Thursday's Art Notes

_Actors and dancers perform in 'Vertical Road' in Duisburg, western Germany. 'Vertical Road' is choreographer Akram Khan's latest contemporary ensemble work, for which Khan has assembled a cast of very special performers from across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. 'Vertical Road' describes the road between the earthly and the spiritual -- a direction of thinking and seeing. The German premiere took place at the RuhrTriennale culture festival on September 29 in Duisburg. Photo by Patrik Stollarz/ AFP/ Getty Images_ * Actor and Hollywood heartthrob Tony Curtis, whose film career included the classic comedy "Some Like It Hot" and the journalism drama "Sweet Smell of Success", died at his home in Nevada at the age of 85, via "The Washington Post":http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/30/AR2010093001181.html. * Rolling Stone sat down with President Obama "to discuss":http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/209395?RS_show_page=1 politics and the war, but also his rap repertoire and how music can be a great consolation in hard times. * The Kennedy Center is rolling out a new $10,000 award, which is named for one of Broadway's living masters, Stephen Sondheim, and will honor outstanding teachers, via the "Associated Press":http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iJCEch-hlKWBUynD4eV09szNUnRQD9IH0CQ80. * On Tuesday, a performance of various musical compositions written by victims of the Holocaust and WWII prisoners debuted at Emory University, via the "Associated Press":http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i7tADnxuR79MJPcf7h0C8jxGSMGQD9IHP1900?docId=D9IHP1900.