In the 95 years that they’ve been handing out Academy Awards, just 10 African-American actresses have won dating back to Hattie McDaniel’s famed supporting actress triumph for “Gone with the Wind” in 1940. Nine of those wins have come in Best Supporting Actress, with Halle Berry being the lone victor in Best Lead Actress for “Monster’s Ball” in 2002. Berry has expressed disappointment that no other Black winner has followed in her footsteps over the past two decades. But the truth is that while it was 51 years between McDaniel’s win and the second for Whoopi Goldberg in “Ghost” in 1991, things have improved significantly over the past few decades for African American actresses and actors in terms of winning at the Oscars in the supporting categories in particular.
This year, there are five opportunities for Black performers to take home an acting trophy spread across three categories: Colman Domingo (“Rustin”) and Jeffrey Wright...
This year, there are five opportunities for Black performers to take home an acting trophy spread across three categories: Colman Domingo (“Rustin”) and Jeffrey Wright...
- 2/28/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
The music business is all about the next big act, the next big performer. Who’s going to break out. Who’s going to be the next household name. The Grammys, over the years and to varying degrees of success, has delivered that prediction with its Best New Artist prize.
Starting with Bobby Darin in 1960, the award has been the harbinger of who’s going to be topping the music world … some of the time. Darin didn’t do too bad in his long music and acting career. In 1965, a little combo from the UK made the cut and The Beatles went on to become one of the greatest bands ever.
Some other highlights of the Best New Artist roster. In 1962, Peter Nero was the first jazz musician to win. Bobbie Gentry was the first woman to win in 1968. The Carpenters, Richard and Karen, was the first duo to win...
Starting with Bobby Darin in 1960, the award has been the harbinger of who’s going to be topping the music world … some of the time. Darin didn’t do too bad in his long music and acting career. In 1965, a little combo from the UK made the cut and The Beatles went on to become one of the greatest bands ever.
Some other highlights of the Best New Artist roster. In 1962, Peter Nero was the first jazz musician to win. Bobbie Gentry was the first woman to win in 1968. The Carpenters, Richard and Karen, was the first duo to win...
- 2/5/2024
- by David Morgan
- Deadline Film + TV
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who was an influential partner to her husband, Jimmy Carter, in his unlikely rise to the Georgia governor’s mansion, then to the White House and later in his impactful post-presidency, died today at the age of 96, the Carter Center announced.
Carter, who suffered from dementia, entered hospice care on Friday. She died at 2:10 p.m. Et at her and her husband’s home in Plains, Ga, the center said.
Jimmy Carter said in a statement, “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” The Carters were married for 77 years, the longest of any presidential couple. The former president, now 99, entered hospice care earlier this year.
As first lady from 1977 to 1981, Carter used her platform...
Carter, who suffered from dementia, entered hospice care on Friday. She died at 2:10 p.m. Et at her and her husband’s home in Plains, Ga, the center said.
Jimmy Carter said in a statement, “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” The Carters were married for 77 years, the longest of any presidential couple. The former president, now 99, entered hospice care earlier this year.
As first lady from 1977 to 1981, Carter used her platform...
- 11/19/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
10 November 2023 — Today, Lise Davidsen, the most in-demand soprano in the world right now, releases her new album, ‘Christmas From Norway’ via Decca Classics/Universal Music Canada. Hailed as “The living, breathing meteor of the current opera world.” (The I Paper), Lise Davidsen‘s forthcoming album presents a delightful and personally selected collection of traditional Norwegian Christmas music and classic festive favourites, spreading the warm glow of the Scandinavian Christmas spirit. Reflecting on the project, Lise expresses her long-standing desire to create this album. “For Scandinavians, Christmas serves as a beacon of light in the midst of a lengthy winter. Perhaps that is why we embrace it so wholeheartedly.” says Lise.
The ‘Norwegian Starlight’ (quote) is unstoppable: this season alone Lise has starred in the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, where she ‘swept all before her’ (The i Paper), alongside cellist and label-mate Sheku Kanneh-Mason, during an event she...
The ‘Norwegian Starlight’ (quote) is unstoppable: this season alone Lise has starred in the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, where she ‘swept all before her’ (The i Paper), alongside cellist and label-mate Sheku Kanneh-Mason, during an event she...
- 11/13/2023
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
Robert “Bob” Ullman, a longtime Broadway and Off Broadway press agent whose career spanned Ethel Merman, A Chorus Line, Curse of the Starving Class and many others, died of cardiac arrest on July 31 in Bayshore, Long Island, New York. He was 97.
