Arts in the News - 10/27/10

THEATRE

Guillaume Durfresnoy, the artistic director of the Big Apple Circus, has created a new show for the 2010-2011 season that takes into account recession budget cuts while continuing to focus on family-friendly acts. The budget dropped from $22 million to $7 million annually two years ago, but Durfresnoy insists, "nothing has changed in the investment in the product." One noticeable cut this year is the shortening of the season from 10 months to 8 months. The Big Apple Circus opened its season in New York last week. Despite budget cuts, it has not seen a dramatic decline in audience numbers.

Robin Williams will star in a new Broadway act, "Bengal Tiger at the Bagdad Zoo." The play, directed by Rajiv Joseph, was a Pulitzer Prize Nominee for 2010, and will premiere in March 2011 in New York. In describing his role in the play, Robins says, "The closest thing I've done to this play is ‘Godot.' It's like Beckett but even darker, which is hard to do."

DANCE

Israel's version of "Dancing with the Stars" will include the show's first same-sex dance couple in the next season. Gili Shem Tov and professional dancer Dorit Milman will start the competition on Nov. 1. The producers say the women will take turns assuming the traditionally male role of leading.

TELEVISION

The producers of "The Simpsons" have denied the claim made by the Pope's official newspaper that the fictional Simpson family is Catholic, although they apparently considered converting the animated cast for one episode in 2005.

MULTIMEDIA

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have both used YouTube to send a message to teenagers across the country who are struggling with homophobic bullying. Clinton's two-and-a-half-minute message was anti-hatred in general, but also spoke specifically to the recent suicides marked by the day of wearing purple to honor the lost teens. She focused her message on the value of life, and seeking help if one feels worthless. She said, "take heart, and have hope, and please remember that your life is valuable, and that you are not alone." This is the first time Clinton has used YouTube to address the public youth directly. In Obama's three-minute video he admitted, "I don't know what it's like to be picked on for being gay," but then added, "but I do know what it's like to grow up feeling that sometimes you don't belong." He closed with a call to fight discrimination "in all its forms."

FILM

"The Hobbit" will begin filming in February of 2011. The long- awaited project will be directed by Peter Jackson, who directed the award winning "Lord of the Rings" series. The budget for the upcoming film, which will be filmed in 3D, is $500 million.

MUSIC

Lady Gaga has postponed her tour of France until December because of the continuing strikes that are affecting a large part of the country, including Paris. The pop star has apologized to her fans, explaining that she feared her trucks would not be able to reach the venue sites.

Oliver Lewis has broken a world record by playing "Flight of the Bumblebee" in one minute and 3.356 seconds on the violin— only about three seconds faster than the previous record-holder. He averaged 13 notes per second. It was showcased on the BBC's popular children's' talk show, "Blue Peter" last week.