The Arts

Famed Jewish composer Ben Zion Shenker passes away

Jewish composer and singer Ben Zion Shenker passed away Sunday morning at the age of 92. Shenker, one of the most prominent Jewish musical figures of the past century, was known for preserving the Modzitzer musical tradition. He composed hundreds of songs during his career, some of which are sung by Jews every Sabbath, such […]

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Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Trump slams “Hamilton” again, Pence says not offended by comments

New York (dpa) – US vice president-elect Mike Pence told a US broadcaster Sunday that the boos and cheers he received from the audience during a Broadway performance were “what freedom sounds like.” Pence, speaking publicly for the first time since attending a performance Friday of hit musical “Hamilton” in New York, also said on

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Marilyn Monroe’s Dress Raises $4.8 Million at Auction

The iconic dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to John F. Kennedy has been auctioned for $4.8 million. The skintight Jean Louis gown, which is encrusted with 2,500 handstitched crystals, was purchased by the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum chain. It had been estimated to sell for $3

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

When #BoyCottHamilton started trending, people on the left pointed out its perfect irony

On Saturday morning, a national online debate began about a Friday night performance of “Hamilton” attended by Vice President-elect Mike Pence. After Pence had been booed by some of the crowd, a cast-member spoke to Pence as he left the theater during the curtain call. “Vice President-elect Pence, we welcome you, and we truly thank

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

‘That terror is seared into my memory’: George Takei on Trump, Muslims and Japanese internment

Early one morning, a few weeks after his fifth birthday, George Takei’s parents woke him. They were hurried, packing quickly, and Takei looked out the window. He saw two soldiers marching up his East Los Angeles driveway, carrying rifles with bayonets. The solders stomped up the front porch and banged on the door until Takei’s

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Soul singer Sharon Jones, whose work with the Dap Kings sparked a renaissance, has died

Sharon Jones, the incendiary soul singer who propelled to stardom at an age when most musicians had either hit the big time or accepted the club circuit, has died. The artist’s albums with her backing band the Dap-Kings paved the way for a soul renaissance that influenced singers including Amy Winehouse and Adele. Jones’ death

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, USA

Law & Order SVU Actress Found Dead In Peru Hotel

The hit television show” Law & Order SVU” is a national favorite, as the New York City squad investigates sexually based crimes, murders, suicides and assaults. While the show is purely fictional, art is know imitating life. It is being reported that an actress from the show has been found dead. According to Huffington Post,

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International, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Trump’s Latest Twitter Target—The Cast of ‘Hamilton’

Hillary Clinton, the press, refugees, fellow Republicans—the list of Donald Trump’s Twitter targets is long, with no signs of letup now that he’s less than two months away from inauguration day. We can now add a cultural phenomenon to the extensive list of perceived enemies: the cast of the Broadway smash Hamilton. The president-elect demanded

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Bob Dylan to miss Nobel Prize Award ceremony, cites prior engagements

Stockholm (dpa) – Rock legend Bob Dylan, the 2016 Nobel Literature laureate, will miss out on the December 10 award ceremony “due to pre-existing commitments,” the Swedish Academy said Wednesday. The US singer-songwriter wrote a personal letter to the Academy saying that, “due to pre-existing commitments, he is unable to travel to Stockholm in December,”

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International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Here’s Who Should Play Trump on ‘SNL’ Next

President-elect Donald Trump is not the only midtown Manhattan resident encountering problems with his transition game this week. So too is Saturday Night Live, which failed to consider the possibility of the erstwhile star of NBC’s The Apprentice becoming the 45th president. Who will SNL’s longtime producer, Lorne Michaels, install to impersonate the most bombastic

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

William Shatner Reflects on ‘Star Trek’ in Rare Letters

Fifty years after Star Trek first beamed onto U.S. television screens, fans continue to be fascinated by stories of behind-the-scenes dramas. Now handwritten notes written by Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner, to be auctioned Thursday, are giving diehard Trekkies an inside look into some of the problems that plagued the cult hit in its infancy.

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Colson Whitehead Wins National Book Award in Fiction

Colson Whitehead won the National Book Award in fiction on Wednesday for his bestselling novel and Oprah Book Club pick The Underground Railroad. His fellow winners that evening were Ibram X. Kendi in nonfiction for Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America; Daniel Borzutzky in poetry for The Performance of

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, USA

Trump supporters try to undermine Megyn Kelly’s book with an onslaught of negative reviews on Amazon

Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump are using online retailer Amazon to attack Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly through harsh reviews of her new book. More than 100 negative one-star reviews appeared on the Amazon page selling Kelly’s memoir “Settle For More,” within hours of its Tuesday release. Many of the comments came through a link

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, USA