His death was announced by longtime friend (and former Broadway press agent) Rev. Joshua Ellis.
Among the many Broadway productions on which Ullman worked were Ethel Merman and Mary Martin: Together on Broadway, A Chorus Line (from workshop to Public Theater to Broadway), Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in The Visit, Lauren Bacall in Cactus Flower, The Dining Room, Driving Miss Daisy, Sunday in the Park with George, and over 150 additional Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals.
Actors and theater greats with whom Ullman worked include Tallulah Bankhead, Luise Rainer, James Dean, Dame Edith Evans, Geraldine Page, Phil Silvers, Bert Lahr, Rosemary Harris, James Earl Jones, Sam Waterston, Colleen Dewhurst,...
His death was announced by longtime friend (and former Broadway press agent) Rev. Joshua Ellis.
Among the many Broadway productions on which Ullman worked were Ethel Merman and Mary Martin: Together on Broadway, A Chorus Line (from workshop to Public Theater to Broadway), Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in The Visit, Lauren Bacall in Cactus Flower, The Dining Room, Driving Miss Daisy, Sunday in the Park with George, and over 150 additional Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals.
Actors and theater greats with whom Ullman worked include Tallulah Bankhead, Luise Rainer, James Dean, Dame Edith Evans, Geraldine Page, Phil Silvers, Bert Lahr, Rosemary Harris, James Earl Jones, Sam Waterston, Colleen Dewhurst,...
- 8/8/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Franco Zeffirelli, the stylish and sometimes controversial theater, opera and film director, has died. He was 96.
Zeffirelli, who was Oscar-nominated for his 1968 version of “Romeo and Juliet,” died at his home in Rome at noon on Saturday, his son Luciano told the Associated Press. “He had suffered for a while, but he left in a peaceful way,” Luciano said.
While Zeffirelli was fond of making films with literary antecedents such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” “Taming of the Shrew” and “Jane Eyre,” his legacy as director of extravagant opera and theater productions is probably more consistent and long-lasting.
He directed, co-wrote and co-produced the 1966 production of “Taming of the Shrew,” starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, one of the twice-married celebrated pair’s most successful co-starring assignments. Spirited and amusing, it paved the way for a youthful and sexy “Romeo and Juliet,” which was a major box office success in the U.
Zeffirelli, who was Oscar-nominated for his 1968 version of “Romeo and Juliet,” died at his home in Rome at noon on Saturday, his son Luciano told the Associated Press. “He had suffered for a while, but he left in a peaceful way,” Luciano said.
While Zeffirelli was fond of making films with literary antecedents such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” “Taming of the Shrew” and “Jane Eyre,” his legacy as director of extravagant opera and theater productions is probably more consistent and long-lasting.
He directed, co-wrote and co-produced the 1966 production of “Taming of the Shrew,” starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, one of the twice-married celebrated pair’s most successful co-starring assignments. Spirited and amusing, it paved the way for a youthful and sexy “Romeo and Juliet,” which was a major box office success in the U.
- 6/15/2019
- by Richard Natale
- Variety Film + TV
Bob Newhart has been selected by Gold Derby editors to receive a special Career Achievement Award at our Emmy season kickoff party on June 5 in Hollywood.
Newhart is not only an Emmy Award winner and frequent nominee, but the Emmys once played a lucky, key role in launching his early TV success.
Back in 1960, Newhart was known chiefly as the first artist ever to reach number 1 on the Billboard sales charts with a hit comedy album – “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart.” He was not yet a TV star, but he was invited to perform a solo skit at the next Emmys telecast. At the last minute, Newhart was suddenly given lots of extra airtime when an “inappropriate” comedy skit planned by Mike Nichols and Elaine May got nixed (it had the nerve to mock an advertiser) and TV producers had to fill the time.
“The show managed to usher...
Newhart is not only an Emmy Award winner and frequent nominee, but the Emmys once played a lucky, key role in launching his early TV success.
Back in 1960, Newhart was known chiefly as the first artist ever to reach number 1 on the Billboard sales charts with a hit comedy album – “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart.” He was not yet a TV star, but he was invited to perform a solo skit at the next Emmys telecast. At the last minute, Newhart was suddenly given lots of extra airtime when an “inappropriate” comedy skit planned by Mike Nichols and Elaine May got nixed (it had the nerve to mock an advertiser) and TV producers had to fill the time.
“The show managed to usher...
