who plays the small role of Johnny's cousin Billy but really did justice to the doo-wop classic "In the Still of the Night." (And we have to say it: Cobb bears a striking resemblance to Jennifer Grey, who starred in the original flick.) Nobody puts Baby in a corner. . .

Filipina singing sensation Charice Pempengco, who got her start in YouTube videos and ended up on Oprah, performed at the opening of the Nespresso coffee boutique on Newbury Street last night. (Just when we thought shops were only closing on Newbury. . .) The 16-year-old songstress, who winged in on a 13-hour flight from the Philippines yesterday, said she nonetheless felt energetic and planned to belt out some Whitney Houston and Celine Dion tunes. She sang a few weeks ago at an inaugural bash, where she met President Barack Obama's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng. "She cried when I sang 'God Bless America,' " she said. "It was very sweet." Expected at last night's bash: Anna Cheshire Levitan, Kathryn Conway, Michael Tarshi, Steve Sweeney, designer Denise Hajjar, Nespresso president Fredrick Levy, Taj GM David Gibbons, Tom Kershaw, George Lewis, and Tony Nunziante.

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or 617-929-8253.