“According to the National Buddhism Office, Thailand had nearly 300,000 monks and more than 60,000 novice monks at the end of 2012. And all of them need stuff. [Mr.] Sakol Sangmalee founded the Hang Sangkapan – a sort of monk megastore – six years ago after a frustrating day crawling through Bangkok’s traffic-clogged streets in search of supplies for 99 poor novice monks he was sponsoring.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Forensic Experts Say Three Stolen Paintings Were Burned In Romania
“Romanian experts believe that three out of seven paintings stolen last year from a Dutch museum, a haul that included works by Picasso and Monet, have been destroyed by fire.” The team examined ashes from the stove of the mother of one of the accused thieves.
I Lied – I Didn’t Burn Any Paintings, Mother Of Accused Art Thief Now Says
“Olga Dogaru, the Romanian woman who told investigators that she had incinerated seven works of art by Matisse, Picasso and other modern masters in an effort to protect her son, denied in court on Monday that she had burned the works.”
Now Even Spike Lee Has Turned To Crowdfunding
“The Brooklyn filmmaker on Monday unveiled his bid to raise $1.25 million over the next month using the fundraising site Kickstarter. Lee offered few details on the film, but said it would be about ‘the addiction of blood’.”
Boston Symphony’s Maestro-To-Be Conks His Head
“Incoming Boston Symphony Orchestra music director Andris Nelsons has been forced to cancel his appearance this weekend at Tanglewood because of a freak accident that’s left him with a severe concussion. Nelsons, struck in the head by a door in Bayreuth, Germany, where he had been conducting, is expected to make a full recovery.”
Opera Is Booming In Australia, With Attendance Up By One-Third
“A snapshot of trends from a forthcoming Australia Council analysis of the performing arts, due in August, shows the growth in paid opera attendances was up by 34 per cent in 2012.”
Actor Dennis Farina Dead At 69
“With his silvery locks, craggy face, well-tended moustache and flattened Chicago vowels, Mr. Farina became one of the most readily identified supporting performers of the past 30 years. He appeared in dozens of movies, from big-budget productions to independent fare.”
Utah Folks Don’t Know That Their Ballet Company Has A Hit TV Show
“What could be better than your own hit reality TV show? Having a local audience that knows about it. Season two of Breaking Pointe, a hit reality TV show filmed by the BBC in Utah and starring artists from Ballet West, premieres July 22 in the United States on the CW network and in Germany, Australia and Brazil.”
Opera Diva Licia Albanese Turns 100
“Albanese began expressing herself on stage in her native Italy in 1934 when she took over for an indisposed Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Lirico in Milan. She would turn that Puccini heroine into a signature role with reportedly more than 300 performances, including 72 at the Met. Albanese sang more than 400 times for the company, holding the record for the most La traviatas (87).”
L.A.’s Shakespeare Center Helps Rehabilitate Veterans With PTSD
“Shakespeare Center artistic director Ben Donenberg said employing veterans stemmed from another of the company’s outreach programs, Will Power to Youth, which hires young Angelenos to study and perform Shakespeare plays. After seeing alumni of the program serving in the armed services and later seeking jobs at home, Donenberg said, the company decided to extend its employment program opportunity to veterans, starting last year.”