介绍:
Opera Director Gerard Mortier Dies at 70
Belgian opera director great Gerard Mortier has passed away at age 70. Mortier had been suffering from pancreatic cancer for some time.
The colorfully cosmopolitan impresario had a taste for edgy, risk-taking productions that earned him admiration around the world. In his four-decade career, he has spearheaded multiple prominent opera companies and forged a reputation for embracing new works and reinterpreting classics in contemporary ways.
Most recently, as the artistic director for Madrid's Teatro Real, he secured the world premieres of renowned operas including Philip Glass' "The Perfect American," about the death of Walt Disney, and the recent "Brokeback Mountain," an adaptation of a short story about two cowboys who fall in love.
Mortier's outspoken nature sometimes got him into trouble. Last year, he told a Spanish newspaper that no qualified Spaniards could fill his shoes and that he would cut short his term at the Teatro Real if a successor was named who did not meet his approval. Shortly thereafter, the company announced that Mortier was departing and that Joan Matabosch , the artistic director of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, would take his place.
Prior to his death, Mortier reportedly said that the only thing that was of importance for him was to be busy intellectually.
Lee Min-Ho Visits Hangzhou, Fans Swarm
South Korean actor and singer Lee Min-Ho caused quite the commotion when he visited the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Saturday.
Upon arriving at the airport, Lee was immediately surrounded by security guards, who in turn were surrounded by ecstatic fans swarming the airport.
Passions ran high and, inevitably, Lee's fans began to push and shove to bet closer to the star. One of the admirers ended up with an injured skull.
Meanwhile, another South Korean actor was also in China. Kim Soo-Hyun was shooting an episode of reality show "The Brain." He kept his itinerary more discreet and crowds did not gather to greet him. Nothing was hurt on Kim's behalf except, perhaps, his fans' feelings.
Kesha Returns from Rehab and Drops $ from Name
American pop star Kesha has returned from rehab after two months of treatment.
The popular singer has removed the dollar sign from her name, replacing it with a normal 's'. She checked out of rehab after a two month stay and has kicked off her new life by making a few changes to her social media accounts announcing the change to the spelling of her name.
The 27-year-old star tweeted "Happy to be back! Feeling healthy & working on tons of new music. I can't thank my fans enough for all the love & support u have given me."
Kesha entered rehab at Timberline Knolls, a facility outside of Chicago, in early January. She announced on her Facebook that she would be seeking treatment for her eating disorder.
Kesha's return from rehab was reportedly a surprise to her friends and family, who had "no timeline" for when she'd be done.
Jason Bateman Feature Directorial Debut in "Bad Words"
"Arrested Development" star Jason Bateman makes his feature directorial debut with "Bad Words." Bateman also acts in the film as the lead character who enters a spelling bee as an adult to compete against kids.
Bateman says he was happy with the dual responsibilities, though it was not his original plan. He had initially intended to only direct the black comedy but the handful of actors he had in mind for the lead part did not want to take the role, so he had to take it himself.
Bateman has already directed several TV offerings but says he has been wanting the chance to direct a film.
"This is something I wanted to do for a very long time, because of its complexities and the length of the process. I just can't wait to do it again."
He loved the process of creating "Bad Words" so much that he has already started working on his next directorial effort, an adaptation of the novel "The Family Fang" in which Nicole Kidman will star.
"Bad Words" is due in U.S. theatres on March 28th.
Isaiah Washington Returns to Grey's Anatomy
Actor Isaiah Washington will return to US medical drama Grey's Anatomy, seven years after he was fired from the show.
The 50-year-old played heart surgeon Preston Burke and was one of the stars of the first three seasons for the hit TV series. However, he was axed after he used a homophobic slur during an on-set argument with co-star Patrick Dempsey.
Soon after, fellow cast member TR Knight revealed he was gay and said he was offended by what the actor had said. Washington then further angered network bosses by repeating the slur backstage at the Golden Globes while denying he had said it.
Washington later publicly apologized for his comments and met with gay rights groups to discuss ways to address homophobia. However, after his controversial exit from Grey's Anatomy, he struggled to find continuous work and mainly landed bit parts.
Washington will make a guest appearance to coincide with the departure of series regular Sandra Oh, his former on-screen love interest. Series creator Shonda Rhimes says his return is integral to saying goodbye to Oh's character.
