Sesame Street beams American dream to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AFP) ― The United States has turned to oversized puppets in its newest attempt to win hearts and minds in Pakistan, funding a $20 million remake of popular children’s TV program Sesame Street.The U.S. show that popularized characters like Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and the Cookie Monster is being remade for a Pakistani audience, to promote “shared values and ideas” said USAID’s educatio

April 13, 2011

Daniel Catan, opera composer and librettist, dies at 62

LOS ANGELES ― Daniel Catan, an opera composer and librettist whose works including “Il Postino” and “Florencia en el Amazonas” have been praised for their lyrical romanticism and humane generosity of spirit, died suddenly Saturday in Austin, Texas. He was 62.Catan’s death was announced by the Butler School of Music of the University of Texas, where he was a visiting artist. The cause has not been

April 12, 2011

Japan quake rocks tours of foreign acts

Concert tour schedules of foreign music artists in Korea have been rocked by last month’s massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan and local concert organizers claim they are finding it difficult to retrieve their sudden losses.To the big disappointment of rock fans here, concert organizer 9 Entertainment recently said that Beady Eye, the U.K. group consisting of Liam Gallagher and other former mem

April 12, 2011

Superheroes get second chance

TV dramas take second crack at unsuccessful comic book hero genreIn Hollywood, comic book heroes are a surefire draw. “Superman” helped jumpstart a cinematic pantheon of costumed crusaders. “Batman” swooped onto the scene in 1989, “X-Men” in 2000 and “Spider-Man” in 2002. Fascination with the genre spawned the NBC TV series “Heroes” in 2006. A macabre exploration of the dilemmas that torture human

April 12, 2011

JYJ’s Junsu voted best singer

JYJ’s Kim Junsu was voted the best singer of all Korean idol group members, a local survey has shown.A local newspaper conducted the survey on ten vocal trainers to rank the Korean idol groups and their members based on how well they sing. The results showed 2AM, a four-member male vocal group, as the best. Big Bang took second place. Girl group Kara, who gained sensational popularity in Japan, we

April 12, 2011

[Herald Interview] Sara Bareilles anticipates fun concert in Seoul

U.S. singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles said she is looking forward to visiting Seoul to hold her first concert in Korea, as she is already familiar with Korean culture.Bareilles plans to showcase her latest songs and familiar songs by other artists at the Hongdae V-Hall in Seoul on May 14 at 7 p.m. “I know that Korean food is amazing and I heard a lot from people who traveled around Korea that the

April 11, 2011

Sotheby’s sells record $447m worth Asian art

Despite lackluster imperial porcelain sales, Hong Kong auction sets new recordHONG KONG (AFP) ―Sotheby’s said Saturday it sold a record HK$3.49 billion ($447 million) worth of Asian and Chinese art, fine wines, watches and jewels at its eight-day Hong Kong auction.The auction house offered 3,600 lots in eight categories in what its Asia CEO Kevin Ching described as the “most successful Hong Kong s

April 10, 2011

‘Tofu pizzas for the people’

While political elites enjoy chef-made Italian pizza in the only pizza restaurant in North Korea, citizens of Pyongyang are learning through a DVD how to make pizza with tofu instead of cheese.London-based designer Kim Hwang is the man behind the tofu pizza DVD. He decided to teach North Koreans how to make pizza when he found out about the hypocrisy of the pizzeria that opened in Pyongyang during

April 10, 2011

Saoirse Ronan shoots for something different in ‘Hanna’

Shortly after she received an Oscar nomination at the tender age of 13, “Atonement” star Saoirse Ronan needed a new movie. Despite a drama background, she was intrigued by the title character in “Hanna,” an ethereally beautiful teen who also happens to be a ruthless assassin. But the project was stuck in development at Focus Features; filmmakers like Danny Boyle had come and gone.Ronan had a simpl

April 8, 2011

[Herald interview] Universal Music sees big potential in Korean classical music

Universal Music Group International, which has prestigious label Deutsche Grammophon, expects that the Korean demand for classical music to grow faster in the coming years on the back of the country’s growing wealth and interest in the genre.“The first thing you need to invest in classical music is a market that is confident of growth. The second thing is an extremely accelerating level of wealth

April 8, 2011

Box Office

In Love and the War (Korea)Opening April 28 Drama. Comedy. Directed by Park Geon-yong. Just about two months ahead of the Korean War, a young communist military officer (Kim Joo-hyeok) and his soldiers arrive in a secluded country town in Chungcheong Province. Amid the intense political turmoil, the town, Seokjeong-ri, is peaceful. It is so remote that its people don’t even take the war rumor seri

April 8, 2011

A Brand new twist on ‘Arthur’

If you have fond memories of the 1981 comedy “Arthur,” that says a couple of things about you. One, you’ve been around for at least 40 years, and two, you’re probably curious about the remake, which arrives in theaters Friday.Much has changed since Dudley Moore first appeared as Arthur Bach, the merrily alcoholic heir to a family fortune who must agree to an arranged marriage or forfeit his millio

April 8, 2011

Korean director Bong to steer Camera d’Or jury at Cannes

PARIS (AFP) ― South Korean director Bong Joon-ho will chair the jury that picks the winner of the Camera d’Or prize for best first film at this year’s Cannes film festival, organizers said on Thursday.Bong, 41, whose films include “Barking Dog,” “Memories of Murder” and “The Host,” is no stranger to Cannes, having premiered his most recent feature “Mother” in its Un Certain Regard section in 2009.

April 8, 2011

SPO cements status with record deal

Seoul Philharmonic signs long-term license agreement with Deutsche GrammophonSeoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director Chung Myung-whun said on Thursday the orchestra had inked a long-term license contract with Deutsche Grammophon.“It’s been six years since I took the helm of the SPO. Signing a contract with the world’s top classical music record label Deutsche Grammophon is a big step,” Chung

April 7, 2011

Anne-Sophie Mutter to stage ‘diversity’

German violinist to hold recital on May 3 in SeoulGerman violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is coming to Seoul for the first time in three years to hold a recital on May 3 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall. The Grammy Award winner’s upcoming concert is part of her Asia 2011 tour, taking place from April to May, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of her debut as a soloist in 1976 at the Lucerne Fest

April 6, 2011

Hunt is on for remains of possible Mona Lisa model

ROME (AP) ― Italian researchers said Tuesday they will dig up bones in a Florence convent to try to identify the remains of a Renaissance woman long believed to be the model for the “Mona Lisa.”If successful, the research might help ascertain the identity of the woman depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece ― a mystery that has puzzled scholars and art lovers for centuries and generated countl

April 6, 2011