Quick Takes: USC names new art dean

USC names new art dean

Rochelle Steiner, a museum and gallery curator who served as the director of the Public Art Fund in New York, will assume the role of dean at USC’s Roski School of Fine Arts starting Aug. 1.

USC said Friday that Steiner would replace Ruth Weisberg, who has served as dean of the school since 1995.

A spokeswoman at the university said that Weisberg had decided to step down to devote more time to her career as a visual artist but will continue to teach at the school.

—David Ng

‘Catcher’ sequel caught in lawsuit

A lawsuit blocking publication of a purported “sequel” to J.D. Salinger’s classic novel “The Catcher in the Rye” will be reconsidered in federal court, but Salinger’s trustees are likely to prevail, an appeals court in New York ruled Friday.

The unauthorized spinoff, “60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye,” was barred from publication in the United States after Salinger — who died in January at age 91 — last year sued its Swedish author, Fredrik Colting, who writes under the name J.D. California. In July, a judge in Manhattan federal court blocked the U.S. publication, even though Colting’s book is available in other countries.

On Friday, the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to the federal court to determine whether Salinger’s trust will suffer irreparable harm from the publication. But in its ruling, the appeals court made clear it expected Salinger’s trust to prevail.

“Most of the matters relevant to Salinger’s likelihood of success on the merits are either undisputed or readily established in his favor,” the court said.

—Reuters

Actor cast for Charles musical

Actor Brandon Victor Dixon will portray the legendary singer Ray Charles in “Unchain My Heart,” a new musical opening on Broadway Nov. 7.

Dixon won rave reviews earlier this season for his performance in “The Scottsboro Boys,” the John Kander-Fred Ebb musical at off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre. He also starred in the original Broadway production of “The Color Purple.”

—Associated Press

Letterman talks about aftermath

David Letterman says the scandal surrounding his workplace dalliances initially knocked him down and left him depressed, but that now he’s putting the pieces of his life back together.

During a guest shot on Friday’s “Live! With Regis and Kelly,” the CBS late-night star said his behavior was stupid and reckless, and that it hurt his family and himself. But he sounded hopeful that life with his wife and young son can “even be better, in a different way” than before the explosive revelations that he had had sex with female “Late Show” co-workers.

“You take a look at the explosion,” Letterman said, “and it knocks you down and you wake up every morning and you’re scared and you’re depressed and sad.

“And you kind of got to let that knock you down and knock you down, and then pretty soon you’ve got to start knocking it down. And then, when that happens, you start looking at the pieces left of your life.”

—Associated Press

KKJZ-FM makes lineup changes

Jazz station KKJZ-FM (88.1) is adding a new program to its weekend schedule, “Bebop and More,” featuring music by classic artists such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk along with contemporary performers such as Christian Scott. It will air Saturdays from 7 to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 8 to 11 p.m., beginning this weekend.

Dropped from the lineup are “Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio With Wynton Marsalis” and “Jazz Inspired With Judy Carmichael.” “Radio Deluxe With John Pizzarelli” moves to Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

—From a Times staff writer

Luna returns to L.A. airwaves

Humberto Luna, a staple of Spanish-language radio in L.A. for most of the last 30 years, is returning to the local airwaves Monday as the host of an afternoon show on XEWW-AM (690).

Luna was a popular morning host for many years on KTNQ and KLAX. In January 2009, he joined Clear Channel’s La Preciosa network, which didn’t have an outlet in Los Angeles.

His new show on XEWW will broadcast from Burbank weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m.

—Lee Margulies

Finally

Cancellation: The June 4-5 performances of “Ira Without George: The Lyrics of Ira Gershwin” at the Ford Amphitheatre have been cancelled because of what was described as a scheduling conflict. Ticket refunds are available at the Ford box office.