Monster Mash: Annie Leibovitz’s new show; ‘Superstar’ kerfuffle

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

‘Christ’ clash: Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber are publicly at odds over a new production of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ which Webber plans to cast via a television contest. (Telegraph)

Interview: Annie Leibovitz’s new show of landscapes and objects at the Smithsonian is a departure from her popular celebrity portraits. (Associated Press/Washington Post)

Sale of the ancients: Desperate for funds, Greece’s Culture and Tourism Ministry announced new lower rates for permits to film at the Acropolis and other historical sites. (Bloomberg News)

For the record: The Atlantic Theater Co. is mounting the play ‘CQ/CX,’ which deals with former New York Times reporter Jayson Blair, who was fired for filing false stories. (Playbill)

Tense talks: Union art handlers and the Whitney Museum are in protracted negotiations over a contract that expires Jan. 31 -- just before preparation for March’s Whitney Biennial kicks into high gear. (Art Info)

Silent ball: In celebration of the documentary ‘Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present,’ the performance artist hosted a Silence Is Golden fete at Sundance. (New York Magazine)

Noisy fest: London’s Southbank Centre will host a yearlong music festival in 2013, inspired by critic Alex Ross’ study of 20th century classical music, ‘The Rest is Noise.’ (Guardian)

Stage presence: Actor Helen Hunt and director David Cromer talk about their production of ‘Our Town,’ playing at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. (KCRW’s Soundcloud)

Dominant company: Led by best director Mike Leigh (‘Grief’) and best actor Benedict Cumberbatch (‘Frankenstein’), London’s National Theatre won more than half of the 2011 Critics Circle Stage Awards. (Stage)

Lipstick on a corpse? New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced plans to demolish the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, but architect Bruce S. Fowle is continuing with a $390-million renovation started six years ago. (New York Times)

Passing: Experimental filmmaker Robert Nelson dies at 81. (New York Times)

Also in the L.A. Times: Charles McNulty reviews ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

-- Margaret Wappler