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Rob Lowe's West Wing confession

Rob Lowe has spoken candidly about leaving one of his most acclaimed TV shows. The 59-year-old actor has opened up about leaving The West Wing, which first aired in 1999 with Lowe playing the character of Sam Seaborn, the Bartlet administration's deputy communications director, on the very first episode of the show. The show ran for seven seasons and went off the air in 2006, although Lowe left the show during season four. Despite the show's popularity, Lowe said that leaving the show when he did was the best decision to make for him and his future career. Speaking candidly on the Stitcher Studios' podcast Podcrushed, Lowe was asked about why he left the show, and he summed up his departure with an analogy. He said, "I walked away from the most popular girl at school, but I also knew that it was a super unhealthy relationship, and it was the best thing I ever did." The unofficial story when Lowe left the show, as reported by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/24/west.wing.lowe/index.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" data-ylk="slk:Daily Variety;cpos:3;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid_p="33" data-v9y="1">Daily Variety</a>, was that he was doing so because he couldn't get the salary that he wanted. As Lowe explained to Podcrushed hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari, his decision had boiled down to one thing. "I felt very undervalued," said Lowe, the author of 2012's Stories I Only Tell My Friends. "Whenever I talk to actors who complain about, you know, their relationships on their shows, it happens. It happens in any workplace. You could be in an environment where people sandbag you, want to see you fail, don't appreciate you, whatever it is and whenever I share my stories, people are like, 'I will never share my own stories again.'" "They would make your hair stand up and there's some of them I wrote. I shared some of them in my book, but I purposely didn't share half of the other ones because it would make the people involved look so bad that I didn't want to do it to them." "So, I did not have a good experience. Tried to make it work and tried to make it work and tried to make it work and then what happened was my kids were getting to a certain age where I could see them having first girlfriends or friends and being in a relationship that was abusive and taking it," said Lowe, the father of sons John Owen, a 27-year-old actor, and venture capitalist Matthew, 29. "She's the popular girl, everybody likes her, she's beautiful, it must be great. All the things that people would say about making The West Wing to me. It's so popular, it's so amazing, it must be amazing, but I know what it's like and if I couldn't walk away from it, then how could I empower my kids to walk away from it?" When Lowe did leave the show, he issued a statement on why his character would be written out. "As much as it hurts to admit it, it has been increasingly clear, for quite a while, that there was no longer a place for Sam Seaborn on The West Wing," he said, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/24/west.wing.lowe/index.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" data-ylk="slk:per CNN;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid_p="36" data-v9y="1">per CNN</a>. "However, Warner Bros. has allowed me an opportunity to leave the show as I arrived ... grateful for it, happy to have been on it and proud of it. We were a part of television history and I will never forget it." Image credits: Getty Images

"Prima donna in pigtails": how Julie Andrews the child star embodied the hopes of post-war Britain

In June, the American Film Institute presented its 48th Life Achievement Award, the highest honour in American cinema, to the beloved stage-and-screen star <a href="https://www.afi.com/laa/julie-andrews/">Julie Andrews</a>. On conferring the award, the AFI praised Andrews as “a legendary actress” who “has enchanted and delighted audiences around the world with her uplifting and inspiring body of work”. As anyone who has seen Mary Poppins (1964) or The Sound of Music (1965) can attest, “uplift” is central to the <a href="https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2002/female-glamour-and-star-power/andrews/">Julie Andrews screen persona</a>. It is a sweetness-and-light image that is easy to lampoon. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZtTQSbl-nw/?hl=en">Andrews herself</a> is alleged to have quipped “sometimes I’m so sweet even I can’t stand it”. But it’s an element of feel-good edification that fuels much of the star’s iconic appeal. The idea of Julie Andrews as a figure of uplift has a long history. Decades before she attained global film stardom in Hollywood, Andrews enjoyed an early career as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19392397.2022.2109303">a child performer</a>. Billed as “Britain’s youngest singing star”, she performed widely on the postwar concert and variety circuit with forays into radio, gramophone recording and even early television. Possessing a precociously mature soprano voice, Andrews was widely promoted in the era as a <a href="https://paralleljulieverse.tumblr.com/post/63601790519/julies-status-as-a-juvenile-prodigy-possessed">child prodigy</a>. A 1945 BBC talent report filed when the young singer was just nine years old enthused over “this wonderful child discovery” whose “breath control, diction, and range is quite extraordinary for so young a child”. <h2>‘Infant prodigy of trills’</h2> Andrews made her professional West End debut in 1947 where she dazzled audiences with a coloratura performance of the Polonaise from Mignon. Newspapers were ablaze with stories about the “12-year-old singing prodigy with the phenomenal voice”. Reports claimed the pint-sized singer had a vocal range of over four octaves, a fully formed adult larynx and an upper <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistle_register">whistle register</a> so high dogs would be beckoned whenever she sang. On the back of such stories, Andrews was given a slew of lionising monikers: “prima donna in pigtails”, “infant prodigy of trills”, “the miracle voice” and “Britain’s juvenile coloratura”. While much of it was PR hype, the representation of Andrews as an extraordinary musical prodigy resonated deeply with postwar British audiences. The devastation of the war cast <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436946/">a long shadow</a>, and there was a keen sense a collective social rejuvenation was needed to reestablish national wellbeing. The figure of the child was pivotal to the rhetoric of postwar British reconstruction. From political calls for <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0363199020945746">expanded child welfare</a> to the era’s booming <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30036327">family-oriented consumerism</a>, images of children saturated the cultural landscape, serving as a lightning rod for both <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war">social anxieties and hopes</a>. In her status as “Britain’s youngest singing star”, Andrews chimed with these postwar discourses of child-oriented renewal. A popular myth even traced her prodigious talent to the very heart of the Blitz. Like a scene from a morale-boosting melodrama, the story claimed the young Andrews was huddled one night with family and friends in a Beckenham air raid shelter. In the middle of a communal singalong, a powerful voice suddenly materialised out of her tiny frame, astonishing all into silent delight. <h2>‘Our Julie’</h2> One of the most pointed alignments of Andrews’ juvenile stardom with a discourse of postwar British nationalism came with her appearance at the <a href="https://www.royalvarietycharity.org/royal-variety-performance/archive/detail/1948-london-palladium-">1948 Royal Command Variety Performance</a>. Appearing just two weeks after her 13th birthday, Andrews was the youngest artist ever to participate in the annual event. It generated considerable media coverage and yet another grand nickname: “command singer in pigtails”. Andrews performed a solo set at the event, and was also charged with leading the national anthem at the close. Ideals of restorative nationalism shaped Andrews’ child stardom in other ways. Much of her early repertoire was markedly British, drawn from the English classical canon and rounded out by traditional folk songs. Press reports emphasised, for all her remarkable talent, “our Julie” was still a typical English girl thoroughly unspoiled by fame. In accompanying images she would appear in idyllic scenarios of classic English childhood: playing with dolls, riding her bicycle, doing her homework. Elsewhere, commentary was rife with speculations about Andrews’ prospects as “the next <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelina_Patti">Adelina Patti</a>” or “future <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Pons">Lily Pons</a>”. The mix of nostalgia and hope helped make the young Andrews a reassuring figure in the anxious landscape of postwar Britain. <h2>All grown up</h2> Little prodigies can’t remain little forever. There lies the troubled rub for many child stars, doomed by biology to lose their principal claim to fame. In Andrews’ case, she was able to make the successful transition to adult stardom – and even greater fame – by moving country and professional register into the American stage and screen musical. Still, the themes of therapeutic uplift that defined her early child stardom would follow Julie Andrews as she graduated to become the world’s favourite singing nanny. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/prima-donna-in-pigtails-how-julie-andrews-the-child-star-embodied-the-hopes-of-post-war-britain-188363" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Male artists dominate galleries. Our research explored if it’s because ‘women don’t paint very well’ – or just discrimination

