Director of the ballet company, Dame Monica Mason, said she was "thrilled" about the production being shown in such a huge venue as it would "introduce our work to so many new people". The 17-19 June performances are being staged in association with impresario Raymond Gubbay, who staged the first opera at the London arena earlier this year.
Half Time - The Black Eyed Peas are to perform during the interval at the Super Bowl next year, organisers have said. The Grammy award-winning group will play at the championship game on 6 February at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Last year's game, which featured The Who at half-time, was the most-watched programme in US TV history with 106.5m viewers. Previous acts have included the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2 and Prince. The half-time show of Super Bowl in 2004 created controversy when Justin Timberlake ripped a piece of Janet Jackson's top, resulting in a glimpse of her right breast.
Meltdown - Former Kinks frontman Ray Davies has been appointed artistic director of next year's Meltdown Festival at London's Southbank Centre. He follows in the footsteps of David Bowie, Jarvis Cocker, Morrissey and Patti Smith. Davies said he was planning a "creative celebration through the decades". The event, which started in 1993, will run from Friday 10 to Sunday 19 June, and will include concerts, DJ sets, talks, films and visual arts. Davies said Meltdown 2011 would be "a bridge between the past, present and future".
Arts Funding - Theatre veteran Sir Peter Hall has described cuts to arts funding as "insane" in a speech at the Evening Standard theatre awards in London. Sir Peter, who has just turned 80, was being honoured for his contribution to world theatre. He urged an audience - packed with top actors and directors - to make "loud noises" against budget cuts. "It's insane," Sir Peter said. "I feel really ill at the thought of over 50 years thrown away." Sir Peter had been presented with the Golden Seagull award by his daughter Rebecca Hall, whom he will be directing in the National Theatre's Twelfth Night early next year. After founding the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sir Peter was its artistic director for eight years. He went on to spend 11 years as director of the National Theatre.
(Jim Evans)
