In the news

Domingo sees end of opera career

Spanish tenor Placido Domingo said his opera singing is likely to last five more years, although he will continue to give concerts.

"Now that I am 61 years old, my opera career could last maybe four or five years more because opera is very demanding," Domingo told reporters in Mexico City. "But that doesn't mean that the day that I stop singing opera, I will stop giving concerts."

Controversial conductor resigns

Conductor Charles Dutoit, who led the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal to international acclaim over the past 25 years, has quit, the orchestra said. His resignation as musical director caps a bitter personality dispute between Dutoit, 65, and musicians.

The sudden resignation Wednesday night came three days after the union representing the orchestra's 100 musicians accused him in an open letter of "harassment, offensive behavior and complete lack of respect." The union has been in wage contract talks with management for several months.

Dutoit announced his resignation in a letter issued by his personal assistant. In the letter, produced while Dutoit was in Philadelphia for a concert, Dutoit cited "hostile statements" made by the head of the Quebec Musicians' Guild.

TV notes

CBS has benched the last two episodes of Family Law. The last episode of the season will air Monday. A CBS spokeswoman told the Hollywood Reporter the show remains in consideration for the fall. ... James Caan has signed on to make his TV series debut in an untitled half-hour comedy pilot for Fox from one of the producers of Roseanne. Caan will play a conservative stepdad who clashes with his stepson after the young man returns home from the Peace Corps. ... MSNBC president Erik Sorenson, whose network has faded to a distant third in the ratings against Fox News Channel and CNN, said in a staff memo that he's labeling the network "America's Newschannel" and that the network will be characterized by lively, nonpartisan discussion.

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