Director Patrice Chéreau, 68

“The French director of opera, theater and films such as Queen Margot and Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train, died Monday in Paris of lung cancer. He was 68. A screenwriter and actor as well, Chéreau was director of the Th&eacuteâtre des Amandiers in Nanterre, France. His unusual production of Wagner’s Ring cycle] in Bayreuth in 1976 was described as changing the face of modern opera.”

Nikolai Tsiskaridze Will Return To The Bolshoi Stage One Last Time

Russia’s minister of culture has confirmed rumors that Russian ballet’s superstar bad-boy – who was finally dismissed from the Bolshoi this summer after years of publicly badmouthing both management and colleagues and openly campaigning to be named the theater’s director – will perform in benefit performances of The Nutcracker, leading up to his 40th birthday on New Year’s Eve.