Michael Feingold has twice received the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism and has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism. - Broadway World
"Butler was from a moneyed Chicago family ... and he was comfortable in the world of polo and debutantes and expensive clothes." Then, "he put his money behind 'the American tribal love-rock musical,' as the show called itself." - The New York Times
The costume designer also created more than 150 outfits for the It's a Small World ride. "One wrinkle occurred, Ms. Davis said, when she noticed the panties on the ride’s animatronic French cancan dancers repeatedly falling apart." They got pantaloons. - The New York Times
War has always provoked remarkable writing. Anton Filatov’s blog posts on Facebook are a 21st-century version of this, and they have gained him a growing audience. - The New York Times
"By the time he was 40, he had written more than 400 art songs, as well as three symphonies, several one-act operas and a great deal of chamber music. ... By this point, however, Mr. Rorem was at least as well known for his diaries as for his music." - The Washington Post
Among the 224 items up for grabs, both the photograph (a 1968 portrait of Didion by Julian Wasser) and the table (an oak desk she used in her office) were sold for a combined total of $87,000 — far beyond their projected worth. - Los Angeles Times
"Right now they're in that progression of somewhere between deep second and third-degree burns to the face," says his doctor. "We're hoping we can keep them from progressing by using these alternate treatments, including good wound care and hyperbaric oxygen and aggressive surgical management." - CNN
"The Crown Prosecution Service said (Spacey) has been charged over 'a number of sexual assaults against one man between 2001 and 2004'. It also authorised 'one charge of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent' against the 63-year-old actor, who lives in the United States." - MSN (AFP)
"Roberto Saviano, Italy's best-known anti-Mafia author, went on trial for libel on Tuesday for calling Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a 'bastard'. If convicted, he could face up to three years' imprisonment, but under Italy's legal system a fine of around €500 euros or a suspended sentence are more likely." - Reuters
While Carey might’ve filed a petition to be the one and only “Queen of Christmas,” that royal title will remain free for anyone to claim this winter. - Washington Post
My composition chops were extremely rusty and needed buckets of WD-40 put on them. What was interesting is how once you get started, you actually get in the zone; all of a sudden wonderful things start occurring to you. - Van
The 85-year Grammy winner, whose biggest hits were "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly With His Song," has been diagnosed with the neurological syndrome amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ("Lou Gehrig's disease"). - AP
The former longtime host of NBC's The Tonight Show, who is now 72, reportedly suffered burns to his face in a gasoline fire which broke out in the garage where he keeps his collection of vintage cars. - The Hollywood Reporter
“The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way,” he said. “It’s not easy. Building Amazon was not easy. It took a lot of hard work — a bunch of very smart, hard-working teammates, and I’m finding — and I think Lauren is finding the same thing — that charity, philanthropy, is very similar.” -...
Music was an essential ingredient in Sendak’s creative process. “The work can’t happen without music,” he said in 1994. “I think everything I’ve done is a collaboration with a composer.” - ArtForum
