Susan Boyle is back. Did you miss her?

Susan Boyle, the show-tune singing Scottish spinster who captured global attention earlier this year for her appearances on "Britain's Got Talent," has returned -- and just in time for the holidays, wouldn't you know?

Boyle's debut album "I Dreamed a Dream" is coming out in stores and features 12 tracks including the title song from "Les Miserables" as well as pop numbers ("Wild Horses," "Daydream Believer") and religious songs ("Silent Night," "Amazing Grace").

In her review today, Times pop music critic Ann Powers wrote: "Boyle's clear but warm tone and stolid phrasing turns everything it touches into a more songful version of New Age music. It's relaxing to listen to those drawn-out syllables, gradually building toward a gentle, wavelike climax."

She added: "Boyle possesses neither an impulse to swing nor an ounce of the blues; whether she's covering the Monkees, the Rolling Stones or Madonna, Boyle sings like she's in a place of worship, surrounded by white walls and soft light, cooking up some chicken soup for the soul."

Powers wrote that Boyle is at her worst when she pushes harder. "She doesn't know how to build drama, and her throat seems to constrict as she reaches for bigger notes," wrote the critic.

As you may recall, Boyle lost to the dance group Diversity in the final round of "Britain's Got Talent."

Read Powers' entire review of Boyle's album.

-- David Ng

Photo: Susan Boyle, during a recent appearance on "America's Got Talent." Credit: Trae Patton/NBC Universal Inc.

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Daniel Day-Lewis says he avoided dancing in 'Nine'

The promotional juggernaut behind the movie "Nine" shifted into high gear today when cast members of the film -- including Daniel Day-Lewis -- appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss their work on the movie musical. 

One can hardly hope for a moment of unscripted candor in such a scenario. (Can you imagine the number of publicists working behind the scenes in Oprah's green room?) 

Still, Day-Lewis -- always refreshingly unpredictable -- was able to slip the fact that he managed to avoid dancing in a movie directed by Rob Marshall, who happens to be an accomplished Broadway choreographer. That's kind of like signing up for swimming lessons and then not getting in the water. His co-stars -- including Penelope Cruz and Kate Hudson -- did not get off so easy, as early footage from the movie has shown.

We can assume that at this stage in his career, Day-Lewis isn't going to do what he doesn't want to do. While the Oscar-winning actor (who seemed to spend the entire hour stifling giggles at Oprah's questions) doesn't dance in the movie, he does participate in several dance numbers. And based on clips featured during the show, he also speaks with a strong Italian accent while in character as Guido Contini, a burned-out film director who has more than his share of woman problems.

The rest of the show was given over to the usual celebrity sycophancy. At one point, Hudson compared Marshall to the late, great Bob Fosse -- surely one of the most cultured things the actress has said on the air. Marion Cotillard looked mostly lost. Nicole Kidman talked about living in Nashville. And Cruz gushed about Pedro Almodovar.

Incidentally, Marshall didn't direct the hit 2003 revival of "Nine" on Broadway. That job went to David Leveaux, who was nominated for a Tony.

-- David Ng

Photo: Daniel Day-Lewis in a scene from "Nine." Credit: David James / The Weinstein Company

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Shaquille O’Neal, art curator?

Basketball great Shaquille O'Neal could never be accused of sticking to one thing. The 7-foot-1-inch athlete has dabbled in acting (remember "Kazaam"?), recorded a handful of rap albums and earned a master's in business administration.

Now, O'Neal is branching out yet again by taking on the art world. The Cleveland Cavaliers athlete is curating a gallery show in New York that is appropriately titled "Size DOES Matter," which explores the idea of scale in contemporary art, according to a Bloomberg report.

The show is scheduled to open in February at New York’s Flag Art Foundation, an exhibition space in the Chelsea neighborhood.

“It was a little harder than I thought it would be," O'Neal told Bloomberg. "When you think about what each of the artists put into their work, what they are expressing and want to share with the world, you feel bad about having to narrow it down.” 

"Size DOES Matter" will feature 52 works by 39 artists, including five special commissions. One of the featured pieces will be the large-scale sculpture "Big Man" by Ron Mueck, pictured above. The show will also feature work by Jeff Koons, Chuck Close and Tim Hawkinson.

Tim Burton unveils his macabre artwork at MoMA

Filmmaker Tim Burton, pictured, got the art-world seal of approval last night when he appeared at New York's Museum of Modern Art to help launch a career retrospective featuring his drawings, paintings, puppets and, of course, his films.

The show of Burton's works, which runs at MoMA from Nov. 22 to April 26, is one of the most eagerly anticipated exhibitions of the season. Last evening's gala offered a first look at some of the artwork on display, much of which has never been exhibited in public before. (And yes, we have photos of some of that work.)