In the art world, there is a gaping gender imbalance when it comes to male and female artists. In the National Gallery of Australia, <a href="https://nga.gov.au/knowmyname/about/">only 25%</a> of the Australian art collection is work by women. This is far better than the international standard where <a href="https://nmwa.org/support/advocacy/get-facts/">roughly 90%</a> of all artworks exhibited in major collections are by men. The <a href="https://www.artsy.net/artwork/georgia-okeeffe-jimson-weed-slash-white-flower-no-1">most expensive</a> painting by a female artist – Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 – does not even rank among the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_paintings#List_of_highest_prices_paid">100 most expensive paintings</a> ever sold. Why is women’s art valued so much less than art by men? Some economists <a href="https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2005/02/why_do_women_su.html">have suggested</a> the greater burden of child rearing and other domestic duties means women have had fewer opportunities to succeed in the art world. Others have blamed the “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/report-names-laggers-as-women-artists-win-parity-20191029-p534vy.html">quality</a>” of women’s art. In 2013, German painter <a href="https://observer.com/2013/01/georg-baselitz-says-women-dont-paint-very-well/">Georg Baselitz said</a> “Women don’t paint very well. It’s a fact. The market doesn’t lie.” We wanted to know: is work by women generally valued differently to work by men because it is of a lower artistic quality, or is it just discrimination? <h2>Which painting do you like better?</h2> In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167268122002669?dgcid=author">our new research</a> we showed average Americans pairs of paintings, painted between 1625 and 1979, side by side. Each of the pairs are similar in style, motif and period, but one work was by a male artist and the other by a female artist. Participants were in two groups. One group saw the artists’ names and the other didn’t. We wanted to see whether more people among those who saw artist names preferred the male painting. If seeing the names – and thereby inferring artist gender – causes more people to prefer male paintings, then there is gender discrimination. Before we tell you the results, think about what you would have expected. And <a href="https://rmit.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e4JBs0wxKeftYF0">take a look</a> at our actual painting pairs and see if you can guess which is the male one (hint: you can’t). We were pleasantly surprised to find our participants did not give a hoot about artist gender. In both groups, 54% preferred the painting from a woman. We repeated this experiment, this time rewarding participants if they could accurately guess the preferences of others – the people in the first experiment. Again, 54% of the people in each group picked the female paintings. <h2>Which painting do you think is worth more?</h2> Next we wanted to find out if people picked male paintings for reasons other than personal taste. Art isn’t just bought and sold on aesthetic value: it is a speculative market, where art is treated as an investment. We conducted two more experiments. In one, participants were rewarded if they picked the more expensive painting. In the other, they were rewarded to pick the one painted by the more famous artist. Gender discrimination emerged in both these experiments. When asked to predict the value of and creator fame of paintings, people suddenly swung towards picking male artists. Preference for female paintings fell by 10% and 9% in these two new experiments. Gender discrimination in art comes not from personal aesthetic preference – Baselitz’ argument that women “don’t paint very well” – but people thinking paintings are more valuable and famous when painted by male artists. <h2>A question of fame</h2> In our fifth experiment, we again rewarded participants who could correctly guess which painting would be preferred by others. This time everyone saw the names of the artists. But only one group was told which of the two artists was objectively more famous – the male artist in 90% of cases. The group with that information was 14% more likely to pick male paintings. People used fame information to predict the painting others liked better. If women artists were discriminated against just because of their gender we would have seen a higher premium put on the male artists even in questions of aesthetics. Here, discrimination only occured when our participants were asked to assign a monetary value to the art works, or when they were given information about the level of fame of the painter. This means our art appreciators discriminated not on gender, but on something closely associated with gender: fame. And because male artists have, historically, been given <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1574067606010234">more opportunities</a> to become artists – and therefore become famous – artwork by men is perceived as having a higher value. Policy is slowly starting to recognise and target institutional factors that perpetuate male dominance because of historical notions of fame, like the National Gallery of Australia’s <a href="https://knowmyname.nga.gov.au/">Know my Name</a> initiative. Discrimination in the arts exists, but it often comes from people’s beliefs about what others care to discriminate about. The task ahead is to change perceptions of people and institutions who do not discriminate – but merely conform to others’ discrimination. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/male-artists-dominate-galleries-our-research-explored-if-its-because-women-dont-paint-very-well-or-just-discrimination-189221" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

“We will miss you brother”: Kiwi soldier killed in Ukraine identified

A New Zealand soldier who died in Ukraine fighting alongside other foreign troops in the International Legion has been remembered by fellow soldiers as “strong, hardcore and handsome”. Corporal Dominic Abelen was fighting on the frontline in the east of Ukraine while on leave away from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and not on active duty, as reported by the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-ukraine-war-off-duty-new-zealand-soldier-dominic-abelen-killed-in-ukraine/M45ZWJEZ47I2Z5XD4Q44KNJFD4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. The 30-year-old soldier was based at Burnham Military Camp, outside Christchurch, with the Royal New Zealand Regiment’s 2nd/1st Battalion. “At this early stage, there is still more information to be gathered in order to understand the circumstances fully,” the NZDF said in a statement. Brigadier Rose King, the Acting Chief of Army, said <a href="https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/further-details-released-on-nzdf-soldier-reportedly-killed-in-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a statement</a> that their efforts would be concentrated on supporting Abelen’s family and NZDF personnel. “Any loss of one of our whānau (‘family’) is deeply felt across the New Zealand Defence Force. We are concentrating our efforts on supporting Corporal Abelen’s loved ones and our personnel as they grieve,” she said. His family have requested not to be approached by the media, with his father, Bryce, sharing a statement with the NZDF. “Dominic was in the New Zealand Army for 10 years but never got to fight for his country,” Bryce said. “He didn't tell us he was going to Ukraine until he was there. He knew we would talk him out of it. He also knew the risks of going there but still went to fight for them. “That is Dominic, always thinking of helping others. “We understand why he went and hold no grudge against the NZ or Ukraine Army and fully support what he did. “Dominic loved being in the army, the life-long friends he made there. “There has been relentless support from half the Burnham Military Camp that knew him, as well as personnel from overseas. “A kind, gentle man with the most infectious smile that you couldn't help but smile back. “He had a love of the outdoors and did a lot of tramping. He spent his holidays travelling around New Zealand and the world. “I'm extremely proud of my children and especially Dominic for standing up and doing what he thought was right. He leaves a massive hole in all our hearts.” Abelen’s siblings describing him as “the most amazing human being”, the “buffest” member of their family, and that he had “the biggest heart to match”. A former NZDF soldier who is also fighting with Ukraine’s International Legion paid tribute to his fallen comrade, describing him as “a warrior until the end”. “The bro was anything but scenery. Strong, hardcore, handsome but extremely humble,” he wrote online. “Best believe he died doing what he loved and was extremely good at. “We will miss you brother. So much. You have left a hole that we are feeling and we could never hope to fill.” Sources have since told the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-ukraine-war-off-duty-new-zealand-soldier-dominic-abelen-killed-fighting-re-taking-trench-in-ukraine/26EVXCDFPOAROXLSARVPKIZSQU/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herald</a> that Abelen was involved in a joint operation to retake the frontline of a trench network and was instantly killed in a firefight during a dawn assault. Another American fighter is also said to have died. Defence Minister Peeni Henare expressed his condolences to Abelen’s family, friends, and colleagues. “I have been advised the New Zealand Army are supporting the soldier’s family through this difficult time,” he said. Tenby Powell, the former commanding officer of the NZDF who is currently in Ukraine undertaking humanitarian work, said he was asked by Abelen’s family to bring him home. Though he didn’t go into the details surrounding the soldier’s death, he told Today FM that the family were distraught. “It’s a very sad day here in Ukraine, not just for New Zealanders but for everyone,” Powell said. “I’ve talked to a family member they have asked me and I have agreed to go and get him. We need to do this in a very respectful and expedient manner. I have given the family my assurances that he will be well looked after all the way back. “The critically-important thing is to ensure that he is recovered and brought back in a way where he is looked after for the entire trip back to New Zealand.” Powell intended to drape the New Zealand flag over the coffin for the trip home and ensure that Abelen had all the care a person serving in the defence force warranted. Abelen would be taken first through Warsaw, then Ukraine and on to New Zealand. “We are determined to bring him out. He will come out and he will be looked after all the way,” Powell said. The soldier’s passing comes after the New Zealand government announced that a further 120 NZDF personnel would be sent to Britain to help train Ukrainian soldiers, on top of the 30 personnel deployed in May. "New Zealand has been clear that we will continue to answer the call of Ukraine for practical support as they defend their homeland and people against Russia's unjustified invasion," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on August 15. "We know that one of the highest priorities for Ukraine right now, is to train its soldiers, and New Zealand is proud to stand in solidarity alongside a number of other countries to answer that call." Image: NZDF

