NEW YORK – Cynthia Weil, a Grammy-winning lyricist of notable range and endurance who enjoyed a decades-long partnership with husband Barry Mann and helped write “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “On Broadway,” “Walking in the Rain” and dozens of other hits, has died at age 82. Weil’s daughter, Dr. Jenn Mann, said that the songwriter … Read more
ATHENS – The music from “Madame Butterfly” and other major operas is known to Greek audiences largely through the recorded performances of Maria Callas, the U.S.-born Greek artist who died in 1977 and is still revered here. For theatergoers in Athens, watching the tragic story of the young geisha Cio-Cio-San unfold in Puccini’s emotionally charged … Read more
NEW YORK – The auction house Sotheby’s will buy the modernist Marcel Breuer-designed building that housed New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art for nearly 50 years, Sotheby’s announced Thursday. Sotheby’s will start moving its New York sale room and galleries to the Breuer building on Madison Avenue in 2024 and will open to the … Read more
LOS ANGELES – A former Playboy model who alleges Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her and another woman at his home in 1969 sued him Thursday under a new California law that suspends the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims. In her lawsuit, Victoria Valentino, 80, says she was an actress and singer … Read more
NEW YORK – Billy Joel is finally moving out of his monthly perch at Madison Square Garden. The singer-songwriter says he will conclude his residency in July 2024 with his 150th lifetime performance at the venue. “It’s hard to believe we’ve been able to do this for 10 years,” Joel said at a news conference … Read more
HOUSTON – Something stinks at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, but the stench is actually attracting visitors instead of keeping them at bay. A corpse flower, dubbed “Meg,” bloomed inside the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the museum, which is located at 555 Hermann Park Drive. Blooms only last for a couple of days so … Read more
AMMAN – Jordan’s capital turned into an open-air party on Thursday as crowds gathered to celebrate the desert kingdom’s first major royal wedding in years and bask in the event’s unmistakable demonstration of Jordan’s influence and importance. Jordanians from all walks of life shared an infectious excitement about the union between Crown Prince Hussein and … Read more