Joining the goth auteur at the museum was actress (and mother of his children) Helena Bonham Carter, frequent collaborator Johnny Depp, composer Danny Elfman and actor Danny DeVito. (MoMA breathlessly tweeted their arrivals at the party.)

According to the museum, the show features artwork generated during the conception and production of Burton's  films, as well as pieces from unrealized projects. Also on display are Burton's student art, his early non-professional films and work for non-film endeavors. (It's not clear whether the exhibition includes work from Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," which opens in 2010.)

Art purists may scoff that the whole exhibition is a publicity ploy unbecoming of a major cultural institution. Whatever your opinion, Burton's appeal is almost guaranteed to bring in fans who might never before have considered stepping foot inside a museum. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

As for the artwork itself, it is of course dark and weird in the way that only Burton can do dark and weird.

'Oleanna' set to close on Broadway Jan. 3

Class soon will be dismissed for David Mamet's "Oleanna."

The Broadway premiere of his 1992 play, starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles, has posted a closing notice. Producers of the intense, two-person drama about sexual politics in a university town said the play will close Jan. 3 at the John Golden Theatre.

Directed by Doug Hughes, the production of "Oleanna" first opened at the Mark Taper Forum in L.A. in June featuring the same cast. It opened on Broadway in October, receiving mixed to positive reviews.

Some reports have stated that the production was struggling to fill seats on Broadway, although the producers did not directly address that in their statement today. 

The play's harsh subject matter may not have helped ticket sales: a university professor (Pullman) gets involved in a war of words with a young student (Stiles), who accuses him of improprieties. Speaking in the clipped, abrasive style that is Mamet's trademark, both characters can seem unsympathetic and even off-putting.

In a statement, producer Jeffrey Finn said: "We've had great audiences since September, and as our sales are concentrated through the holidays, January feels like the right time to end."

Perhaps coincidentally, another David Mamet play begins performances this week on Broadway. "Race," a new drama that stars James Spader and is directed by the playwright himself, is playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, with an official opening date set for Dec. 6.

-- David Ng

Photo: A scene from "Oleanna," starring Julia Stiles and Bill Pullman, at the Mark Taper Forum. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

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Monster Mash: Zaha Hadid's Maxxi building in Rome; Glassell will is upheld in Texas; Ashlee Simpson on Broadway

-- Unveiling: Reviews are coming in for architect Zaha Hadid's National Museum of the XXI Century Arts in Rome, even though it is not quite finished. (Times Online) 

-- Legally binding: A Texas jury has upheld the final will of philanthropist and oilman Alfred C. Glassell Jr. against his daughter's attempt to invalidate it. (Houston Chronicle) 

-- Cultural debate: Experts wonder if antiquities really belong to their country of origin. (New York Times)

-- Red ink: The bankrupt Toronto-based Ritchies Auctioneers has $8.5 million in debt. (The Globe and Mail)

-- Real-estate hitch: The sale of a $5.1-million upstate New York home belonging to indicted art dealer Lawrence Salander hits a snag. (Bloomberg)

-- Outright theft: A former employee at Delaware's Winterthur Museum has turned himself in after spending more than $100,000 of the museum's money. (The News Journal)

-- Reserving judgment: Pop star Ashlee Simpson-Wentz will join the cast of Broadway's "Chicago" beginning Nov. 30. (New York Daily News)

-- New downbeat: The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia has named Belgian conductor Dirk Brosse as its new music director. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

-- And in the L.A. Times: Art critic Christopher Knight reviews "Collection: MOCA's First Thirty Years"; theater critic Charles McNulty reviews "Mary Poppins" at the Ahmanson.

-- David Ng

Photo: the National Museum of the XXI Century Arts in Rome. Credit: Max Rossi / Reuters

Kate Hudson sings, hoofs her way through 'Nine'

Whatever your opinion of Kate Hudson's acting abilities, it's hard to deny that her Hollywood pedigree and off-screen romances make her an ideal starlet for "Nine" -- a musical about moviemaking, fame and life led under the glare of the paparazzi.

Our friends over at the Ministry of Gossip blog have posted some video footage of Hudson singing and hoofing her way through one very hectic musical number in which the actress (playing an American journalist dispatched to Rome) extols the virtues of Italian cinema.

"Nine" is based on the 1982 Maury Yeston musical, which itself is adapted from Federico Fellini's "8 1/2." The Weinstein Co. plans to release the film next month in the U.S.

Hudson plays Stephanie, a correspondent for Vogue who becomes entangled in the sordid affairs of Daniel Day-Lewis' burned-out auteur. Hudson's role was played by Saundra Santiago in the 2003 Broadway revival of "Nine" and by Stephanie Cotsirilos in the 1982 production. 