- 5/8/2019
- by Chris Beachum and Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
Taylor Swift only has one Grammy nomination this year, but that’s all she needs to make history. If she claims Best Pop Album for “Reputation,” she will become one of the top 10 solo female artists in Grammy history.
Swift isn’t even 30-years-old, but she has already accumulated 10 Grammys, and among those she has already broken records. When she claimed Album of the Year for “Fearless” (2010) at age 20 she became the youngest winner in that category’s history; she was almost two years younger than the previous record-holder, Alanis Morissette, who was almost 22 when she prevailed for “Jagged Little Pill” (1996). Then in 2016 Swift won Album of the Year again for her official crossover into pop music, “1989,” which made her the first woman to win the top prize twice as a lead artist.
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Those 10 trophies tie her with a trio...
Swift isn’t even 30-years-old, but she has already accumulated 10 Grammys, and among those she has already broken records. When she claimed Album of the Year for “Fearless” (2010) at age 20 she became the youngest winner in that category’s history; she was almost two years younger than the previous record-holder, Alanis Morissette, who was almost 22 when she prevailed for “Jagged Little Pill” (1996). Then in 2016 Swift won Album of the Year again for her official crossover into pop music, “1989,” which made her the first woman to win the top prize twice as a lead artist.
Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
Those 10 trophies tie her with a trio...
- 1/20/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Site-specific screenings hardly get more appropriate than the world premiere of Susan Froemke’s new documentary at the Metropolitan Opera House. Chronicling the history of the storied institution from its beginnings at a long-demolished home on 39th St. and Broadway to its transfer to the specially built, lavish theater in Lincoln Center, The Opera House is a feast for opera lovers and anyone interested in urban planning. The doc, receiving its world premiere at the New York Film Festival, should prove a natural fit for home video formats and public television.
Legendary singer Leontyne Price, who performed at the...
Legendary singer Leontyne Price, who performed at the...
- 10/3/2017
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This year’s New York Film Festival has just unveiled a slew of Special Events to round out its already full-to-bursting lineup, and it includes some late-breaking entries to previously announced sections and a selection of brand new events that are very special indeed. Highlights include a trio of documentary premieres, including Susan Lacy’s “Spielberg” (focused on the eponymous director, with both Lacy and her subject set to appear at the festival), along with Jennifer Lebeau’s Bob Dylan concert film “Trouble No More,” and Susan Froemke’s “The Opera House,” a history of the Metropolitan Opera and a love letter to the art form that will (appropriately enough) screen at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center.
Other standouts include four brand-new films from Claude Lanzmann, a sparkling new restoration of G.W. Pabst’s “Pandora’s Box.” Elsewhere, Kate Winslet will be on hand for a career-spanning chat...
Other standouts include four brand-new films from Claude Lanzmann, a sparkling new restoration of G.W. Pabst’s “Pandora’s Box.” Elsewhere, Kate Winslet will be on hand for a career-spanning chat...
- 8/28/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Last night at Alice Tully Hall, The Performing Arts Hall of Fame at Lincoln Center held its first-ever induction ceremony and gala.The inaugural class of honorees included legendary artistsPlcido Domingo, Yo-Yo Ma, Audra McDonald, Leontyne Price, Harold Prince, andLouis Armstrong. The event also honored Lincoln Center's founding members, whose spirit ofinnovation made Lincoln Center possible. Hosted by CBS'sNorah O'Donnell, the-one-night only exclusive celebration raised 1.1 million for the 10 arts organizations of Lincoln Center.
- 6/8/2017
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Ask the most talented musician you know-there's nothing quite as exciting, or fear-inducing, as an invitation to perform at New York City's iconic Carnegie Hall. That being said, my People colleagues were more than a little bewildered when I eagerly raised my hand, volunteering myself to take the stage that has been graced by the likes of Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, Barbra Streisand, Jay Z and many other legends. The opportunity presented itself a few weeks ago, when the team behind Meryl Streep’s new Aug. 12 movie Florence Foster Jenkins (about a ’40s-era New York City socialite whose off-key Carnegie...
- 8/1/2016
- by Janine Rubenstein, @JanineRube
- PEOPLE.com
Ask the most talented musician you know-there's nothing quite as exciting, or fear-inducing, as an invitation to perform at New York City's iconic Carnegie Hall. That being said, my People colleagues were more than a little bewildered when I eagerly raised my hand, volunteering myself to take the stage that has been graced by the likes of Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, Barbra Streisand, Jay Z and many other legends. The opportunity presented itself a few weeks ago, when the team behind Meryl Streep’s new Aug. 12 movie Florence Foster Jenkins (about a ’40s-era New York City socialite whose off-key Carnegie...
