Monster Mash: Merce Cunningham dies, starchitect on the brink of insolvency; OCPAC sees drop in revenue, attendance

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--End of an era: Legendary contemporary dance choreographer Merce Cunningham dies at 90.

--Stalled projects: Architect David Adjaye, recently selected to design the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, fights to stave off insolvency.

--Bad news: Orange County Performing Arts Center sees a huge drop in revenue and attendance.

--Another venue added: British Museum joins the Guggenheim and the Louvre on Abu Dhabi development.

--Rocking the West End?: Are London transfers in the works for Broadway musicals ‘Rock of Ages’ and ‘Hair’?

--‘A national resource’: Prairie Avenue Bookshop, Chicago’s noted architecture store, falls victim to economy, Amazon.com.

--Changing jobs: Salzberg Festival artistic director Juergen Flinn opts to leave the post a year early to join Berlin State Opera.

--High hopes: Recession? Apparently not on Broadway, where business is booming and next season could see a $1-billion box office.

--Pioneering performer: Betty Allen, one of the first black opera singers to reach fame on the international stage, dies at 82.

--In demand: Rupert Holmes, book writer for ‘The First Wives Club,’ joins the creative team of ‘Robin and the 7 Hoods,’ a musical adaptation of the 1964 Rat Pack movie, expected to have a pre-Broadway run on the West Coast.

--Bucking the trend: Despite the troubled economy, Los Angeles-area art galleries are finding ways to expand.

--Keeping deals quiet: Cautious art collectors move away from auction houses in favor of private sales.

--Going viral: Thanks to YouTube and other Internet sites, ukuleles find renewed popularity.

-- Lisa Fung