Rob Marshall, who has racked up impressive choreography and directing credits on Broadway, seems to have put Hudson through quite a physical workout, judging by the video. Or maybe the rapid-fire editing just makes it seem that way.

-- David Ng

Photo: Kate Hudson and Daniel Day-Lewis in a scene from "Nine." Credit: The Weinstein Co.

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Unused Beatles album artwork by Jim Dine up for sale

The graphite and watercolor artwork that you see on the left was created in 1968 and was destined for eternal rock 'n' roll fame. Hollywood's Capitol Records commissioned Pop artist Jim Dine to create a series of illustrations for a forthcoming Beatles album. But the project fell apart after the band decided to leave Capitol in order to form the Apple Records label.

The unused art ended up in the private collection of former Capitol Records President Sal Iannucci and his wife Aileen. Later this month, it will hit the auction block at Bonhams & Butterfields in Los Angeles where it is expected to fetch between $25,000 to $35,000.

The artwork consists of five individual pieces -- four depicting individual toothbrushes labeled for each member of the band plus a fifth showing all four toothbrushes together. Each item is signed and dated 'Jim Dine 1968' in the lower left corner, according to the auction house.

An acclaimed Pop artist, Dine used graphite and watercolor paints to create the works on vellum. Each piece stands approximately 17 inches by 14 inches.

"It's a lovely representation of how art and music can go together," said Sharon Goodman Squires, a specialist at Bonhams.

Denzel Washington to return to Broadway in 'Fences'

The current Broadway season is starting to look like an Academy Awards telecast.

The latest star to lend a marquee name to the Great White Way is Denzel Washington, who will perform in a revival of August Wilson's drama "Fences," which is scheduled to open in April. The news was reported earlier today in the New York Post.

Washington will play the role of Troy Maxson that was originated by James Earl Jones on Broadway in 1987. "Fences" went on to win the Tony Award for best play and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. The play is part of Wilson's epic cycle focusing on African American life in the 20th century.

"Fences" is set for a limited run through July.

Among the producers for the revival are Carole Shorenstein Hays and Scott Rudin. Various reports today said that Kenny Leon is in talks to direct and that Suzan-Lori Parks was once mentioned as a director. No other details have been released about the cast or creative team of "Fences."  

Washington, who has won two Oscars, was last seen on Broadway in 2005 in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar." 

The actor joins a celebrity-packed Broadway season that also includes Scarlett Johansson, Daniel Craig, Hugh Jackman, Abigail Breslin and Jude Law.

-- David Ng

Photo: Denzel Washington. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

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MOCA's biggest exhibition to celebrate 30th anniversary -- and survival

L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art is getting ready to throw a two-pronged celebration this weekend, centered around a Saturday gala at which pop star Lady Gaga will do a one-off performance with dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet, and, the next day, the opening of the largest exhibition in MOCA's history, drawn almost entirely from its own collection. For the full story on MOCA, its issues and its art, click here.

One reason to party is the 30th anniversary of MOCA's founding in 1979, when a group of contemporary art lovers won the support of Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and began planning for a major museum devoted to the art of the present and the post-World War II past. Aficionados of contemporary art in LA. had felt disenfranchised by the 1974 failure of its main previous outlet, the Pasadena Art Museum, which was bailed out by collector Norton Simon and merged with his collection into the wider-ranging Norton Simon Museum of Art.

MOCA's initial venue, now called the Geffen Contemporary, opened in a former city auto repair shop in Little Tokyo, followed in 1986 by the museum's Grand Avenue headquarters. The exhibition "Collection: MOCA's First 30 Years" will occupy all of the Grand Avenue building and half of the Geffen Contemporary, with a single one-day admission covering both venues. The show, featuring about 500 artworks including paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography and video and installation art, will run through May 3.

The other reason to celebrate is that MOCA is still here to celebrate, and no longer in apparent financial jeopardy, a year after it publicly declared a state of financial emergency. As much as arts institutions relish being front page news, they don't want the headline to be "L.A.'s MOCA in Deep Financial Trouble," as it was in The Times last Nov. 19.

More than a month of drama and brinkmanship followed, with MOCA's board eventually choosing a $30-million bailout offer from Eli Broad (one of those 1979 founders) over a proposal from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to take MOCA under its umbrella in a way promised to preserve MOCA's separate identity.

MOCA officials say that on top of Broad's bailout, they've raised $30 million in gifts and pledges over the past year, mostly from museum board members -- and that the gala is expected to bring in $2 million. On a more chastening note, "MOCA New," as the chapter kicking off this weekend has been dubbed, is also at the moment "MOCA less," with spending and staff reduced 25%, and just one exhibition other than the 30th anniversary retrospective currently announced for the two downtown venues.

-- Mike Boehm

Photo: MOCA's chief curator, Paul Schimmel, stands in a gallery displaying Mark Rothko paintings. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

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