Daily Headlines: April 19, 2016

* U.S.: The 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama was awarded to Lin-Manuel Miranda in recognition of the popular, critically-acclaimed Broadway musical “Hamilton.”

* Latin America: A new report detailed how the Hacking Team cyber security firm allegedly sold spyware and other tools used by authorities in several Latin American states for surveillance against critics and political opponents.

* Colombia: The Colombian government plans to resume using glyphosate to eradicate coca plants even though the World Health Organization classified it last year as a carcinogen.

* Cuba: Carnival reversed its decision to bar Cuban-Americans from traveling on its upcoming cruises to Cuba though it remains to be seen if they will be accepted back on to the island by immigration officials.

YouTube Source – PBS NewsHour
 
Online Sources – Buzzfeed News, ABC News, The Atlantic, Boing Boing

Today’s Video: Los Tiburones contra Los Jets

A new version of “West Side Story” has just opened on Broadway. The version is somewhat updated from the original theatrical version which debuted in 1957. The most notable difference between the two, however, has been the translation of several songs and lines into Spanish.

With help from Lin-Manuel Miranda- creator of Tony-winning musical "In the Heights"- two of the musical’s best-known songs ("I Feel Pretty" and "A Boy Like That") become "Siento Hermosa" and "Un Hombre Asi." "It was a tall order, but a really fun challenge," said Miranda as the songs are performed splendidly by Argentine Josefina Scaglione as Maria and Karen Olivo as Anita.

Aside from the language changes the new version also takes on a “gritty realism” by taking on bigotry and racism.

Do the changes make a great play even better or is this a case of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”? See for yourself:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Online Sources- MSNBC, NY1, BBC News, New York Daily News

“In the Heights” honored at Tonys

A hip-hop musical inspired by Latino life in New York City neighborhood earned four Tony Awards last night. “In the Heights” had been nominated for 13 awards and in the end was given nods as the year’s top musical along with best original score for the theater, best choreography and best orchestrations.

The musical struggled off-Broadway and took a big gamble to be produced on the Great White Way against “heavily marketed mega-musicals”. Yet the risk paid off as “In the Heights” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda accepted several honors:

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music and lyrics for "In the Heights," rapped his way through his acceptance speech for best score, saying: "I know I wrote a little show about home. Mr. Sondheim, look, I made a hat. (a reference to a lyric in Sondheim's 'Sunday in the Park with George') But there never was a hat — it's a Latin hat at that!"

Also recognized at the Tonys was Brazilian opera star and Broadway newcomer Paulo Szot; he received best musical leading actor for his role in the revival of “South Pacific”.

Sources- courant.com, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Guardian UK, BBC News, Bloomberg,

Image-New York Times

Today’s Video: Lucky 13 for “In the Heights”

Earlier today the nominations were announced for this year’s Tony Awards with “In the Heights” receiving thirteen of them. Best Musical and Leading Actor in a Musical are two of the categories with nods for the musical described by one source as “a look at Latino life in upper Manhattan.”

Below is a commercial for “In the Heights” which gives an idea of what the musical is all about:

(Hat tip: Guanabee, Vivirlatino).

Sources- Guanabee, Vivirlatino, NY1, New York Daily News, YouTube

Weekly Debate: the Anne Frank musical

A musical based on the “Diary of Anne Frank” is set to open in Madrid next month. The adaptation of the Holocaust text into a musical may be interpreted as in poor taste, yet The Anne Frank Foundation supports it:

Having been rewritten for films, plays and TV dramas, the story of the Jewish girl hiding out with her family in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam has never before been made as a musical. The Anne Frank Foundation, which jealously guards the rights to the diary - it once turned down Steven Spielberg when he wanted to make a film - has given its support. Jan Erik Dubbelman said: "This production respects the message of tolerance, within the tragedy, that we want to keep alive. Being in Spanish, it can also help to take the message of Anne Frank to Latin America."

The director of the play told BBC News that “the thing we want to do is through the music, to understand the story better.” In addition, the title character will be played by 13-year-old Isabella Castillo; Castillo’s mother was a Cuban refugee who fled to Belize before settling in Miami.

What is your opinion on the musical? Is it tacky and in bad taste or will it help promote the legacy of Anne Frank? Will the play’s “message” really make an impact on Latin Americans? If you could, would you go watch the musical?

Please express your point of view via the poll located on the right-hand column and/or as a response to this post.

Image- Boston Globe (“Isabella Castillo, who plays Anne in a Spanish theater troupe's version of "The Diary of Anne Frank," sat in the office of Otto Frank, Anne's father, at the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam. (Peter Dejong/Associated Press)”)

Sources- Ynetnews, BBC News, Guardian UK, New York Times