Caring

Neighbours star launches new political career

Former Neighbours actor Madeleine West has shared an unusual career move. The mother-of-six recently launched a political campaign, that will see her run in the 2023 NSW state election for her local seat of Ballina as an independent. Madeleine kicked off her campaign with an appearance on The Project to explain what prompted such a radical change. “I’m running for state, so let's not confuse the issue; it is not about the federal campaign, but I believe that politics is for the people and it’s about being the voice of the people,” she said. Ms West raised concern over “a huge disconnect between the haves and have-nots” in the exclusive seat of Ballina, which encompasses the Byron Bay Area. “My area is beautiful, we see it on Instagram and everyone celebrates it as a tourist destination, but the reality is the people serving the coffees and cleaning up the Airbnbs can’t afford to live in the Shire any more,” she said. “I’m lucky to have a national platform, yes, but I think that makes me uniquely qualified to bring a spotlight on local issues because what we’ve been through realistically is a microcosm that the rest of Australia can expect to experience,” Ms West said. Madeleine West became a household name over 20 years ago when she started playing Dee Bliss on Neighbours. She played the role for three years, before coming back for another three year stint in 2017. More recently, the 41-year-old has taken an active role in reforestation projects, while also helping in flood clean up efforts. She said being a politician came down to being accountable and genuinely caring about the community – including the “community” of Australia. <div id="indie-campaign-gjlHkw5w3ytYFCUrwpez-0" data-campaign-name="NCA NATIONAL Politics Newsletter OneClick SignUp" data-campaign-indie="newsletter-signup" data-jira="TSN-40" data-from="1628604000000" data-to="1885298400000"></div> “I’ve been agitating for change for a very long time in a lot of different philanthropic spheres and now I want to be the change that I want to see,” she said. Image credits: Ten / Instagram

West Side Story actress snubbed from Oscars

West Side Story actress Rachel Zegler claims she was not invited to the 2022 Oscars, despite the film receiving seven nominations. When a fan commented on Rachel's Instagram expressing their excitement over seeing the actress's Academy Award outfit, the breakout actress replied, “I’m not invited, so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel.” Rachel's followers immediately jumped to her defence with messages of shock and surprise, considering the film she is starring in received a Best Picture nomination. “Breaks my heart. You were the best part of that movie. Surely Steven Spielberg could do something about this,” one fan wrote, referencing the film’s legendary director, who is also nominated. “Step up to the mic? How’s the leading actress of a movie that’s up for seven Academy Awards not invited? How does that make any sense?” another commented. After the influx of confused comments, 20-year-old Rachel said she didn't understand the snub either, but she would still be cheering on the musical from home. “IDK y’all I have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening,” she wrote in a second comment. “I will root for West Side Story from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did three years ago.” The young actress has already won a Golden Globe award for her portrayal of Maria Vasquez this award season, stumping movie fans even more. Despite the outrage, she also thanked her fans for their shock over the apparent snub, saying, “I hope some last minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes, I guess.” “I’m disappointed, too. But that’s OK. So proud of our movie.” Image credits: Getty Images

Movies

West responds to Putin placing nuclear arsenal on high alert

As tensions and fighting continue to escalate between Russia and Ukraine, the US and NATO have slammed Putin's decision to put Russia's nuclear forces on high alert. Speaking at a meeting with his top officials, Putin directed the Russian defence minister and the chief of the military's General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a "special regime of combat duty." The Russian president also discussed the hard-hitting sanctions that have been placed on Russia, and Putin himself. "Western countries aren't only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country," Putin said in televised comment. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the dangerous move was part of a wider pattern of unprovoked escalation and "manufactured threats" from the Kremlin. "This is really a pattern that we've seen from President Putin through the course of this conflict, which is manufacturing threats that don't exist in order to justify further aggression — and the global community and the American people should look at it through that prism," Psaki told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on 'This Week'. She added, "This is all a pattern from President Putin and we're going to stand up for it, we have the ability to defend ourselves, but we also need to call out what we're seeing here from President Putin." In reaction to the nuclear alert, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN, "This is dangerous rhetoric. This is a behaviour which is irresponsible." Given that Russia, as well as the US, typically have both land and submarine-based nuclear forces on alert for combat at all times, the practicality of Putin's order is not yet clear. As the conflict only continues to grow with Moscow troops drawing closer to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that a delegation would meet in an undisclosed location on the Belarusian border to discuss peace talks. Image credits: Getty Images

News

New Zealand dominates Traveller’s Choice Awards

New Zealand has beaten Australia in TripAdvisor’s annual Traveller’s Choice list across several adventurous categories, with Queenstown taking out the top spot for the Pacific.The annual list is compiled using reviews and ratings on the TripAdvisor website, and 2021’s results showed it was the year for short getaways and outdoor destinations.Auckland ranked as the third most popular destination in the Pacific, following behind scenic balloon tours by Lake Wakatipu and jet skiing in Bora Bora in first and second place.As for the best overall experiences, Rotorua came in first and fourth for white water rafting and ziplining respectively, followed by quad bike tours on Kangaroo Island in second place, and a discovery tour on Queensland’s Magnetic Island coming in third. Though New Zealand took out the top spots, Australia had six “best destinations” in the top 10 over their Kiwi neighbour’s three.Top 10 Popular Destinations in the South Pacific1. Queenstown – New Zealand2. Bora Bora – French Polynesia3. Auckland – New Zealand4. Gold Coast – Australia5. Hobart – Australia6. Sydney – Australia7. Port Douglas – Australia8. Cairns – Australia9. Melbourne – Australia10. Rotorua – New ZealandImage: @queenstownnz (Instagram)

