“A long legal battle over an Art Deco table owned by Ronald O. Perelman is just now being settled and is awaiting the judge’s final disposition.” The dispute began when Perelman began to suspect that the table was a fake, and escalated when he refused to pay for more art objects sent to him by the dealer who supplied the table.
Author: sbergman
The Viral Dance Video That Makes You Happy
The hottest thing on YouTube at the moment may be a relatively simple video of a guy dancing, “a big, doughy-looking fellow in shorts and hiking boots performing an arm-swinging, knee-pumping step that could charitably be called goofy… However you interpret it, you can’t watch “Dancing” for very long without feeling a little happier.”
Record-Setting Year For London Theatre
“London’s theatres enjoyed their most successful year on record in 2007, with attendances exceeding 13m for the first time… The Society of London Theatre’s annual report said that box office takings last year rose to almost £470m.”
Balancing Art And Dollars In Pittsburgh
“Christopher Hahn’s promotion from artistic director to general director of the Pittsburgh Opera might appear to be a nod by its board in the direction of artistry, given that he’s had tremendous success re-inventing the opera company’s look and invigorating its casting since arriving here in 2000. [But] it was Hahn’s ability to make difficult decisions with a limited artistic budget that helped secure the promotion.”
Another Leadership Change At Washington Ballet
“The Washington Ballet announced yesterday that it has hired Orlando Ballet Executive Director Russell P. Allen as its new chief administrator… Allen will be the ballet’s fourth top administrator since Artistic Director Septime Webre arrived in 1999.”
Cincinnati Bassist Charged With Spousal Abuse
A bass player with the Cincinnati Symphony has been arrested and charged with beating his wife. Boris Astafiev, who has been with the CSO since 1999, “is accused of pulling his wife’s hair and punching her on the head.”
Going Corporate In St. Louis
The St. Louis Symphony has announced a three year deal under which Wachovia Securities will become the orchestra’s primary season sponsor. The hope is that the Wachovia money will hep the SLSO dig out from under its significant debt. “Despite assorted cost-saving measures, the orchestra posted a $3.4 million deficit in fiscal 2007.”
A Long, Strange Road To Literary Stardom
The rookie novelist who captured the €100,000 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award this week isn’t even a native English speaker, yet his prose won over the judges of one of the world’s most prestigious prizes. “The unsolicited manuscript, written in Mr. Hage’s third language… was famously plucked out of a slush pile at Toronto-based publisher House of Anansi Press.”
Strife At SAG
“A controversial push by the Screen Actors Guild to defeat a recent accord negotiated by a rival union has touched off an open rebellion within Hollywood’s largest actors guild… SAG’s contract expires June 30, but talks with studios have ground to virtual halt since AFTRA announced an agreement that was modeled on one negotiated by Hollywood’s directors and writers.”
Philly’s Boyd At Center Of Preservation Controversy
“For nearly two decades, the Boyd Theater was a building that just couldn’t get any love. One former owner went all the way to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court to reverse the theater’s historic designation. Another wanted to raze the art deco movie palace. A couple of preservationists were even heard disparaging its charms. Now, suddenly, everyone professes to love the Boyd. They just can’t agree on the best way to show it.”