September 20, 2004

Arts Briefing

IGHLIGHTS

FLYING HIGH The science-fiction film "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" took first place at the North American box office this weekend, early figures showed yesterday, Agence France-Presse reported. Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie star in the film, a throwback to science-fiction comics set in the 1930's, which is expected to earn about $16.2 million on its opening weekend, according to Exhibitor Relations, which monitors box-office results. The baseball comedy "Mr. 3000," starring Bernie Mac and Angela Basset, finished second, taking in $9.2 million on its debut. "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," slipped out of the top spot and fell to third, earning about $9 million.

BETTER LUCK THIS TIME? Britney Spears has married for the second time this year, wedding a dancer who has toured with her, Entertainment Tonight reported on its Web site yesterday. According to the report, Ms. Spears, 22, married Kevin Federline, 26, at a friend's home in Studio City, Calif. In January Ms. Spears, whose hits include "Baby One More Time," "Oops! I Did It Again" and "I'm A Slave 4 U," married a childhood friend, Jason Alexander, in Las Vegas during a spontaneous ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada. The marriage was annulled 55 hours later.

IN THE RUNNING TV on the Radio, Franz Ferdinand, Wilco, the Streets and Loretta Lynn are among the 10 pop artists selected as finalists for the Shortlist Music Prize, an award founded in 2001 to recognize innovative and underground music. The other finalists, chosen by a selection panel that included Norah Jones, Robert Smith of the Cure, Ahmir Thompson of the Roots, Jack Black and John Mayer, are Dizzee Rascal, Nellie McKay, Ghostface Killah, Air and the Killers. The $10,000 prize will be awarded at a concert in Los Angeles on Nov. 10. BEN SISARIO

REMEMBERING NAT In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the death of the singer and jazz pianist Nat (King) Cole (1919-1965), left, Capitol/EMI plans the international release in late January of a CD and DVD, each titled "The World of Nat King Cole," according to Billboard.com. The CD, ranging across the years from his 1944 hit "Straighten Up and Fly Right" to his posthumous 1992 virtual duet, "Unforgettable," with Natalie Cole, his daughter, will carry 28 remastered songs. The United States disc will include "(I Love You) for Sentimental Reasons," "Nature Boy" and "Mona Lisa," among other hits. The DVD consists of a documentary that explores Cole's celebrity, the appeal of his music and his role in the civil rights movement. Plans have been made to televise the film in the United States and Britain in February.

NEW ROLE Karen Kain, former prima ballerina of the National Ballet of Canada, has been named chairwoman of the Canada Council for the Arts, The Canadian Press reported. Ms. Kain replaces the actor Jean-Louis Roux, whose term expired last October. As chairwoman, Ms. Kain will preside over the 11-member council board, composed of people in the arts from all parts of Canada. Through grants, services and awards to professional artists and arts organizations, the council fosters the expansion of the arts in Canada. Ms. Kain joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1969, became a principal dancer in 1970, retired from the stage in 1997 and became involved in film and television productions.

BROADWAY BOUND Fans of musicals can mark their calendars for the Broadway arrivals of "The Mambo Kings" and "Lennon," according to Playbill.com."The Mambo Kings," based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Oscar Hijuelos novel about two Cuban brothers who come to New York in 1949 dreaming of becoming recording stars, is to reach Broadway on March 29, according to a casting notice, after a monthlong tryout in Chicago at the Oriental Theater. "Lennon," based on the life and songs of John Lennon, has a July arrival date at the Broadhurst Theater on Broadway after a world premiere engagement (April 5 through May 7) at the Curran Theater in San Francisco and a run at the Colonial Theater in Boston (May 24 through June 18).

DYLAN'S VOICE The Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn, left, will make his debut as an audiobook reader when he recounts the first of the personal histories of Bob Dylan. Vol. 1 of the series, "Chronicles," is to be published by Simon & Schuster as a hardcover book and an audiobook on Oct. 12. The audiobook version runs for six hours on four cassettes or five CD's.

FOOTNOTES

The Grammy Award-winning fiddler Mark O'Connor and his Hot Swing Trio, featuring the guitarist Frank Vignola and the bassist Jon Burr, will be performing works associated with Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, as well as new compositions and jazz standards, in a program to be recorded live at Merkin Concert Hall at 8 p.m. tomorrow and Wednesday.