Quick Takes: Museum of Latin American Art chief leaves

Giving little notice and surprising its board co-chairs, Richard P. Townsend has stepped down as president of the Museum of Latin American Art after less than two years in its top spot, the museum announced Tuesday.

It’s the third change at the top for the Long Beach museum in little more than 31/2 years.

“He met with us and said he wanted to pursue other opportunities,” said Burke Gumbiner, museum co-chair. “It was voluntary. We thanked him for his contribution. We like the artistic program and are going to continue the artistic program.”

Townsend could not be reached Tuesday for comment.

The museum will engage a search firm and begin hunting soon for its next leader.

—Mike Boehm

Former priest gets talk show

A former Roman Catholic priest who left the church to marry his girlfriend after the two were photographed embracing on a South Florida beach is getting a new TV show.

Alberto Cutie announced Tuesday he will host the daily talk show “Father Albert” on Fox stations. A Fox spokeswoman said the show will be aired later this year in cities including Los Angeles and New York. If it does well there, a national rollout will follow.

Cutie, nicknamed “Father Oprah,” changed his affiliation last year to the Episcopal Church. He and his wife welcomed their first child in December.

—Associated Press

Michaels has heart surgery

Rocker and reality TV star Bret Michaels had successful surgery at a Phoenix hospital to repair a hole in his heart, a hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Michaels, frontman for the band Poison, was recovering from Monday’s surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center’s intensive care unit, spokeswoman Carmelle Malkovich said. She declined to release any additional information.

The heart problem was found in April, when surgeons operated on Michaels for a brain hemorrhage. Without treatment for the hole in his heart, doctors said, he risked blood clots and strokes.

The 47-year-old singer plans a concert tour in the spring, publicist Joann Mignano said.

—Reuters

Drama critics name nominees

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle announced its nominations for the 2010 season on Tuesday. The Antaeus Company’s production of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” led with five nominations; Rogue Machine’s “Four Places,” Actors Co-op’s “Wit,” The Theatre @ Boston Court’s “The Twentieth-Century Way” and The Fountain Theatre’s “Opus” and “The Ballad of Emmett Till” each scored four.

As usual, Hollywood celebrities factored in to the choices: Ed Harris for Neil LaBute’s “Wrecks” at the Geffen Playhouse, Chris Pine in Martin McDonagh’s “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” at the Mark Taper Forum and “24” star Gregory Itzin for the Antaeus Company’s “King Lear” at Deaf West Theatre in North Hollywood. Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda picked up a nomination — and a win — for his score to “In the Heights” at the Pantages Theatre. (He was the only nominee in the category.)

The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place March 14 at the Colony Theatre in Burbank.

—David Ng

Gallery director to exit REDCAT

Clara Kim, the gallery director and curator at the Roy and Edna Disney / CalArts Theater (REDCAT) in Los Angeles, will be leaving the institution to take up a post at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. She will assume her new job Aug. 1, according to the Walker.

Kim has been on the staff of REDCAT since it opened in 2003, serving first as assistant curator and since 2008 as gallery director and curator. She succeeded Eungie Joo, who joined the staff of New York’s New Museum of Contemporary Art.

—David Ng

BBC to close services

The BBC said Tuesday it planned to close five foreign-language services, a move unions warn will lead to hundreds more job losses at the state-sponsored broadcaster.

The move to stop its Albanian, Macedonian, Serbian, Portuguese for Africa and English for the Caribbean regional services is a response to a cut in grants from the U.K. Foreign Office, the BBC World Service said.

The BBC said Monday it planned to eliminate 360 jobs over the next two years and trim spending by 25% by 2013-2014.

—Associated Press

Finally

Another shore: The next season of “Jersey Shore” will unfold in Italy, MTV said Tuesday. The episodes are expected to air later this year.