Monster Mash: Breaking news and headlines

-- Under attack: Director Joe Wright, above left, defends his casting of homeless people from Skid Row in "The Soloist."

-- Inspired idea: Will Alan Cumming be Green Goblin in the reportedly $40-million "Spider-Man" musical?

-- Cautious buying: End of art sales frenzy brings out bargain hunters but also prompts smarter shopping.

-- Thy father's spirit: Supreme Court Justice Steven Breyer, right, makes his Chicago acting debut in "Hamlet."

-- In the works: Helen Fielding plans a Bridget Jones musical, to open on London's West End in 2011.

-- Also in the works: B.D. Wong to join in reading of David Henry Hwang's new musical, "Bruce Lee: Journey to the West."

-- Early look: A sneak peek at the renderings for the new Santa Monica Place mall.

-- It's official: Critically acclaimed "Desire Under the Elms," starring Brian Dennehy and Carla Gugino, to close six weeks early on May 24.

-- A (starry) night at the museum: The Smithsonian Institution hosts its first Hollywood premiere.

-- Revival in sight: Kennedy Center production of "Ragtime" looks for a move to Broadway.

-- New neighborhood: Blankenship Ballet Company of Venice moves to downtown L.A. -- but it's keeping its name.

-- Cambodian dance: Long Beach dancer-choreographer is among the recipients of an NEA Heritage Fellowship

-- Perks of the job: Alec Baldwin, the voice of the New York Philharmonic, tells David Letterman he'll accompany the orchestra to Hanoi. (video on the jump)

-- Lisa Fung

Top photo: Director Joe Wright and actor Jamie Foxx. Credit: François Duhamel / Dreamworks

Bottom photo: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Credit: Nicholas Kamm / AFP / Getty Images