- 8/1/2016
- by Janine Rubenstein, @JanineRube
- PEOPLE.com
How do you solve a problem like Maria? For the producers of The Sound of Music, which hit theaters fifty years ago this week, the solution turned out to be Julie Andrews. Other actresses were considered for the part of the free-spirited nanny whose effervescence overcomes not only the grumpiness of Captain von Trapp but also the tyranny of the Nazis. Among those rumored to have been in the running for the role were Grace Kelly, Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn and Anne Bancroft. But in the end, even the producers who wanted a bigger, more marquee-friendly name agreed that Maria should be played by Andrews.
- 3/6/2015
- by Drew Mackie, @drewgmackie
- PEOPLE.com
Since yesterday happened to be the birthday of the great operatic mezzo soprano Grace Bumbry (born January 4, 1937), I thought it would be fitting to give another look at a piece I originally wrote a year and half ago about her, and one of her most legendary roles. A St. Louis native Bumbry, who, now at age 78, is still very active and living in Austria, was, in the 60's and 70's, one of the truly great operatic mezzo sopranos of her day. And like her peer, Leontyne Price, broke down many barriers. For example, back in the early 60's, she was cast in the role of Venus in Richard Wagner's opera "Tannhauser," at Bayreuth in Germany (the opera house and shrine to...
- 1/6/2015
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Washington -- Here's a listing of the 2012 inductees to the National Recording Registry in chronological order:
1."After You've Gone," Marion Harris (1918)
2."Bacon, Beans and Limousines," Will Rogers (Oct. 18, 1931)
3."Begin the Beguine," Artie Shaw (1938)
4. "You Are My Sunshine," Jimmie Davis (1940)
5.D-Day Radio Broadcast, George Hicks (June 5-6, 1944)
6."Just Because," Frank Yankovic & His Yanks (1947)
7."South Pacific," Original Cast Album (1949)
8."Descargas: Cuban Jam Session in Miniature," Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente (1957)
9.Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, Van Cliburn (April 11, 1958)
10.President's Message Relayed from Atlas Satellite, Dwight D. Eisenhower (Dec. 19, 1958)
11."A Program of Song," Leontyne Price (1959)
12."The Shape of Jazz to Come," Ornette Coleman (1959)
13."Crossing Chilly Jordan," The Blackwood Brothers (1960)
14."The Twist," Chubby Checker (1960)
15."Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's," Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, et al. (1960-1962)
16."Hoodoo Man Blues," Junior Wells (1965)
17."Sounds of Silence," Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
18."Cheap Thrills," Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968)
19."The Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd (1973)
20."Music Time in Africa,...
1."After You've Gone," Marion Harris (1918)
2."Bacon, Beans and Limousines," Will Rogers (Oct. 18, 1931)
3."Begin the Beguine," Artie Shaw (1938)
4. "You Are My Sunshine," Jimmie Davis (1940)
5.D-Day Radio Broadcast, George Hicks (June 5-6, 1944)
6."Just Because," Frank Yankovic & His Yanks (1947)
7."South Pacific," Original Cast Album (1949)
8."Descargas: Cuban Jam Session in Miniature," Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente (1957)
9.Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, Van Cliburn (April 11, 1958)
10.President's Message Relayed from Atlas Satellite, Dwight D. Eisenhower (Dec. 19, 1958)
11."A Program of Song," Leontyne Price (1959)
12."The Shape of Jazz to Come," Ornette Coleman (1959)
13."Crossing Chilly Jordan," The Blackwood Brothers (1960)
14."The Twist," Chubby Checker (1960)
15."Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's," Clarence Ashley, Doc Watson, et al. (1960-1962)
16."Hoodoo Man Blues," Junior Wells (1965)
17."Sounds of Silence," Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
18."Cheap Thrills," Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968)
19."The Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd (1973)
20."Music Time in Africa,...
- 3/21/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
And No, I'm Not talking about Beyonce in Carmen: A Hip-Hopera. I'm talking about Grace Bumbry who could sing rings around Beyonce (And don't get upset, That's a fact). So, following up on my piece yesterday about Carmen Jones coming out later this year on blu-ray DVD, it got me to thinking about Bumbry, who starred in a film version of George Bizet's original French opera back in 1967. A St. Louis native Bumbry, who, now at age 76, is still very active and living in Austria, was, in the 60's and 70's, one of the truly great operatic mezzo sopranos of her day. And like her peer Leontyne Price, broke down many barriers. For example, back in the early 60's, she sang the role of...
