Met Collateralizes ChagallsThe Metropolitan Opera has borrowed money against the huge paintings by Marc Chagall hanging in its lobby.
ByLane Brown
The Met Goes ViralThe Metropolitan Opera is launching its own video-on-demand service.
ByAmos Barshad
gossipmonger
‘Gossip’ Girls Are Causing Mayhem in the Village!Blake walked her dog off the leash while Jessica ran up a $3,000 tab at Bagatelle! And everybody laughed at Bill Clinton’s quip about his own horniness! In today’s gossip roundup!
YSL Takes Met Opera Under Its Wing for Four YearsThis just in: Coming hot on the heels of yesterday’s well-received < ahref="http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2008/fall/main/europe/womenrunway/yvessaintlaurent/">Yves Saint Laurent show, the maison has announced a four-year sponsorship of New York’s Metropolitan Opera — one the biggest philanthropic moves in the house’s history.
Ring in Summer!
If it’s not quite summer for you without a little bit of Wagner to go with your fruity cocktails and pastel shirts, you’re in luck. Lincoln Center Festival and the Met are presenting the Ring Cycle, performed by the Kirov Opera. It kicks off at 8 p.m. tonight, and — though we know virtually nothing about opera — we can assure you the performance includes a singing women inside what looks like an oversize spun-sugar dessert. At least yesterday’s dress rehearsal did.
Kirov Ring Cycle 2007 [MetOpera.org]
the industry
Dust Off Your Manolos: ‘Sex and the City’ Heading to the Big ScreenNew Line finalizes deal to produce Sex and the City movie, with series creator Michael Patrick King writing and directing and all four stars participating. Kim Cattrall had held things up with contract demands but receives a deal for a future show at HBO as part of negotiations for this project. [Variety]
gossipmonger
Tom Ford, CommandoTom Ford doesn’t wear underwear. Foxy Brown may get dropped from Def Jam, though this would come as news to her. Former flames Derek Jeter and Mariah Carey are set to meet this Friday, and it could be awkward. Chelsea Clinton recently got a job at a hedge fund, and her boyfriend may be her stockbroker. Is the Times playing favorites with suspended reporter Lola Ogunnaike and op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd? “Page Six”, ironically, lectures a company about freebies. (Also, it turns out Harvey Weinstein didn’t actually “swig” champagne on Halloween, as the “Six”ers reported. And that the “stripper” he was chatting up was actually Margherita Missoni. Whoops.) Ron Perelman is now dating designer Tory Burch, though she’s yet to finalize her divorce. Former Martha Stewart broker Peter Bacanovic tried to avoid getting his picture taken, failed. Lauren Bacall was denied backstage entry at the Metropolitan Opera. Guitarist Al Di Meola is a bad father. Tara Reid was drunk, again. A politician cheated on his wife in Albany, a married director got another woman pregnant, and the daughter of a retired news anchor got busy with a female fashion designer in a car, though names aren’t named. Joshua Jackson defended Lindsay Lohan. And her dad, who has thus far been unable to help himself, wants to write a self-help book.