Domestic Travel

From Chicago to West Side Story, how to successfully adapt a musical from stage to screen

The second half of 2021 is proving to be a peak time for movie musical-goers, with the release of critically acclaimed In the Heights, disastrously received Dear Evan Hansen, and Steven Spielberg’s hotly anticipated West Side Story. These films lead to reflection on one of the stranger sub-genres of film history — the musical stage-to-screen adaptation. To film a stage show (as in the recent professionally shot films of Hamilton and Come from Away), or merely to create bigger stage sets in a studio (there are many examples of this, from Guys and Dolls to The Producers) is not truly to adapt a musical to film. Instead, adaptors should use the tools unique to film to re-interpret the musical in this different medium. To help us through the vicissitudes of adaptation, here is an idiosyncratic list of a few DOs and DON’Ts. <h2>DO use real locations creatively</h2> Location shooting is a frequent tool used to enhance the realism of film musicals, but placing the un-realism of song and dance in a real place can backfire and create an uncanny valley. Locations are best used in a super-realistic way. A successful recent example of this is In the Heights. Director Jon Chu and his production team shot much of the film in Washington Heights in Manhattan, but in a way that the neighbourhood seems a natural place for music-making: very careful lighting, colour-timing, and the occasional unobtrusive effects shot lift the story out of the mundane. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437093/original/file-20211213-21-hr5jsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437093/original/file-20211213-21-hr5jsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> In The Heights (2021) is a love letter to the Washington Heights area of NYC. IMDB In the number When the Sun Goes Down, lovers Benny and Nina begin singing naturalistically on a fire escape, but then a set on hydraulics, green screen, and “magic hour” lighting come together to enable a gravity-defying dance across the rooftops and walls of the apartment buildings. See also: Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar, On the Town <h2>DON’T ghettoise all of the musical numbers to a stark dreamland covered in artistic scaffolding</h2> Counter to the previous guideline about using real locations for musical numbers, some film musicals go too far in the opposite direction. Two musicals directed by Rob Marshall, Chicago and Nine, puzzlingly use the same solution to try and hedge their bets: the dialogue scenes happen in realistic locations (1920s Chicago and 1960s Rome, respectively) but the musical numbers are relegated to their characters’ internal fantasies, which in both cases means studio-like settings that allow for dancers to be placed in aesthetically pleasing formations. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437098/original/file-20211213-27-qhe4i9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437098/original/file-20211213-27-qhe4i9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Chicago (2002), features musical numbers entirely set within the character’s internal fantasies. IMDB This strategy gets the filmmakers out of having to bridge the gap between speech time and music time, but the narrative innovations of both shows are smoothed out on screen. That makes for a less interesting filmgoing experience. The exception that proves the rule here is Cabaret, in which director Bob Fosse removed all of the “book” songs and kept only those performed in the titular cabaret. Through innovative intercutting and montage the cabaret songs pervade the whole texture of the film, however, resulting in one of the most “musical” of all musicals. <h2>DO fix problems with the dramatic unfolding of the source material</h2> Show Boat was the first stage musical to attempt a truly epic form, covering twenty years of story time and locations all along the Mississippi River. In 1927, stage mechanics had not caught up with librettist Oscar Hammerstein II and composer Jerome Kern’s ambitions, and the musical, brilliant and groundbreaking as it was, suffered from overlength and a dramatically clumsy second act. The production team fixed these issues in the 1936 film version, as the technologies of montage, dissolve, and cross-cutting that were possible on film allowed for a more effective unfolding of time and place. The 1965 film version of The Sound of Music similarly fixes problems in the stage version; another epic musical, the stage version feels hemmed-in and stifled. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437103/original/file-20211213-21-1maqjdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437103/original/file-20211213-21-1maqjdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> The Sound of Music (1965) uses film techniques and editing to improve on a ‘stifled’ stage musical. IMDB It is allowed to breathe on film, and the songs are moved around to better reflect what they are actually about (My Favourite Things on stage is sung by the Mother Abbess to cheer up Maria before she leaves the convent!) See also: Hair, Hairspray, Tick Tick Boom <h2>DON’T adapt a musical to film that didn’t work on stage</h2> Poor Alan Jay Lerner. After the extraordinary success of the film version of My Fair Lady, Lerner attempted film adaptations of three of his other musicals that had been less successful on stage. Camelot, which had a healthy run on Broadway because of its star actors (Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, and Robert Goulet), its Oliver Smith production designs, and a few excellent songs, rather more than for its unconvincing storyline and structure, was a natural for screen adaptation. But non-singer stars (Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, and Franco Nero), unconvincing plot revisions, and dull direction by Joshua Logan caused it to be an inert behemoth on screen. Lerner tried again with Paint Your Wagon in 1969, based on a much earlier stage musical that had been only mildly successful with a few hit songs (notably They Call the Wind Maria). But once more, non-singer stars (Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, and Jean Seberg), unconvincing plot revisions, and dull direction by (again!) Joshua Logan resulted in yet another inert behemoth. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437105/original/file-20211213-27-1dca0r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437105/original/file-20211213-27-1dca0r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Paint Your Wagon (1969) is generally acknowledged as a poor example of a film musical, and a stage musical. IMDB Third time was not a charm, with On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. This time the stars were singers: Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand. Unfortunately, their talents were hidden by another poorly revised screenplay and, unlike the other two films, this one could have used more of everything, especially music. Writing this has made me realise that successful stage-to-screen adaptations are quite rare. For every Cabaret there are two Annies and a Man of La Mancha. Spielberg’s new West Side Story will be the first musical he has directed in his long career, and musical-lovers everywhere are optimistic that he will do this classic musical justice. I merely hope that the only scaffolding to be found is on the fire escapes of 1950s Manhattan!<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169946/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-camp-1280180">Gregory Camp</a>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-auckland-1305">University of Auckland</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-chicago-to-west-side-story-how-to-successfully-adapt-a-musical-from-stage-to-screen-169946">original article</a>. Image: 20th Century Studios

Movies

From Chicago to West Side Story, how to successfully adapt a musical from stage to screen