- 3/8/2013
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Verdi: The Complete Works (75-cd boxed set) Decca.
From the ever-popular "Aida" to the obscure "Alzira," all 28 of Giuseppe Verdi's operas have been repackaged in a boxed set to commemorate the great Italian composer's 200th birthday – along with his other compositions: the "Requiem," songs, choral works, even a string quartet and capriccio for bassoon and orchestra.
This exhaustive collection of 75 CDs comes from Decca, which has drawn on the catalogs of Philips, Deutsche Grammophon and Emi. The suggested retail price of $200 makes it a bargain at less than $3 per CD.
The great conductors of the 1960s, `70s and `80s are represented, from Herbert von Karajan to James Levine, from Georg Solti to Riccardo Muti. The casts are mostly exemplary, with generous contributions from the "three tenors" – Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (seven operas each) and Luciano Pavarotti (three). The soprano lineup includes Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballe and Katia Ricciarelli.
From the ever-popular "Aida" to the obscure "Alzira," all 28 of Giuseppe Verdi's operas have been repackaged in a boxed set to commemorate the great Italian composer's 200th birthday – along with his other compositions: the "Requiem," songs, choral works, even a string quartet and capriccio for bassoon and orchestra.
This exhaustive collection of 75 CDs comes from Decca, which has drawn on the catalogs of Philips, Deutsche Grammophon and Emi. The suggested retail price of $200 makes it a bargain at less than $3 per CD.
The great conductors of the 1960s, `70s and `80s are represented, from Herbert von Karajan to James Levine, from Georg Solti to Riccardo Muti. The casts are mostly exemplary, with generous contributions from the "three tenors" – Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (seven operas each) and Luciano Pavarotti (three). The soprano lineup includes Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballe and Katia Ricciarelli.
- 3/5/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Ten dames stepped up to the mic on Wednesday night. Nine of them sang. One of them exploded.
And was rewarded for it.
And... I'm fine with it? Let this be a lesson to everyone: If you are a fine singer who gets an opportunity to wow the nation on American Idol, but you choose the lite-fm nonchalance of Alicia Keys' "No One," maybe you deserve to finish between 20th and 40th place. Maybe I think that's justified, Cristabel Clacky. And maybe if you're a howling claymation clown sorceress named Zoanette Johnson who sets the bar for unthinkable camp monstrosities with a performance of (wait for it) "The Circle of Life," maybe you really do earn your place in the Top 20 -- even if you can't sing, control yourself, or really do anything except blubber and wail like a watercolor-drenched Pagliacci. Maybe.
Actually, I'm not sure. Zoanette Johnson was...
And was rewarded for it.
And... I'm fine with it? Let this be a lesson to everyone: If you are a fine singer who gets an opportunity to wow the nation on American Idol, but you choose the lite-fm nonchalance of Alicia Keys' "No One," maybe you deserve to finish between 20th and 40th place. Maybe I think that's justified, Cristabel Clacky. And maybe if you're a howling claymation clown sorceress named Zoanette Johnson who sets the bar for unthinkable camp monstrosities with a performance of (wait for it) "The Circle of Life," maybe you really do earn your place in the Top 20 -- even if you can't sing, control yourself, or really do anything except blubber and wail like a watercolor-drenched Pagliacci. Maybe.
Actually, I'm not sure. Zoanette Johnson was...
- 2/28/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
New York -- Character singer Charles Anthony, who set the record for most appearances at the Metropolitan Opera – 2,928 – during a career that spanned from 1954 to 2010, died Wednesday. He was 82.
Anthony, a tenor, died at his home in Tampa, Fla., from kidney failure following a long illness, Met spokesman Peter Clark said.
"Your talent, demeanor, joy and heart will be missed," mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer wrote on Twitter. "What a loss."
Beginning his career at the old Met on Broadway and moving uptown with the company to its new home at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1966, Anthony was a "comprimario," or supporting singer.
He shared the stage with the greatest classical artists of several eras, performing in the Met debuts of Marian Anderson, Birgit Nilsson, Jon Vickers, Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli, Joan Sutherland, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Jose Carreras.
"It's no exaggeration to say that Charlie Anthony is the soul of the Metropolitan Opera,...
Anthony, a tenor, died at his home in Tampa, Fla., from kidney failure following a long illness, Met spokesman Peter Clark said.
