Julia Farron, Longtime Star Of Britain’s Royal Ballet, Dead At 96

“In a 40-year stage career, mostly with the Royal Ballet, she created roles for a host of eminent choreographers, among them Frederick Ashton, John Cranko, Robert Helpmann, Andrée Howard, Kenneth MacMillan, Léonide Massine and Ninette de Valois. … Ms. Farron also became known as an inspiring teacher at both the Royal Academy [of Dance, where she was director in the 1980s,] and the Royal Ballet School, helping to shape the careers of many future ballerinas.” – The New York Times

Faye Dunaway Fired From Broadway-Bound One-Woman Show After Assaulting Crew Members

Producers of Tea at Five, a solo show by Matthew Lombardo about Katherine Hepburn that had been in a pre-Broadway tryout in Boston, said that they had “terminated their relationship” with Dunaway and would take the show to London with a new star next year. If we can believe Michael Riedel’s report (seemingly confirmed by the playwright), Dunaway’s screaming at and slapping of backstage staff was part of a pattern of behavior reminiscent of soprano Kathleen Battle’s reign of terror in the 1990s. – New York Post

It’s Official: Alexander Neef Will Become General Director Of Paris Opera In 2021

“The news of [the Canadian Opera Co. director’s] return to the Opéra national, where he worked more than a decade ago, comes after the months of speculation in opera circles about Neef’s future, peaking with last month’s reporting from Le Figaro that Neef’s place at the helm of the Paris opera was a sure thing. … Neef’s new post also means he will relinquish his role as Santa Fe Opera’s artistic director, a job that he accepted just last year.” – The Globe and Mail (Canada)