The second half of 2021 is proving to be a peak time for movie musical-goers, with the release of critically acclaimed In the Heights, disastrously received Dear Evan Hansen, and Steven Spielberg’s hotly anticipated West Side Story. These films lead to reflection on one of the stranger sub-genres of film history — the musical stage-to-screen adaptation. To film a stage show (as in the recent professionally shot films of Hamilton and Come from Away), or merely to create bigger stage sets in a studio (there are many examples of this, from Guys and Dolls to The Producers) is not truly to adapt a musical to film. Instead, adaptors should use the tools unique to film to re-interpret the musical in this different medium. To help us through the vicissitudes of adaptation, here is an idiosyncratic list of a few DOs and DON’Ts. DO use real locations creatively Location shooting is a frequent tool used to enhance the realism of film musicals, but placing the un-realism of song and dance in a real place can backfire and create an uncanny valley. Locations are best used in a super-realistic way. A successful recent example of this is In the Heights. Director Jon Chu and his production team shot much of the film in Washington Heights in Manhattan, but in a way that the neighbourhood seems a natural place for music-making: very careful lighting, colour-timing, and the occasional unobtrusive effects shot lift the story out of the mundane. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437093/original/file-20211213-21-hr5jsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437093/original/file-20211213-21-hr5jsr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> In The Heights (2021) is a love letter to the Washington Heights area of NYC. IMDB In the number When the Sun Goes Down, lovers Benny and Nina begin singing naturalistically on a fire escape, but then a set on hydraulics, green screen, and “magic hour” lighting come together to enable a gravity-defying dance across the rooftops and walls of the apartment buildings. See also: Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar, On the Town DON’T ghettoise all of the musical numbers to a stark dreamland covered in artistic scaffolding Counter to the previous guideline about using real locations for musical numbers, some film musicals go too far in the opposite direction. Two musicals directed by Rob Marshall, Chicago and Nine, puzzlingly use the same solution to try and hedge their bets: the dialogue scenes happen in realistic locations (1920s Chicago and 1960s Rome, respectively) but the musical numbers are relegated to their characters’ internal fantasies, which in both cases means studio-like settings that allow for dancers to be placed in aesthetically pleasing formations. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437098/original/file-20211213-27-qhe4i9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437098/original/file-20211213-27-qhe4i9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Chicago (2002), features musical numbers entirely set within the character’s internal fantasies. IMDB This strategy gets the filmmakers out of having to bridge the gap between speech time and music time, but the narrative innovations of both shows are smoothed out on screen. That makes for a less interesting filmgoing experience. The exception that proves the rule here is Cabaret, in which director Bob Fosse removed all of the “book” songs and kept only those performed in the titular cabaret. Through innovative intercutting and montage the cabaret songs pervade the whole texture of the film, however, resulting in one of the most “musical” of all musicals. DO fix problems with the dramatic unfolding of the source material Show Boat was the first stage musical to attempt a truly epic form, covering twenty years of story time and locations all along the Mississippi River. In 1927, stage mechanics had not caught up with librettist Oscar Hammerstein II and composer Jerome Kern’s ambitions, and the musical, brilliant and groundbreaking as it was, suffered from overlength and a dramatically clumsy second act. The production team fixed these issues in the 1936 film version, as the technologies of montage, dissolve, and cross-cutting that were possible on film allowed for a more effective unfolding of time and place. The 1965 film version of The Sound of Music similarly fixes problems in the stage version; another epic musical, the stage version feels hemmed-in and stifled. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437103/original/file-20211213-21-1maqjdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437103/original/file-20211213-21-1maqjdh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> The Sound of Music (1965) uses film techniques and editing to improve on a ‘stifled’ stage musical. IMDB It is allowed to breathe on film, and the songs are moved around to better reflect what they are actually about (My Favourite Things on stage is sung by the Mother Abbess to cheer up Maria before she leaves the convent!) See also: Hair, Hairspray, Tick Tick Boom DON’T adapt a musical to film that didn’t work on stage Poor Alan Jay Lerner. After the extraordinary success of the film version of My Fair Lady, Lerner attempted film adaptations of three of his other musicals that had been less successful on stage. Camelot, which had a healthy run on Broadway because of its star actors (Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, and Robert Goulet), its Oliver Smith production designs, and a few excellent songs, rather more than for its unconvincing storyline and structure, was a natural for screen adaptation. But non-singer stars (Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, and Franco Nero), unconvincing plot revisions, and dull direction by Joshua Logan caused it to be an inert behemoth on screen. Lerner tried again with Paint Your Wagon in 1969, based on a much earlier stage musical that had been only mildly successful with a few hit songs (notably They Call the Wind Maria). But once more, non-singer stars (Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, and Jean Seberg), unconvincing plot revisions, and dull direction by (again!) Joshua Logan resulted in yet another inert behemoth. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437105/original/file-20211213-27-1dca0r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437105/original/file-20211213-27-1dca0r1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Paint Your Wagon (1969) is generally acknowledged as a poor example of a film musical, and a stage musical. IMDB Third time was not a charm, with On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. This time the stars were singers: Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand. Unfortunately, their talents were hidden by another poorly revised screenplay and, unlike the other two films, this one could have used more of everything, especially music. Writing this has made me realise that successful stage-to-screen adaptations are quite rare. For every Cabaret there are two Annies and a Man of La Mancha. Spielberg’s new West Side Story will be the first musical he has directed in his long career, and musical-lovers everywhere are optimistic that he will do this classic musical justice. I merely hope that the only scaffolding to be found is on the fire escapes of 1950s Manhattan!<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169946/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-camp-1280180" target="_blank">Gregory Camp</a>, Senior Lecturer, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-auckland-1305" target="_blank">University of Auckland</a> This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/from-chicago-to-west-side-story-how-to-successfully-adapt-a-musical-from-stage-to-screen-169946" target="_blank">original article</a>. Image: 20th Century Studios

Movies

Mel Gibson called out by West Wing star in scathing op-ed

West Wing actor Joshua Malina has called out Mel Gibson and his employment in show business amid the controversial scandals surrounding the actor. Malina, who plays Will Bailey on the political drama, has questioned why Gibson is still employed in Hollywood despite his long history of alleged anti-Semitism, homophobia and bigotry. In a recent op-ed for The Atlantic titled <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/12/mel-gibson-anti-semitism/620873/" target="_blank">Cancel Mel Gibson</a>, Malina wondered why Hollywood's 'cancel culture' seemingly doesn't apply to Gibson. "Gibson is a well-known Jew-hater (anti-Semite is too mild). His prejudices are well documented," Malina wrote. "So my question is, what does a guy have to do these days to get put on Hollywood's no-fly list? I'm a character actor. I tend to take the jobs that come my way. But — and this hurts to write — you couldn't pay me enough to work with Mel Gibson." Mel Gibson has reportedly been cast in the upcoming John Wick prequel spin-off series titled The Continental, and is also rumoured to be in talks to direct Lethal Weapon 5. Malina continued, wondering when someone's ignorance and hatred outweighs their impressive resume. "Now, I love the Lethal Weapon movies (at least the first few). And Danny Glover's a gem," Malina continued. "But Gibson? Yes, he's a talented man. Many horrible people produce wonderful art. Put me down as an ardent fan of Roald Dahl, Pablo Picasso, and Edith Wharton; can't get enough of what they're selling." "But these three had the good taste to die. That makes it a lot easier to enjoy their output. Gibson lives. And Tinseltown need not employ him further." Joshua Malina goes on to say that the point of 'cancel culture' is to hold people accountable for their actions, but those in Hollywood often get a free pass because of their celebrity status. "If Gibson is welcomed back to direct the latest instalment of this beloved franchise, it may be time to stop publishing think pieces about the power of 'cancel culture,'" Malina wrote. "Because if he can continue to find big bucks and approbation in Hollywood, cancel culture simply does not exist." Image credits: Getty Images

Surprise twist in casting of Prince William

Hit Netflix show The Crown has finally announced their Prince William after a nationwide search. <a rel="noopener" href="https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/the-crown-prince-william-dominic-west-son-senan-1235114068/" target="_blank">Variety</a> exclusively revealed that the Prince will be played by newcomer Senan West: the real life son of Dominic West who will play Prince Charles. The 13-year-old has been cast as a slightly older Prince William, as the show will portray him in his teenage years as he begins to mature into a young man. He will make his on-screen debut in the final episodes of the upcoming season alongside his father. It is believed the young actor submitted an audition tape for the role, which captivated the show's producers. As well as being in scenes with his father Dominic, Senan will be acting alongside Elizabeth Debicki, who will play his mother Diana. Prince William had only just turned 15 years old when Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, alongside her Dodi Al Fayed. Dodi Al Fayed will be portrayed by Khalid Abdalla in the upcoming season of the show, as producers of The Crown have not yet commented on whether Diana's death will be depicted in the series. Despite no formal confirmation, the casting of the upcoming season suggests that viewers will at least see the events leading up to the crash. The new cast, which changes every two seasons to reflect the royal family's lives, will see Imelda Staunton replace Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II and Jonathan Pryce portray Prince Philip. Lesley Manville will play Charles's aunt Princess Margaret, while Jonny Lee Miller is set to make an appearance as Prime Minister John Major. Image credits: Netflix / Getty Images

