Celebrity
Renata Scotto, Soprano Of Uncommon Intensity, Dies At 89
Renata Scotto, an extraordinary soprano who became a famous director following her singing career, died Wednesday in her hometown of Savona, Italy. She was 89 years old.
Robert Lombardo, Scotto’s manager in New York, claimed he was called by her family and notified of her death. “I spoke with her several weeks ago and got no indication that anything was going on,” he explained.
Scotto has houses in both Italy and Armonk, New York.
“Renata Scotto is a true artist and profound connoisseur of voice and repertoire, gifted with technique, musicality, a personality of rare power, always at the service of the composer, and able to emotionally stir the public in every phase of her long career,” said soprano Cecilia Gasdia, superintendent of the Fondazione Arena in Verona.
From her debut in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” on October 13, 1965, through her final performance, again as Cio-Cio-San, on January 18, 1987, Scotto made 314 appearances at the Metropolitan Opera. During her final run, she also directed, which became her new profession.
“I like to live in the present,” she told The Associated Press in 2007. “Of course, I watch films on DVD.” I loved every minute of my job. I’m now living with the young vocalists. I adore them so much.′′
Renata Scotto, an extraordinary soprano who became a famous director following her singing career, died Wednesday.
Scotto, born on February 24, 1934, in Sovona, debuted there in 1952 as Violetta in Verdi’s “La Traviata” and reprised the part the next day at Milan’s Teatro Nuovo.
On December 7, 1957, the opening night of the season, she made her debut at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala in the title role of Catalani’s “La Wally” alongside Mario Del Monaco, with Carlo Maria Giulini conducting.
The New York Times dubbed Scotto a “new star” when she made her Met debut.
Raymond Ericson described her as “short, plump, and with a round face that is remarkably expressive.” “She is a lyric coloratura with a small voice that carries in a large auditorium due to its concentrated tone.” And she is a complete actress, both vocally and physically.”
When Scotto performed the title role in Bellini’s “Norma” on the first night of the Met’s 1981-82 season, she was booed by Maria Callas fans as opposed to anyone else performing the role.
In 1977, she co-starred with Luciano Pavarotti in the first “Live from the Met” webcast of Puccini’s La “Bohème.” As her singing career came to an end, she turned to directing.
Renata Scotto, an extraordinary soprano who became a famous director following her singing career, died Wednesday.
“I adore it. “Of course, it’s completely different,” she told the Associated Press. “There’s more responsibility — you’re in charge of everything — the stage, the scenery.” It’s a different point of view. You have a different perspective on the show.′′
Scotto directed Deborah Voigt in Puccini’s “Tosca” role for the first time at the Florida Grand Opera in 2001.
′′What was impressive was that she didn’t try to put her imprint on it,′′ Voigt said. ′′She guided me through it and assisted me in finding my way through the role and my Tosca, distinct from Renata Scotto’s.”
Scotto’s daughter Laura Anselmi Miller, son Filippo Anselmi, and two grandkids survive him. Funeral arrangements, according to Lombardo, had not yet been finalized. Lorenzo, her spouse, died in 2021.
SOURCE – (AP)
Celebrity
Gypsy Rose Christmas Photo Reveals Baby Bump
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who is expecting her first child in January, flaunted her baby bump in a family vacation photo shared on social media.
Gypsy Rose, wearing a white pregnant sweater and blue jeans, posed in front of a Christmas tree with her father, Rod Blanchard, stepmother Kristy Blanchard, and Ken Urker.
While her baby is not due until the new year, Gypsy Rose has already settled on a name: Aurora Raina Urker. Gypsy admits that she had some help coming up with the name.
Ken came up with that. “There’s a whole backstory to it,” she told People in an interview this month, adding that reports she stole the name from her stepmother’s dog, Aurora Grace, are false. “It’s not because of that.”
Gypsy Rose went on to explain how and when she and Ken, who ended their engagement in 2019 before rejoining in 2023, came up with their baby’s name.
“When Ken and I were together seven years ago, we were both fascinated by the Northern Lights, which are officially known as the Aurora Borealis,” she remarked.
I believe it was in 2018 when we scribbled each other’s future children’s names on sheets of paper, and Aurora was the name we both chose without realizing it. Gypsy married teacher Ryan Anderson in 2022 but filed for divorce after less than two years.
She and Ken reconnected in spring 2024.
We are together and in a great place in our relationship; we realize it will be a long road ahead, but we are thrilled about the future,” she said.
Gypsy Rose was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2016 after convincing her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn to murder her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, the previous year.
She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was released in December 2023 after serving eight years at Missouri’s Chillicothe Correctional Center.
Nicholas Godejohn, Gypsy’s then-boyfriend, was convicted of murder in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison. The pair planned to kill Dee Dee because Gypsy, a Munchausen by proxy sufferer, wanted to escape her mother’s torture.
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Celebrity
Blake Lively #Metoo Claims Supported By New Lawsuit
Blake Lively’s claims that director and co-star Justin Baldoni launched a smear campaign against her have been supported by a new lawsuit filed by Baldoni’s former publicist.
