Monster Mash: Eli Broad museum opening delayed in Michigan

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Setback: The opening of Eli Broad’s new contemporary art museum at Michigan State University has been delayed. (Chicago Tribune)

Monumental gift: A billionaire is donating a $7.5-million matching gift needed to start repairing cracks near the top of the Washington Monument from last year’s East Coast earthquake. (Associated Press)

Scot-free: The trial of American antiquities dealer Robert Hecht has ended in Rome with judges ruling that the statute of limitations on his alleged crimes had expired. (New York Times)

Controversial: The Natural History Museum in London is being accused of helping to break international law by leading a research project involving an Israeli cosmetics company based in the occupied West Bank. (Independent)

They dreamed a dream: Cast members from the 1985 London production of ‘Les Misérables’ will continue to receive royalties from their original cast recording of the musical. (Stage)

Garage sale: Saab, the bankrupt Swedish carmaker, is selling off the contents of its museum in Trollhättan. (Fox News)

Courting the youth demographic: The Smithsonian American Art Museum has announced details of its first major exhibit devoted to video games. (Associated Press)

Outspoken: David Hockney is criticizing the artistic establishment for ignoring figurative art. (BBC News)

Over the hump: The Broadway production of ‘The Mountaintop,’ starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett, has recouped its investment. (Broadway World)

Starting over: The planned museum dedicated to the history of slavery is taking steps to reorganize and begin fundraising again. A judge has granted it 30 days to come up with a plan. (Washington Post)

High concept: Artist Francesco Vezzoli is planning a 24-hour pop-up museum in Paris. (Art Info)

Greasy: A 1,000-pound butter sculpture will be used to power a farm for three days. (National Geographic)

Called off: Employees at La Comédie-Française in Paris have voted to return to work after threatening to strike over a pay dispute. (Stage)

Also in the L.A. Times: L.A. Opera will adopt a dynamic ticket-pricing policy starting in the 2012-13 season.

-- David Ng