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Morning, all. Normally Benjamin R. Freed, who did some stellar reporting on the Dirk Smiler case yesterday, would be doing today’s roundup, but we’re switching it up and he’s got tomorrow’s roundup instead.
Good riddance: John Galliano may be a creative genius, but he’s also a bigot. After video footage surfaced of the Christian Dior designer going on an anti-Semitic rant, the iconic fashion house swiftly dismissed him. Newly minted Oscar winner Natalie Portman, the face of the perfume Miss Dior Cherie, expressed that she was “shocked and disgusted by the video,” and said that she would “not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way.” Good for her. Still, Galliano is an incredible talent, and the fashion and entertainment industries seem to have a never-ending supply of second (and third, and fourth) chances—see Kate Moss, Charlie Sheen, Robert Downey Jr., Mel Gibson… Fashion bible Vogue is noticeably silent on the issue.
Sorry, Boston Symphony Orchestra fans. Director James Levine has withdrawn from the rest of the season to due chronic back problems. He was set to appear at the Kennedy Center with the orchestra later this month. The orchestra is now searching for substitute conductors.
In other classical news (Who am I? Mike Paarlberg?), the players of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, who have been on strike for nearly six months, say they’re ready to return to work without a contract. This is despite the fact that management cancelled the season two weeks ago.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage