“Tony and Grammy award-winner Heather Headley will play singer Rachel Marron – the role originated by Houston” – in the adaptation of the 1992 film starring the late singer and Kevin Costner.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Disney And Warner Bros. Fight Over Wizard Of Oz Rights
L. Frank Baum’s 1899 novel may be in the public domain, but Warner Bros. still owns, and profits from, the classic 1939 film. With Disney’s Oz, the Great and Powerful on the way, the studios have begun legal battles over both copyright and trademarks.
Philip Seymour Hoffman On Acting And Directing At The Same Time (He Didn’t Like It)
“[If] you’re directing and acting you’re on both sides of that equation so everyone’s just waiting on you completely which is … it needs to be shared, that relationship. There needs to be an actor and a director and they should be sharing the responsibility of getting it right. … I remember going, ‘Phil, remember this, remember this feeling right now. Don’t do this again’.”
L.A. Opera Offers $25 ‘Bring-Your-Newbie-Friends’ Tickets
“The company said that ticket holders for [Britten’s] Albert Herring can bring along friends who have never been to the opera before for just $25 per seat.”
When Academic Economists Think About Beer
“Do people drink more during difficult economic times? What effect does social milieu have on personal preference? Can television change the course of an entire industry? … [A number of] scholars have come together to create a new field, ‘beeronomics,’ devoted to analyzing the economics of beer and brewing.”
Aspen Puts Abstract Art On Ski-Lift Tickets
“Ski-lift tickets usually just consist of a logo, a bar code and an expiration date. But in Aspen, Colo., they now display limited editions of Mark Grotjahn’s art. The Aspen Art Museum arranged for the release last week of five different batches of tickets featuring his work, part of an effort to bring art to unlikely places.”
Even Wasilla, Alaska Can Have Fights Over Public Art
“Sarah Palin’s hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, is back in the news – but not for anything the former vice presidential candidate has said or done. A public sculpture at the town’s high school is causing a ruckus for what some claim to see as a depiction of the female genitalia.”
Humans May Have Parallel Moral Systems
“Why do we sometimes wrestle with moral dilemmas? A twist on a classic psychology experiment suggests that our minds have two parallel moral systems, and they don’t always agree.”
Mass Resignations From Charleston Ballet Theatre’s Board
“Financial strain and concerns over management have prompted seven board members of the Charleston Ballet Theatre, including President Charles Patrick, to resign in recent days.”
Viola Davis On A Well-Meaning Mindset That Cripples Black Actors
Responding to discomfort that her widely-praised portrayal in The Help is of a maid: “That very mind-set that you have and that a lot of African-Americans have is absolutely destroying the black artist. The black artist cannot live in a revisionist place. The black artist can only tell the truth about humanity, and humanity is messy. People are messy. Caucasian actors know that.”