“‘I would rather try and fail than not try,’ he says. He’s applied that same philosophy to his career: Last fall, he decided to leave life as a ballet star behind to find out what possibilities might lie in musical theater, TV and film. In the course of our conversation, he repeats the same sentence over and over, like a mantra: ‘You never know how far you’re gonna go if you don’t jump.’ This is his jump.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Uh-Oh – After Seven-Year Ban, Lars Von Trier Is Returning To Cannes
“Von Trier was made persona non grata by Cannes after jokingly declaring himself a Nazi and expressing sympathy for Adolf Hitler during a 2011 press conference for his Palme d’Or-nominated film Melancholia. … However, speaking to French radio station Europe 1, festival director Thierry Frémaux suggested that negotiations to lift Von Trier’s outcast status were ongoing and that an announcement regarding his latest film, The House That Jack Built, would be made in the coming days.”
Florida Repertory Theatre Fires Founder/Artistic Director For Bullying
According to an official statement from the Florida Rep board, the reasons for the dismissal of Robert Cacioppo, who co-founded the Fort Myers company in 1998, were “behavioral problems [including] bullying, considerable absence, demeaning individuals (particularly women) both publicly and privately, and anger management issues.”
First Museum To Victims Of Lynching Opens In Alabama
“After two years of planning and construction, and having raised an estimated $20m from Google, the Ford Foundation and private philanthropists such as the billionaire activist siblings Pat and Jon Stryker, the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice [in Montgomery] will be inaugurated with a two-day ‘peace and justice summit’ starting on 26 April.”
Carl Kasell, Longtime NPR Newscaster, Dead At 84
“In 1975, Kasell joined NPR as a part-time employee. Four years later, he announced the news for the first broadcast of a new show called Morning Edition. Over three decades, he became one of the network’s most recognized voices. … And then came a surprise second act; after decades of being super-serious, Kasell got a chance to let his hair down as the official judge and scorekeeper for Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!“
Minnesota Orchestra Finds Its New CEO In Dallas
“Michelle Miller Burns, former chief operating officer for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, will lead the state’s largest performing arts organization starting Sept. 1.” She succeeds Kevin Smith, who stabilized the orchestra and repaired management-musician relations following the 2012-13 lockout.
Golden Case Containing Heart Of Queen Of France Stolen From Museum
The six-inch oval reliquary holding the heart of Anne of Brittany (1477-1514), the only woman to be crowned Queen of France twice, was taken from the Musée Dobrée in Nantes.
Choi Eun-Hee, South Korean Actress Kidnapped By North, Dead At 91
One of South Korea’s most famous actors in the 1960s and ’70s, Choi was kidnapped in Hong Kong in 1978 and transported to Pyongyang at the order of Kim Jong-Il. With her ex-husband, Shin Sang-Ok, who was abducted shortly afterward, she was held in North Korea and forced to make films for eight years.
Security Staff At London’s Royal Opera House Threaten Strike
“Summer performances at the Royal Opera House face disruption if security staff vote to go on strike over allegations of bullying and poor pay. Union Unite represents the vast majority of the 30-strong security workforce at the ROH, who will start voting on whether to take strike action on April 16, with the ballot closing on May 4.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 04.17.18
Why Max Hollein Was Inevitable as Met’s Director
Put yourself in the position of a member of the Metropolitan Museum’s search committee: Despite all the pressure to choose anyone but another white male – somewhat wrong-headed pressure, imho – I think you’d have picked Max Hollein … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2018-04-16