Composer Philip Glass
Here's the best of what I've discovered this morning - although there seems to be lots of lustable items today, so check in later this afternoon....
Composer Philip Glass has a new opera about the Civil War called Appomattox . It debuted in San Francisco this Friday and it's getting mixed reviews. The San Francisco Chronicle says it's uneven , while other reviews have called it one of the best new operas in years.
Apparently, Glass greatly admires Generals Grant and Lee, and much of his inspiration for the opera derives from that admiration. He recently said "In public life today, there are scarcely any men and women of that quality. You know there is this misconception of Grant as some kind of alcoholic. In fact, he was a man of tremendous stamina and moral courage."
Glass will be in San Diego on November 3rd and 4th when the La Jolla Symphony , under the leadership of new music director Steve Schick , will premiere Glass' Cello Concerto. That's not to be missed.
More Radiohead: everyone from ex-Smith's guitarist Johnny Marr to Oasis is supporting Radiohead's sales model of pay what you can for their new album.
Judd Apatow: I've really been enjoying Judd Apatow's rise to fame and, in some circles, reverence. I was an obsessed Freaks and Geeks fan and loved Knocked Up . Still haven't seen Superbad , which is totally lame, I know. Apatow and his panel were the best thing about Comic-Con this year - hilarious and smart and adept at working that crowd, which is why I've been interested to see how he would do at the New Yorker Festival. I've been following his appearances there and... by many accounts, he's a hit ! But here's why I now like Apatow even more, why I think he may have been a visionary from birth -- his childhood hero was Steve Martin! Read this account of the young Apatow trying to get Martin's autograph.
You know who wasn't a hit at the New Yorker Festival? David Milch! Go here to read how Milch went off while participating in a festival panel on television. His targets were both network and cable television, as well as the shows of his fellow panelists. Milch also repeatedly insulted his host, The New Yorker . Apparently, he then launched into a tirade on Jews in Hollywood. After Deadwood and John from Cincinnati , I'm trying to figure out if Milch is just some crazed but cranky genius. Can't wait until he wins his next Emmy - surely his acceptance speech would be worth sitting through two hours of Ryan Seacrest.
