Claire Motte, étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, died when she was just 48. She was a striking beauty and possessed a strong personality, such that Roland Petit created Esmeralda for her in his ballet Notre Dame de Paris. Motte came through the school at the Paris Opera with teachers Carlotta Zambelli and Serge Lifar. Her strong technique permitted her to join the company … [Read more...]
Hugh Jackman, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett, Ellen DeGeneres and more to celebrate Betty White’s 90th
An updated list of celebrities has been announced for Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl, which will be transmitted on January 16 on NBC. The special, to be taped at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, will include musical performances and surprise appearances, with White taking the stage to share some memories and give thanks to those who've come … [Read more...]
The opera world’s Angelina Jolie, Nino Machaidze: It’s useless to be nervous
Nino Machaidze, the 28-year-old soprano from Georgia, graduate of Milan's Teatro alla Scala Academia, is in Los Angeles with Romeo and Juliet which is boomeranging her around the world's opera houses for the last few years. The first four years of her professional career have been highly successful, and the LA Times recounts how she was thrust so suddenly into the … [Read more...]
Elizabeth Taylor’s memorabilia returns to LA before the Christie’s auction
The jewelry from seven husbands. The wardrobe of a '60s jet-setter. The memorabilia of a Hollywood icon, including a love poem by Bob Dylan that he scrawled on a framed publicity poster of himself and dedicated to "Elizabeth, Sweetheart, Dream angel, Queen-of-the world." These are among more than 2,000 objects that belonged to Elizabeth Taylor and are being auctioned by … [Read more...]
Ildebrando D’Arcangelo talks to the LA Times about hunkdom, acting, comedy and future roles
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo is in the City of Angels appearing in "Così fan Tutte" at the Los Angeles Opera. The bass-baritone "projects a swaggering confidence and dangerous sex appeal" says the Los Angeles Times, acquiring "fans around the world as much for his voice as for his model looks". He appears tall on stage because of his proportions, but face-to-face while he's not … [Read more...]