Mortier goes to Spain: Gerard Mortier — the former director of the New York City Opera — has confirmed his new gig: he will become the artistic director of the Teatro Real opera house in Madrid. He’ll start this job in 2010, after this quite worldly director finishes his final year running the Paris National Opera. He quit NYCO because of economic problems, but isn’t Europe getting hit by this crisis too? [NYT]
L.A. Film Fest director resigns over Prop 8: Richard Raddon, director of the Los Angeles Film Festival, is being skewered by the California public for supporting gay-marriage-banning Proposition 8 and contributing money to its campaign. As a result, he was forced to resign this week as director of the festival. Whoops. [Variety]
Jackman locked in for Houdini act: There’s rumors that Hugh Jackman (aka People’s sexiest man alive) might play escape artist Harry Houdini in the upcoming Broadway musical Houdini. Jackman is allegedly “already at work on the magic routines” necessary for the production. Jackman singing while trapped in locked boxes and tied up with ropes? This could get kinky. [Playbill]
Hey Mama: When Kanye’s mother died last year, everyone assumed it was post-op complications, but now police are potentially reneging on that idea and the situation is getting dramatic. Kanye’s nephew Stephan Scoggins, a registered nurse who was caring for Donda West after her operation, is being investigated for his “role in her death.” [People]