White male artists dominate US galleries

The walls of art galleries in the US are hung, almost to the exclusion of all else, with the works of white men. That’s the conclusion of a team of statisticians and art historians, <a rel="noopener" href="https://doi.org/%2010.1371/journal.pone.0212852" target="_blank">published</a> in the journal PLOS One. The researchers, led by Chad Topaz from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Williams College in Massachusetts, US, examined the public online catalogues of 18 major US museums and extracted records for 9000 named artists. These were then given over to a crowdsourcing platform, and with the help of the many people thereon the majority of the artists were successfully identified and biographies built. “Overall,” the authors report, “we find that 85% of artists are white and 87% are men.” Topaz and colleagues position their work in the context of previous studies that have examined diversity in museum and gallery staff, as well as visitor profiles. <a rel="noopener" href="https://mellon.org/programs/arts-and-cultural-heritage/art-history-conservation-museums/demographic-survey/" target="_blank">One study</a>, for instance, found that 72% of members of the US Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) identified as white. The same study found that while 60% of museum staff are female, women occupy only 43% of senior positions. Other studies have looked at visitors, and identified communities to target through outreach programs in attempts to increase diversity. The present work, though, is the first to study diversity among the artists represented. “If museums find knowledge of staff and visitor demographics important for programming decisions,” the authors write, “one might ask if demographics of the artists are important for collection decisions.” They cite “anecdotal evidence” that in the field of contemporary American art some collections are being actively augmented to rectify diversity imbalance, with the welcome effect that “it is now not unusual for these museums to compete with each other for major works of African American art”. However, the big picture – no pun intended – remains overwhelmingly coloured by men who are white. “With respect to gender, our overall pool of individual, identifiable artists across all museums consists of 12.6% women,” the authors report. “With respect to ethnicity, the pool is 85.4% white, 9.0% Asian, 2.8% Hispanic/Latinx, 1.2% Black/African American, and 1.5% other ethnicities.” Introducing greater diversity, however, is perhaps not as difficult as some might imagine. “We find that the relationship between museum collection mission and artist diversity is weak, suggesting that a museum wishing to increase diversity might do so without changing its emphases on specific time periods and regions,” the researchers conclude. They also admit that their analysis is constrained by a couple of limitations. First, a small proportion of artists identified could not be satisfactorily identified by gender or ethnicity. Second, artworks made by more than one artist were not included, and, third, many works of art – those from the Graeco-Roman period, for instance – are not assigned to identifiable individuals. Image credits: Shutterstock This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/white-male-artists-dominate-us-gallery-collections/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Andrew Masterson.

Art

First look at Aussie actress playing Princess Di

Fans of the Netflix hit show The Crown have been treated with a first look at Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki in her role as Princess Diana in the show's upcoming season. Debicki will be starring the show's fifth season alongside Dominic West, who will be playing Prince Charles. Netflix shared exclusive images of the two new cast members on their Instagram today, sending fans of the show into a frenzy. "Our new Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki)," the caption read on Netflix's official Instagram account. <img style="width: 500px; height: 244.7833065810594px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843250/screen-shot-2021-08-18-at-30021-pm.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e01e6f7cab7a431e96718e67e74f3953" /> Image credit: Instagram @netflix Production of the highly-anticipated new season began last month in the UK, as fans of the show are counting down to the release which has been pushed back due to the pandemic. Season five is reported to be focusing ion the royal couple in the earl 1990s, beginning when their marriage became turbulent before their separation. The Crown has become known for recasting actors for different seasons as a way to age the characters accordingly, without having to rely on prosthetics and heavy makeup. <img style="width: 500px; height: 244.74959612277866px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843251/screen-shot-2021-08-18-at-30038-pm.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b1c478472f5243f6a362c68cd450bdf8" /> Image credit: Instagram @netflix Diana and Charles will be played by Debicki and West in season five, who respectively succeed Emma Corrin and Josh O'Connor in the roles. Emma Corrin and Josh O'Connor scored Emmy nominations for their portrayal of the royal, leaving very big shoes to fill for the newly cast actors. The release date for The Crown season five is still unknown. Image credits: Instagram @netflix

Dead body found in pond at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s west London home

The deceased body of an unidentified woman has been pulled out of a lake in front of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s home at Kensington Palace in west London. The corpse was found in Round Pond which is only a short walk from the Palace gates. Metropolitan Police were called just after 7 am local time on Saturday, August 29. The woman was announced dead at the scene and while police say the death is not being treated as suspicious, they have confirmed that investigations are still “ongoing”. A post-mortem examination will take place. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with their three young children, reside inside the Palace. However the family were reportedly visiting the Queen at Balmoral in Scotland on the day the horrifying discovery was made. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837749/round-po-nd-royals-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d62a9a486233425dbbb523364672070f" /> Newlyweds Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank also live on the grounds of Kensington Palace in a cottage. However, it is not known if the couple were present when the body was found. Initially, authorities thought the body belonged to poet laureate Sir John Betjeman’s grandaughter Endellion Lycett Green. She had been missing for a week but reportedly was later found alive. Her brother John Lycett Green wrote: “My sister Endellion is alive, safe and well. “Thank you all for the support and love you showed for Delli and her family. “Sorry to all of you that, like us, were grieving for the wonder that is Delli. We were told a body was found and was her. “It was not, and Delli was found last night. “RIP the soul that was found in Kensington Round Pond on Saturday morning.” Kensington Gardens, which includes the Palace and the Round Pond, is said to remain open to the public while police investigations continue.

News

Kyrgios' best chance as top seeds tumble at the US Open

The tennis world is in shock after three of the top 10 male stars have tumbled at the US Open in the beginning round. Dominic Thiem (4), Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) and Roberto Bautista Agut (10) all faced unthinkable lossed in New York on Tuesday. World number 43, Russian Audrey Rublev upset eighth-seeded Tsitsipas on 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(7), 7-5 Tuesday and knocked him out and will go on to the second round. Fourth seed Dominic Thiem, who was dubbed the young gun, went down in four sets to Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2 - meaning Gael Monfils is the highest-ranked player remaining in his quarter of the draw. What left crowds stunned was the death of 10th seed Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spanish star made it to the quarter finals of the Australian Open and the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year, however he fell five sets to Mikhail Kukushkin 3-6 6-1 6-4 3-6 6-3. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> alright, people. Thiem, Tsitsipas, and RBA all gone. who is making the semifinals out of one of the wildest Grand Slam sections of all time? <a href="https://t.co/K7jdLR5lO0">pic.twitter.com/K7jdLR5lO0</a> — Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dimonator/status/1166463262961131520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2019</a></blockquote> Thiem and Tsitsipas’ incredible losses meant they both had first-round defeats in back-to-back grand slams - similarly to Wimbledon. Nick Kyrgios who is one of the toughest opponents, will continue on to compete for the championship title. The 24-year-old Australian has an even wider door to make it to a major semifinal. The knock out of three of the top ten seeds in the opening rounds could mean Nadal's path to the US open crown becomes much easier.