"Your talent, demeanor, joy and heart will be missed," mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer wrote on Twitter. "What a loss."
Beginning his career at the old Met on Broadway and moving uptown with the company to its new home at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1966, Anthony was a "comprimario," or supporting singer.
He shared the stage with the greatest classical artists of several eras, performing in the Met debuts of Marian Anderson, Birgit Nilsson, Jon Vickers, Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli, Joan Sutherland, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Jose Carreras.
"It's no exaggeration to say that Charlie Anthony is the soul of the Metropolitan Opera,...
- 2/16/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
The Kennedy Center Honors have been handed out since 1978. Recipients hail from various branches of the American performance art world — including film, stage, music, and dance — even though performers more closely associated with British show business have managed to sneak in every now and then, e.g., Paul McCartney, Roger Daltrey, Elton John, Pete Townshend. Since recipients are supposed to attend the Washington, D.C., ceremony in order to take home their Kennedy awards, Doris Day has remained unhonored by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Katharine Hepburn kept putting it off until she finally relented in 1990. (Irene Dunne, see above photo, was one who managed to be honored though absent due to ill health.) Ginger Rogers, for her part, was present at the ceremony, but her films with Fred Astaire weren't — because Astaire's widow, Robyn Astaire, demanded payment for the televised clips. At the time, Kennedy Center Honors...
- 9/7/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
We all know his Adagio for Strings (from Platoon, if nowhere else), but little else Samuel Barber wrote. Leon McCawley urges a revival of a neglected 20th-century great
This year has seen a glut of important musical anniversaries. We've had Chopin aplenty, plus Schumann and Mahler to boot. Samuel Barber's centenary (1910-1981) has also fallen during this eventful season, but I guess we're out of candles and there's no more cake. Why has this wonderful composer somehow missed the cut?
At the tender age of nine, Barber left this touching note for his mother:
"Dear Mother: I have written this to tell you my worrying secret. Now don't cry when you read it because it is neither yours nor my fault. I suppose I shall have to tell it now without any nonsense. To begin with I was not meant to be an athlete. I was meant to be a composer,...
This year has seen a glut of important musical anniversaries. We've had Chopin aplenty, plus Schumann and Mahler to boot. Samuel Barber's centenary (1910-1981) has also fallen during this eventful season, but I guess we're out of candles and there's no more cake. Why has this wonderful composer somehow missed the cut?
At the tender age of nine, Barber left this touching note for his mother:
"Dear Mother: I have written this to tell you my worrying secret. Now don't cry when you read it because it is neither yours nor my fault. I suppose I shall have to tell it now without any nonsense. To begin with I was not meant to be an athlete. I was meant to be a composer,...
- 11/18/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
Anyone who loves opera and classical music was stunned by the announcement this morning of the death yesterday of the opera singer Shirley Verrett at the age of 79.
One of the truly great singers from the 50′s until the mid-80′s Verrett along with other African-American opera singers such as Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry and Martina Arroyo broke through opera’s “color line” and was known for her uniquely fiery intensity and powerful voice. Truly one of the last of the great ones.
Among her many roles no doubt her signature role was as Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s opera of the Shakespeare play Macbeth. Here’s a clip of Verrett singing the role in a 1987 film version of the opera. One of a kind and truly irreplaceable.
One of the truly great singers from the 50′s until the mid-80′s Verrett along with other African-American opera singers such as Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry and Martina Arroyo broke through opera’s “color line” and was known for her uniquely fiery intensity and powerful voice. Truly one of the last of the great ones.
Among her many roles no doubt her signature role was as Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s opera of the Shakespeare play Macbeth. Here’s a clip of Verrett singing the role in a 1987 film version of the opera. One of a kind and truly irreplaceable.
- 11/6/2010
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Joan Sutherland may have been hailed as "the voice of the century" by Luciano Pavarotti, but other operatic voices fared far better at the Grammy Awards, where there are lots of classical categories, including one for best vocal performance. Prior to her death on Sunday at age 83, Sutherland won that prize twice. One victory was for her classic "The Art of the Prima Donna" LP in 1962. In 1981, she shared the trophy with Pavarotti and Marilyn Horne for "Live From Lincoln Center: Sutherland, Horne, Pavarotti." By contrast, Pavarotti won five times, as did Kathleen Battle. Horne and Cecilia Bartoli each won four Grammys. Reigning over all classical vocalists is Leontyne Price with 13...
- 10/12/2010
- by tomoneil
- Gold Derby
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