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No 'Watusi' for Obamas
A painting by the artist Alma W. Thomas, which had been selected to go on Michelle Obama's wall in her East Wing office, will no longer be mounted.
"The reason why it was moved was because it didn't fit the space right," Semonti Stephens, the first lady's deputy press secretary, said of "Watusi (Hard Edge)," which had been borrowed from the Hirshhorn Museum.
Stephens noted that the Obamas still "have a piece of [Thomas'] work in the residence. So they appreciate the artist's work." A Thomas artwork titled "Sky Light," also on loan from the Hirshhorn, hangs in the family's private quarters.
Some conservative websites have accused Thomas of plagiarizing the work "The Snail" by the French artist Henri Matisse. The White House denied it was removing Thomas' piece because of those accusations.
-- washington post McClanahan recuperating
"Golden Girls" star Rue McClanahan is recovering in a New York hospital after having heart bypass surgery this week, her manager said Thursday.
"She's fine, so it could not have gone better," Barbara Lawrence said of Tuesday's operation.
McClanahan, 75, played the promiscuous Blanche Devereaux on the hit TV series from 1985 to 1992. This year, she appeared in an episode of "Law & Order."
-- reuters Revisiting a TV neighborhood
For just this weekend, a Pittsburgh neighborhood that's lain dormant in boxes and under plastic coverings for nearly a decade is coming back to life.
Everyone important will be there in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe: Daniel Striped Tiger, X the Owl, Henrietta Pussycat -- even Mr. McFeely.
The set is being rebuilt and opened to the public Saturday and Sunday, giving generations of Americans who grew up with Fred Rogers -- as well as their children who watch his reruns -- a look at one of TV's most famous neighborhoods.
-- associated press A Berlin wall surrounds U2
Irish rockers U2 returned to Berlin for a free mini-concert Thursday in front of the Brandenburg Gate, playing its classic singles and a duet with Jay-Z even as the show was obscured from public view by a nearly 6 1/2 -foot- high metal barrier.
Bono greeted the crowd with the German words "Berlin, Du bist wunderbar!" (Berlin, you are wonderful!) and the band played a 30-minute, six-song set that featured "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," "One" and "Beautiful Day."
The show, free to 10,000 ticket holders who snapped up the tickets online last week in just three hours, drew controversy because of the barrier surrounding the gig.
Both Berliners and tourists alike saw the irony in building a wall around a concert dedicated to the wall that already has come down.
"It's completely ridiculous that they are blocking the view," said Louis-Pierre Boily, 23, who came to Berlin even though he failed to get U2 tickets. "I thought it's a free show, but MTV probably wants people to watch it on TV to get their ratings up."
-- associated press
Germans snub '30 Rock'
Despite its many Emmys, "30 Rock" has never achieved hit status in the ratings. But the difficulty in attracting American viewers to the NBC comedy pales in comparison to attracting Germans.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the show garnered a 0 rating in its debut in Germany last Sunday, meaning fewer than 5,000 of the country's 82 million residents tuned in.
The show did slightly better in another telecast Wednesday night, drawing about 30,000 viewers, the trade paper said.
-- from a times staff writer Finally
Vegas coming: Cirque du Soleil will open a new show in Las Vegas next month called "Viva ELVIS," a tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley at the Aria Resort & Casino at MGM Mirage's CityCenter complex.
Vegas going: Bette Midler's "The Showgirl Must Go On" will have its final performance on Jan. 31, ending a run of nearly two years at Caesars Palace.
On the mend: Elton John left the hospital Thursday after being treated for a serious case of e-coli bacterial infection and influenza, his representative said.
A painting by the artist Alma W. Thomas, which had been selected to go on Michelle Obama's wall in her East Wing office, will no longer be mounted.
"The reason why it was moved was because it didn't fit the space right," Semonti Stephens, the first lady's deputy press secretary, said of "Watusi (Hard Edge)," which had been borrowed from the Hirshhorn Museum.
Stephens noted that the Obamas still "have a piece of [Thomas'] work in the residence. So they appreciate the artist's work." A Thomas artwork titled "Sky Light," also on loan from the Hirshhorn, hangs in the family's private quarters.
Some conservative websites have accused Thomas of plagiarizing the work "The Snail" by the French artist Henri Matisse. The White House denied it was removing Thomas' piece because of those accusations.
-- washington post McClanahan recuperating
"Golden Girls" star Rue McClanahan is recovering in a New York hospital after having heart bypass surgery this week, her manager said Thursday.
"She's fine, so it could not have gone better," Barbara Lawrence said of Tuesday's operation.
McClanahan, 75, played the promiscuous Blanche Devereaux on the hit TV series from 1985 to 1992. This year, she appeared in an episode of "Law & Order."
-- reuters Revisiting a TV neighborhood
For just this weekend, a Pittsburgh neighborhood that's lain dormant in boxes and under plastic coverings for nearly a decade is coming back to life.
Everyone important will be there in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe: Daniel Striped Tiger, X the Owl, Henrietta Pussycat -- even Mr. McFeely.
The set is being rebuilt and opened to the public Saturday and Sunday, giving generations of Americans who grew up with Fred Rogers -- as well as their children who watch his reruns -- a look at one of TV's most famous neighborhoods.
-- associated press A Berlin wall surrounds U2
Irish rockers U2 returned to Berlin for a free mini-concert Thursday in front of the Brandenburg Gate, playing its classic singles and a duet with Jay-Z even as the show was obscured from public view by a nearly 6 1/2 -foot- high metal barrier.
Bono greeted the crowd with the German words "Berlin, Du bist wunderbar!" (Berlin, you are wonderful!) and the band played a 30-minute, six-song set that featured "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," "One" and "Beautiful Day."
The show, free to 10,000 ticket holders who snapped up the tickets online last week in just three hours, drew controversy because of the barrier surrounding the gig.
Both Berliners and tourists alike saw the irony in building a wall around a concert dedicated to the wall that already has come down.
"It's completely ridiculous that they are blocking the view," said Louis-Pierre Boily, 23, who came to Berlin even though he failed to get U2 tickets. "I thought it's a free show, but MTV probably wants people to watch it on TV to get their ratings up."
-- associated press
Germans snub '30 Rock'
Despite its many Emmys, "30 Rock" has never achieved hit status in the ratings. But the difficulty in attracting American viewers to the NBC comedy pales in comparison to attracting Germans.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the show garnered a 0 rating in its debut in Germany last Sunday, meaning fewer than 5,000 of the country's 82 million residents tuned in.
The show did slightly better in another telecast Wednesday night, drawing about 30,000 viewers, the trade paper said.
-- from a times staff writer Finally
Vegas coming: Cirque du Soleil will open a new show in Las Vegas next month called "Viva ELVIS," a tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley at the Aria Resort & Casino at MGM Mirage's CityCenter complex.
Vegas going: Bette Midler's "The Showgirl Must Go On" will have its final performance on Jan. 31, ending a run of nearly two years at Caesars Palace.
On the mend: Elton John left the hospital Thursday after being treated for a serious case of e-coli bacterial infection and influenza, his representative said.
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