ARTS
Last Wednesday, President Obama presented the 2010 National Medal of Arts to nine individuals and one organization for "their contributions to the creation, growth, and support of the arts in the United States." The nine individual medalists, representing the fields of theater, film, art, music and literature, are Robert Brustein, Van Cliburn, Mark di Suvero, Donald Hall, Quincy Jones, Harper Lee, Sonny Rollins, Meryl Streep and James Taylor. The winning organization is Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, which is the oldest international dance festival in the United States. The National Endowment for the Arts, established in 1965, oversees the nomination process for the National Medal of Arts each year.
FILM
The animated film "Rango," released on March 4, took the number one spot at the box office last weekend, grossing $38 million domestically. Directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Graham King, "Rango" features the voice of Johnny Depp as the main character. The movie is a comedy western about a pet chameleon named Rango who goes on a journey of self-discovery in the Nevada desert.
THEATER
The Broadway musical comedy "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" is set to open on Mar. 27 at the Al Hirschfeld Theater in New York City. This revival of the 1961 Pulitzer-Prize and Tony Award winning musical stars Daniel Radcliffe as the main lead. The show is about a window washer named J. Pierrepont Finch and his journey in becoming chairman of the board of the World Wide Wicket Company.
ART
The exhibit "reALIze" by artist Michael Kalish, known best for his license plate art, will open in L.A. Live in Los Angeles on March 25. The exhibit, the culmination of three years of work, is a tribute to famous boxer Muhammad Ali. The impressive sculpture, over two stories tall, is composed of 1,300 suspended boxing bags that form the face of Ali.
LITERATURE
Last Wednesday, Mar. 2, poet John Haines died in Fairbanks, Alaska at the age of 86. Haines published over ten collections of poetry, a book of essays, and a memoir. He received much recognition for his work, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Library of Congress, the Alaska's Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, two Guggenheim Fellowships, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship.
MUSIC
On Mar. 13, the Society of London Theater (SOLT) will award American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim the Olivier Special Award. Sondheim has notably composed for " A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Sweeney Todd" and "Into the Woods," winning an Academy Award, eight Tony Awards, multiple Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. Previous recipients of the Olivier Special Award, named after actor Laurence Olivier, include Judi Dench and Sam Mendes.
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