Local and Industry News

Court-appointed receiver Scott Brenner has taken over financial and business operations of the Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton.

The theatre has had difficulties paying creditors, and mortgage holder Legacy Bank filed a foreclose action in February. The theatre also had to use an Actors Equity Association Bond to pay actors for its last show, which closed April 1. It is hoped that the receiver will be able to get the theatre's finances in order and avoid bankruptcy or foreclosure.

The Miami City Ballet has named Lourdes Lopez as artistic director, to succeed Edward Villella when we retires in April, 2013. Lopez, born in Havana and raised in Miami, spent 24 years with the New York City Ballet under George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. She has also served as executive director of the George Balanchine Foundation, and she co-founded the Cuban Artists Fund, which supports cultural exchanges with Cuba.

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As a result of auditions held in April, Palm Beach Opera has hired Evegeniya Zharzhavskaya and Aaron Merritt to fill vacancies in the Violin 2 and cello sections, respectively.

The Boston Symphony has received a $7.5 million grant from Robert and Megan O'Block and Stephen Kay and Lisbeth Tarlow. The grant has partially funded renovation of the O'Block/Kay Room social space at Symphony Hall, and will be used for operational support and to increase the endowment fund.