Palermo is ugly for a reason: "Vito Ciancimino, a mobster from the violent Corleonesi clan, ordered the demolition of splendid art nouveau mansions to make space for brutalist tower blocks, covering vast natural and garden areas with tonnes of concrete." - The Observer (UK)
Theoretically, things are different in a post-#MeToo Hollywood from when Mena Suvari was a young star. She thinks they should be, and adds, "If I can shave off a summer of suffering for someone, I want to.” - Los Angeles Times
It's not easy for the Salzburg Festival, but performers and audience alike feel the reality that "peace doesn’t exist without its antithesis." - The New York Times
Elba was working as a bouncer when he got a part on The Wire - and since then, he hasn't stopped working as an actor and musician, constantly releasing music, movies, and TV shows. - The Guardian (UK)
She was the first Black woman to star in a Ringling Bros circus, and "photographs from the time show Ms. Brown triumphantly astride her headstanding elephant, arms raised high, her elaborate headdress perfectly in place." - The New York Times
Juno Temple didn't even know how to act in a comedy, she says. Brendan Hunt, Lasso co-creator and colleague: "She’s just playing the truth of what the character’s going through, and it’s just hilarious. ... Though there are certainly times where we have to be like: 'OK, great, Juno. Now try it again. Without crying.'" - The New York...
Accusations of xenophobia, and two more high-profile resignations, follow an email about "restructuring" that eliminated the positions of Tanya Barson, the English curator, and Pablo Martínez, the head of programs. - The Observer (UK)
Performance-starved audiences may flock to Lincoln Center after the ABT resumes indoor live performances this fall, the ED says. "There is so much pent-up demand for the performing arts, so much pent-up demand for collective activities and experiences and the joy of celebrating together." - CNBC
Apologies alone aren't going to suffice. "Tribal representatives and archaeologists are demanding an accounting of protected cultural sites in order to identify damage caused by unpermitted research. They are also calling for researchers to be held accountable for such transgressions." - Los Angeles Times
Giddens, a singer, taught herself banjo after graduating from Oberlin. She says, "To suck at something is actually painful and we don’t really like that sensation. ... if you just throw yourself into it and are not afraid to fail, then that’s when you can learn things." - Washington Post