International Travel

Serena Williams responds to French Open spat with Dominic Thiem

Serena Williams has spoken up on her spat with Austria’s Dominic Thiem at the French Open 2019. The 23-time grand slam champion found herself in a growing controversy after Thiem was told to leave in the middle of his post-match press conference and move to a smaller room to accommodate Williams, who at the time just made her <a rel="noopener" href="https://nypost.com/2019/06/03/dominic-thiem-serena-williams-miffed-after-press-conference-confusion/" target="_blank">earliest grand slam exit in five years</a> after losing to Sofia Kenin. Thiem reportedly accused Williams of having a “bad personality”. He told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2019/06/03/tennis/dominic-thiem-blasts-serena-williams-bad-personality-roland-garros-press-conference-row/#.XRlegegzaM8" target="_blank">Eurosport German</a>: “It is just the principle… even if a junior is in there, every player has to wait.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Dominic Thiem was midway through the German-speaking section of his press conference when he was told he had to leave the main interview room and switch to a smaller one in order to accommodate Serena Williams after her loss to Sofia Kenin. He was furious. Understandably.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RG19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RG19</a> <a href="https://t.co/KyzOAuh8mm">pic.twitter.com/KyzOAuh8mm</a> — Biola Solace-Chukwu (@Beeorlicious) <a href="https://twitter.com/Beeorlicious/status/1135059613236301824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2019</a></blockquote> Williams said in an interview ahead of the Wimbledon Championships 2019 that she did not demand Thiem to be removed from his press conference. “I asked them to put me in the small room,” said the 37-year-old. “I begged them to put me in the small room, and they didn’t. “I said, ‘Listen, I can come back. I’m just going to go back’. They were like, ‘No, stay here’. “They pulled him out. I was like, ‘You guys are so rude to do that’, quote-unquote, that’s what I said. The next day I had a bad personality. Literally that’s what happened. “I actually stuck up for the guy, so I don’t understand how I got a bad personality for telling them what they did was wrong to him. “I’m really, quite frankly, too old to be in controversy. That’s why I just wanted to clear the air.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> "So not cool"..Serena Williams plays down spat with Dominic Thiem ahead of Wimbledon . . .<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SerenaWilliams?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SerenaWilliams</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Thiem?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Thiem</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tennis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tennis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RolandGarros?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RolandGarros</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sport?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/athlete?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#athlete</a> <a href="https://t.co/eoX0fpX1TT">pic.twitter.com/eoX0fpX1TT</a> — sntv (@sntvstory) <a href="https://twitter.com/sntvstory/status/1145026160247627776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2019</a></blockquote> Williams said she spoke to Thiem about the incident. “I’m like, ‘Dude, I told them that it wasn’t right what they did’. He said he didn’t say ‘bad personality’, that the media mixed up his words. It’s all good.” She concluded, “They should have never kicked the guy out. It was not cool.” Williams is vying to win her 24th grand slam title at the Wimbledon to equal <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jun/29/serena-williams-andy-murray-mixed-doubles-wimbeldon" target="_blank">the all-time record of Australia’s Margaret Court</a>. “Let’s see how my knee’s going,” said Williams. “I’m finally doing good. I don’t want to, like, go back.”

News

Roger Federer’s gracious words of kindness after shock upset

It just wasn’t in the cards for Federer to win the Indian Wells final as Austrian youngster Dominic Thiem dominated the match. Federer offered a clinical display early in the match, as he took the first set with ease. Snagging an immediate break point opportunity before serving out on the first set, 6-3, the Swiss GOAT proved why he was number one. Things continued to get better for Federer whilst looking worse for Thiem, as the Austrian found himself 40-0 at one point. However, the 25-year-old wasn’t going to take that lying down, and he fought back with vigour. The match saw him claim a double break to go up 4-1. Federer wasn’t happy and took out his annoyance on the ball kids as Thiem continued to dominate. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Irritable Federer is the worst Federer. Complaining about the ball kids is...not a good sign. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BNPPO19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BNPPO19</a> — Allen McDuffee (@AllenMcDuffee) <a href="https://twitter.com/AllenMcDuffee/status/1107435679821320192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">18 March 2019</a></blockquote> Thiem closed out the second set on 6-3, and with momentum on his side, he continued to do well in the third set. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> This 👏 Rally 👏 Is 👏 Everything 👏 Don't miss the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BNPPO19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BNPPO19</a> final live NOW on <a href="https://twitter.com/TennisTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TennisTV</a> ✨ <a href="https://t.co/1rKLOJmeBP">pic.twitter.com/1rKLOJmeBP</a> — ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATP_Tour/status/1107430895743614976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">17 March 2019</a></blockquote> The third set was thrilling, as the pair found themselves in endless rallies to take the decider to 3-3. Thiem defended two consecutive Federer smashes with volleys at the net until Federer caught on and shanked a backhand return. Thiem maintained the rage that Federer was feeling and capitalised on tiring out his opponent. Thiem ended up snagging the crucial break at 6-5 and served out the match with ease as he claimed his first Masters 1000 title. Thiem couldn’t contain his joy after the match, although maintained he was nervous to play against Federer. “I was a little nervous to serve it out,” Thiem explained. “It's been a pleasure to play against one of the greatest of all time.” The ever-courteous Federer thanked the fans for watching as well as praising Thiem on his outstanding week. “Thank you very much. It’s been a great week for me even though it didn’t work out today,” he said. “What a great week Dominic has had, congratulations. Wonderful playing at the very end there, you deserve it.” Were you watching the match? Let us know in the comments below.

News

US holiday: East Coast or West Coast?

East or west, which is best (for you)? Landscapes Winner: West Coast One of the world’s most breathtaking coastlines, golden sand beaches, starkly beautiful desert, iconic national parks and jaw-dropping mountains – the West Coast has this category in the bag. The East Coast is lovely in its own way, but you won’t find the sheer variety of dramatic landscapes that you get at every turn in the West. History Winner: East Coast All of the USA’s oldest European settlements are on the East Coast and you can step back as far as the early Spanish settlers. Visit the oldest city in the country, St Augustine in Florida, then see where the first Pilgrims arrived to settle the new world around Boston and New York City. Weather Winner: West Coast The weather on much of the West Coast is practically perfect year round. Hot dry summers, cool mild winters and hardly any of the extremes that you’ll experience in the east. Plus, you can travel just a little way inland for your hit of snow at resorts like Lake Tahoe. Culture Winner: East Coast Los Angeles has around 100 museums. New York is home to more than double that. Over East, you’ll also find the most famous theatre strip in the world, Broadway, plus a rich literary tradition, galleries, fantastic bookstores, national monuments and much more. Food Winner: it’s a tie People like to make fun of American cuisine, claiming it’s all fast food in enormous sizes. But in reality, you’ll find some of the most exciting, innovative, delicious food and exceptionally good produce in the USA. In the East, you can feast on fresh lobster every day or tuck into a classic New York steak. West side, try on trend food trucks, the latest celebrity restaurant and out of this world Mexican-inspired meals. Have you ever travelled in the US? Where did you visit?