Stephanie Jones, who has been representing Baldoni since 2017, filed the case on Tuesday in New York State Court in Manhattan.
According to the report, the actor and his film production firm, Wayfarer, extended their deal in 2020, agreeing to a $25,000 monthly fee.
The lawsuit said that Baldoni, 40, and Wayfarer teamed up with publicists last August, when the film was released, to try to “bury” and “destroy” Lively, fearing that reports of misogynistic and toxic on-set behavior while filming the love drama would ruin his reputation and career.
Jones requested unspecified damages from the defendants, including Jennifer Abel, a former employee who she claims was behind the campaign to harm Blake Lively and tarnish Jones’ reputation.
The lawsuit claims that Abel was fired after Jones discovered on August 21, 2024, that Abel had “stolen more than 70 proprietary and sensitive business documents and additional client leads” from Jones Works as she prepared to leave the firm to start her own publicity company, with Baldoni and Wayfarer as clients.
The lawsuit also claims that Abel collaborated with Melissa Nathan, a crisis management professional who previously represented actor Johnny Depp, in an attempt to influence and control media information damaging to Blake Lively and Jones.
Numerous text conversations included in the case were recovered from Abel’s corporate phone, which she returned to Jones Works after being fired, the Associated Press reported.
In response to a request for comment on Wednesday, Abel forwarded an email with screenshots of text communications between herself and Jones, as well as a July 26 email she sent to Jones, two weeks after declaring her intention to leave the company on August 23, 2024, during a Zoom call.
In the email, she said, in part: “I know this journey will not be easy, but I wish to keep you in my life as a mentor, friend, and close confidant because I honestly consider you family and would be lost without your support.
I want to assure you that, unlike others who have burnt you in the past, there is no ill will here.
She said further: “I have left a company before with grace and with my relationships intact, and that’s what I fully plan on, and hope for.”
Blake Lively, 37, filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department last week, a step that frequently precedes the filing of a lawsuit, alleging that Baldoni sought to harm her reputation after Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds addressed “repeated sexual harassment” by Baldoni and a film producer.
Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its reps, described the charges in Lively’s filing as “completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious.”
He denied Blake Lively’s claims of a planned effort, stating that the studio “proactively” employed a crisis manager “due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production.”
A message addressed to Freedman on Wednesday seeking comment on Jones’ lawsuit was not immediately returned.
“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular 2016 novel, defied box office estimates with a $50 million launch and eventual sales of $350 million.
Baldoni appeared in the telenovela parody “Jane the Virgin,” directed “Five Feet Apart,” and penned “Man Enough,” a book that challenges traditional ideals of masculinity.
Related news:
Blake Lively Accuses Justin Baldoni of Sexual Harassment
Celebrity
Burt the Huge Croc in Crocodile Dundee Dies at Age 90
Burt, the massive crocodile that rose to prominence with an appearance in the film “Crocodile Dundee” and continued to impress visitors with his fierce temper, died at the age of ninety. Staff at Darwin’s Crocosaurus Cove, where Burt had lived since 2008, confirmed his death.
The wildlife centre made a statement on Instagram: “It is with great regret that we announce the demise of Burt, the iconic saltwater crocodile and star of the Australian classic Crocodile Dundee.
“Burt passed away peacefully over the weekend, estimated to be over 90 years old, signaling the end of an incredible era,” American Crocodile News stated.
In the film, Mick Dundee (Hogan), wearing his now-famous Crocodile Dundee hat, leaves the Australian outback for the jungle of New York after meeting American reporter Sue Charlton (Kozlowski), who finally falls in love with him.
The crocodile is famously seen in the moment where Kozlowski’s character is assaulted while kneeling next to a creek.
Crocodile Dundee highest-grossing Australian picture
Crocasourus Cove described Burt, who was taken in the 1980s in the Northern Territory’s Reynolds River, as having a “bold” demeanor.
“Burt was a confirmed bachelor – an attitude he made clear during his earlier years at a crocodile farm,” the center said.
“His fiery temperament earned him the respect of his caretakers and visitors alike, as he embodied the raw and untamed spirit of the saltwater crocodile.”
“Burt was one of a kind.” He was more than simply a crocodile; he was a natural force, a reminder of the great creatures’ power and majesty.
“While his attitude may be tough, it was also what made him so unique and appreciated by those who worked with him and the thousands who came to see him over the years.
The statement ended with the following: “Visitors from around the globe marveled at his impressive size and commanding presence, especially at feeding time.”
Saltwater crocodiles can live for more than 70 years, especially in captivity.
Burt will be honored with a commemorative sign at the site, among some of the Crocodile Dundee 2 cast members.
Crocodile Dundee is the highest-grossing Australian picture of all time, earning $47,707,598 (Australian dollars).
It inspired two sequels, Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001).
Hogan and Kozlowski married in 1990 and later divorced.
A documentary about the film’s production is anticipated to be released next year.
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