Richard Linklater’s new long-term project is a silm adaptation of Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, which traces, in reverse, the gradual, bitter estrangement of three longtime friends. Starring are Blake Jenner, Ben Platt, and Beanie Feldstein, the latter two themselves close friends since high school. – Los Angeles Times
Month: September 2019
Actor Valerie Harper, 80
“[She] amassed four Emmys during her time as Rhoda [Morgenstern] — three for her sidekick role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977, and one as the lead character in the spinoff Rhoda, which ran from 1974 to 1978 on the same network. She continued to act on television and in the theater for more than three decades, her stage roles ranging from the flamboyant actress Tallulah Bankhead to former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. But she was forever known as Rhoda — a reflection of the preservative power of reruns, and the enduring appeal of her signature character.” – The Washington Post
Art Dealer Who Kicked, Choked, And Banged Head Of His Girlfriend Sentenced To 20 Days In Rehab
London dealer Joseph Nahmad, 31 and part of a powerful multibillion-dollar family network of art dealers, got a suspended sentence of 14 weeks along with the rehab order from Judge Jeffrey Pegden, who told Nahmad, “There are mitigating factors. You are of good character and have taken steps to address your offending behaviour.” As compensation for her injuries, Pegden also ordered Nahmad to pay his victim £750 ($906). – The Daily Mail (UK)
Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie Make 2019 Booker Prize Shortlist
The Testaments, Atwood’s secrecy-shrouded sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, and Quichotte, Rushdie’s recently-released riff on Don Quixote, are joined on the list of six semifinalists by Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World; Chigozie Obioma’s An Orchestra of Minorities; Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other; and Lucy Ellmann’s 1,000-page, single-sentence Ducks, Newburyport. – Irish Times
Failed Diplomacy: Can Lonnie Bunch, Smithsonian’s New Secretary, Out-Bully the Bully-in-Chief?
Judging from his imprudent published pronouncements, it appears to me that Secretary Bunch may feel so estranged (arguably with good reason) from the Trump Presidency that he’s cast aside his own previous self-description as “a Washington diplomat.” – Lee Rosenbaum
What Happened Between Vladimir Horowitz and George Szell?
An incident initiated by the conductor at a post-concert party at the pianist’s home, just a few weeks before Horowitz retired from the stage for 12 years. – Joe Horowitz
Recent Listening: Strosahl And Sanders
Earlier this week in Yakima, Washington, alto saxophonist Logan Strosahl and pianist Nick Sanders demonstrated the like-mindedness that makes them one of the most riveting duos in jazz. – Doug Ramsey