International Travel

Dramatic black sand beaches of Auckland’s west coast

New Zealand travel writer Justine Tyerman and family visit the dramatic black sand beaches of Auckland’s West Coast… The first glimpse of the black sand beach at Piha with its mountainous surf thundering in from the Tasman Sea, swirling around the haunches of the giant crouching lion, stopped us in our tracks. Accustomed to the golden sands and more docile surf of the East Coast, the wild West Coast where the sand shone like pewter or black pearls, seemed other-worldly. The sound of sirens as the Piha lifeguards roared out through the ferocious waves in their IRBs on one of their famous rescue missions added to the drama of the scene. Short of time, we chose Piha as the base for our annual family get-together because it’s close to Auckland and none of us had ever been there before. Just 50-60 minutes’ drive from the airport, it was easy for us to collect our far-flung family flying in from distant places, and run away for a long weekend together. The Hillary Trail We spent a long weekend hiking the spectacular Hillary Trail, a 76km multi-day hike from the Arataki Visitor Centre in the Waitakere Ranges to Muriwai Beach. It’s named in honour of the famous Kiwi explorer and mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary who came to the rugged Waitakere Ranges to prepare for his expeditions. During our stay, we managed to tick off a sizeable chunk of the trail from Anawhata to Whatipu, albeit the cushy way, returning to our luxurious home base every night. A highlight was the Piha to Karekare stretch of the walkway which was high above the coastline and rich in history. The track begins at the end of Log Race Road, a reminder of the intensive logging of kauri in the area during the late 1800s-early 1900s. Logs were transported by tramway from Anawhata to Paratutai Wharf at Whatipu where they were loaded onto ships for export. Also at the start of the track is a relic of WW2, the foundations of a radar station where the skies and seas were scanned for signs of invading Japanese. Sited on Hikurangi, the highest hill in the region, the station was part of a coastal network, and a key part of New Zealand’s home defence system. The station was later used in experiments to pinpoint sources of radio emissions from space, research which laid the foundations for the modern science of radio astronomy. Information boards and audio recordings give a fascinating account of the life of the station. Te Ahua Point Lookout is a site of deep historical significance to Te Kawerau a Maki iwi, the tangata whenua of the region. Gazing out to sea, there’s a striking pou (carving) of a beautiful, young noble woman named Hinerangi after an honoured Turehu ancestress. Hinerangi and her husband lived happily at Karekare for many years until one day he was swept away by a wave while fishing off the rocks at Te Kawa Rimurapa in Mercer Bay. Grief-stricken, Hinerangi climbed to the top of the highest cliff and sat there for days, scanning the turbulent seas, longing for her husband’s return. She eventually died of a broken heart and her sad face is said to be etched in the cliff face. The site is called Te Ahua o Hinerangi — The Likeness of Hinerangi. Recent archaeological excavation shows the headland is one of the oldest settled areas of the Waitakere Ranges and was a sanctuary and defensive position for Te Kawerau a Maki. The track took us high above Mercer Bay with its sphinx-like rock formations to a lookout where we could see the shimmering black sands of Karekare Beach, recently named one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, and the vast expanse of the Whatipu Scenic Reserve in the distance. That evening we rewarded ourselves with burgers and fish and chips at the Piha Surf Lifesaving Club as the sun set over the Tasman, an awesome sight for a family of East Coasters who are accustomed to sunrises over the Pacific but seldom see the sun sink into the ocean. It was dazzling. Home swapping Accommodation was at a premium that weekend, but thanks to my membership of the international home swap club, Love Home Swap, we found a primo place in a perfect location. I joined Love Home Swap in 2013 and the Piha house is one of many fabulous private homes we’ve stayed at around the world. We stayed five nights and paid precisely nothing… unless you take into account the beer and nibbles we shared with owners, Dave and Emma, who joined us for a chat one evening. That’s another great factor about Love Home Swap — you make new friends wherever you go, people who not only entrust you with their lovely homes but also introduce you to their communities and networks, and give you the inside goss on where to wine, dine, hike and sightsee. Dave, an advanced paramedic and former Piha lifeguard, and Emma, who works for the design label Sabatini, were delightful company with a wealth of knowledge about the area. We felt like celebrities after they told us we were living in a film set for the new TV series 800 Words which screens on TVNZ1 on Sunday evenings. We’ve kept in touch with many people we’ve met through Love Home Swap over the years. The ‘stays’ are managed by an exchange of points, a form of currency, rather than an actual home swap, although that’s always an option. It often does not suit members to swap simultaneously so the points system provides the flexibility and freedom to stay wherever and whenever you choose. Dave and Emma earned 750 points for our stay which they can ‘spend’ anywhere in the world at a time that suits them. Keen surfers, they may well turn up on our doorstep in Gisborne one day. The house Built of silvery Lawsons cypress, the design of the house was visually striking, featuring two cubes of different heights, the larger, taller one resting on the smaller, lower one, with a void between. A front north-facing deck leads to a tropical sun-filled garden and outside dining area with a massive macrocarpa table, while the back deck with its spa pool are suspended above the dark, moody, misty Waitakere Ranges with Karekare Beach in the distance. A covered passageway frames the view like a living artwork. Huge glass doors can be swung into place to enclose it and provide shelter in wet or windy weather. Designed by Tim Dorrington of Dorrington Atcheson Architects, the house was built with easy-care, hard-wearing materials like the polished concrete floors in the open plan kitchen-living-dining area. A hefty macrocarpa servery board, hand-made by Dave, sits on the recycled oak kitchen island, while the main workbench is stainless steel. A cosy, carpeted lounge with panoramic windows overlooking the wooded Waitakeres and Karekare Beach steps down from the kitchen. A comprehensive TV/home entertainment centre lines one wall while comfy bean bags, built-in seating and a wood-burning stove create a snug, intimate feeling. Upstairs, spacious, airy bedrooms, balconies and a bathroom also have spectacular views. It was the perfect location for our foursome to rebond after too long apart. The place just seemed to have good feng shui. It’s a house with a smile. Have you ever been to Auckland? Image credit: Justine Tyerman Justine Tyerman stayed at Dave and Emma’s Love Home Swap property at Piha. Visit <a href="http://www.lovehomeswap.com/" target="_blank">Love Home Swap</a> to view over 100,000 properties in 150 countries: Getting there: <a href="http://www.jucy.co.nz/our-vehicles/motor-homes/casa-plus/%20%20%20" target="_blank">JUCY Rentals</a>.

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Rob Lowe's West Wing confession

"Prima donna in pigtails": how Julie Andrews the child star embodied the hopes of post-war Britain

Male artists dominate galleries. Our research explored if it’s because ‘women don’t paint very well’ – or just discrimination

“We will miss you brother”: Kiwi soldier killed in Ukraine identified

Neighbours star launches new political career

West Side Story actress snubbed from Oscars

West responds to Putin placing nuclear arsenal on high alert

New Zealand dominates Traveller’s Choice Awards

From Chicago to West Side Story, how to successfully adapt a musical from stage to screen

From Chicago to West Side Story, how to successfully adapt a musical from stage to screen

Mel Gibson called out by West Wing star in scathing op-ed

Surprise twist in casting of Prince William

White male artists dominate US galleries

First look at Aussie actress playing Princess Di

Dead body found in pond at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s west London home

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Serena Williams responds to French Open spat with Dominic Thiem

Roger Federer’s gracious words of kindness after shock upset

US holiday: East Coast or West Coast?

Dramatic black sand beaches of Auckland’s west coast

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