Monster Mash: James Franco looks likely for Broadway; warning on looted Egyptian artifacts

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Twice the star power: James Franco is looking likely to star alongside Nicole Kidman in the fall Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ “Sweet Bird of Youth.” (BroadwayWorld)

Crisis situation: International museums are on high alert for looted artifacts from Egypt. (Reuters, via Art Daily)

Mona Luigi? A group of Italian researchers claims that the model for Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” might have actually been a man. (Agence France-Presse)

Money’s flowing: Despite its recent censorship controversy, the Smithsonian Institution saw a banner year in terms of fundraising for fiscal 2010. (Washington Post)

International dispute: A legal case involving Jewish documents held by Russia has turned into a diplomatic feud over loans of artworks to American museums. (New York Times)

Can’t catch a break: The Detroit Symphony Orchestra -- already suffering from a protracted musicians strike -- has a new problem on its hands after creditors called in a $54-million loan that the symphony cannot pay. (Detroit News)

Abrupt departure: Andrew D. Hamingson has resigned as executive director of the Public Theater in New York after only 2-1/2 years. (New York Times)

Pop artifacts: Items that belonged to the late actress Farrah Fawcett are headed to the Smithsonian. (Los Angeles Times)

World premiere: Sanaa Lathan will play the title character in the new play “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” by Lynn Nottage at Second Stage in New York, starting April 6. (Playbill)

Windfall: The Virginia Opera has received a $500,000 challenge grant from an anonymous donor. (The Virginian-Pilot)

Also in the L.A. Times: Music critic Mark Swed on the late composer Milton Babbitt; Orange County’s Soka University is planning a fall debut of its new concert hall.

-- David Ng