The Disney/Julie Taymor/Elton John musical “has been playing for 14 years and nine months,” placing it fifth on the longevity list. “The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show in Broadway history at 22 years and counting. Cats, Les Miserables and Chicago round out the second-, third- and fourth-longest-running shows.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Caracas Museum That Lost Its Matisse Is Missing 14 Other Works
“But the FBI sting operation that recovered the French painter’s 1925 work Odalisque in Red Trousers in Miami last month has also resurrected awkward questions about more than a dozen other valuable pieces said to be ‘unaccounted for’ at the Caracas Museum of Contemporary Art (MACCSI), including works by Jasper Johns, Henry Moore, Lucian Freud and Jesús Soto.”
Classical Music Critic Donal Henahan Dead At 91
The Pulitzer Prize-winning who worked at the Chicago Daily News (1947-67) and The New York Times(1967-91), who was also “an accomplished pianist and classical guitarist, reviewed operas, concerts and recitals for the daily newspaper and wrote longer-form essays on a wide range of cultural subjects.”
The Inevitable Pussy Riot Copycats Disrupt Mass In Cologne
“Two videos posted Sunday on YouTube show at least five people wearing balaclavas jumping and shouting during a mass in the main cathedral of the city of Cologne.” Church staff immediately removed the protestors, three of whom now face prosecution for disrupting religious services, a crime under German law carrying a penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment.
Russian Conservatives Sue Madonna For Promoting Gay Rights
“A group of right-wing activists in St. Petersburg has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Madonna, claiming that the pop star’s Aug. 9 concert promoted homosexuality and offended Orthodox believers.”
Punch And Judy Get A 21st-Century Makeover (No More Violence)
“One is a tracksuit-wearing benefits cheat who will do anything to avoid work, while the other is a would-be Wag laden with credit card debts. Punch and Judy have been given a makeover in a revamped version of the classic puppet show which has been performed in Britain since 1662.”
No One Wants Charles Saatchi’s Art Collection
“It is considered one of the most important contemporary art collections in the world, featuring Tracey Emin’s bed and Grayson Perry’s pots” – and worth £30 million or more. “But two years since announcing his generous gift [to the British nation], the collection has yet to find a home.”
The Birth Of Pussy Riot
“But make no mistake; the impact of the ‘Punk Prayer’ on public opinion was not the chance result of a post-adolescent prank. At least two of the three defendants have emerged from a scene of young conceptual artists that have been engaged in political activism for years. They knew exactly where to hit so that it hurt most.”
Behind The Balaclavas: Who Are The Women Of Pussy Riot?
“[The] three members [of the punk rock collective] who were jailed in March following a guerrilla performance denouncing President Vladimir Putin in Moscow’s main cathedral have unwillingly emerged as vivid – and very different – characters.
New Street Mural In Boston Inspires Anti-Arab Slurs, Which Inspire Debate
The twin Brazilian street artists Os Gêmeos painted The Giant of Boston, a 70-by-70-foot mural showing a boy wearing brightly patterned pajamas and a red shirt wrapped around his head and face. Soon, on the Facebook page of the local Fox TV affiliate, some commenters described the image as depicting a “terrorist”, “towel head”, and “Mooselim protected by Obama!”