Scrappy opera company Heartbeat thrives by reimagining the classics
NEW YORK — Dan Schlosberg remembers the day 11 years ago when his upstart opera company put on its first performance — in a yoga studio before an audience of 30 people.
'We did Kurt Weill's 'The Seven Deadly Sins' accompanied by an upright piano that we got for free on Craigslist and a violin,' recalled Schlosberg, the company's music director and one of its founders.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs threatened to send humiliating sex videos of Cassie to her parents' employers, celebrity stylist testifies
NEW YORK — A celebrity stylist who dressed Sean 'Diddy' Combs for a decade on Wednesday said he saw the hip-hop mogul ferociously beat Casandra Ventura and threaten to spam her parents' employers with videos of her having sex with strangers. Deonte' Nash, hired as an intern by Combs in 2008 after responding to a Craigslist ad, corroborated testimony by Ventura, known as Cassie, shedding more light on Combs' violent wrath and blackmail threats. The soft-spoken Nash said he was victim of Combs' frequent and unpredictable outbursts and that when they were targeted toward Ventura, the Bad Boy Records co-founder would say things like 'he would beat her a–, that he wouldn't put her music out, that he would get her parents fired from their jobs and he would send her sex tapes to their jobs — he would start there.' Under questioning by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey in Manhattan Federal Court, the stylist, who also dressed Ventura, said the controlling Combs kept his much younger girlfriend on an impossibly tight rein — having the final say on how she appeared in public — and frequently disparaged her in front of his associates as a 'b—h,' 'an outright ho' and other misogynistic slurs. Nash brought into sharper focus the power imbalance between Combs and Ventura, as alleged by prosecutors, and how he coerced her into degrading sexual performances with male performers found on the internet, encounters he dubbed 'freakoffs' and which his lawyers have sought to frame as consensual. The stylist described seeing Ventura with black eyes, bruising on her arms and legs, and several violent attacks that stood out in his mind, including one in which Combs continued beating Ventura as she bled from hitting her head off a bed frame. He said a 'panicked' Combs ended up having one of his bodyguards take Ventura to a plastic surgeon to address the head wound. On one occasion, he said Combs had instilled so much fear in the 'Me & U' singer that she almost sought to evade him by climbing down from a hotel balcony. Nash said Combs sought to isolate Ventura from her family, saying he was her only protector and calling her brother a 'b—h.' He said that when they went out to events, he'd become possessive if she talked to other people. In one account Nash recounted in court, he said Combs followed him and Ventura and made them pull over on the side of the road when he issued the threat about sending videos of her in humiliating sex acts with strangers to her parents' places of work and on the internet. 'I told her, I said, 'Well, girl, if he wants to release the sex tapes then let him … he's on them, too,' the stylist said. Nash said Ventura then told him that Combs wasn't on the videos — that he had been taping her with other men. Asked by Comey what Ventura expressed about participating in the sessions, Nash said 'that she didn't want to.' He later described Ventura expressing that she didn't want to go to a freak-off, as Combs demanded, on her 29th birthday. Nash said he was a close friend to Ventura and remains so, having texted her Tuesday to congratulate her on the birth of her third child. He said he had feared Combs and the repercussions of reporting his behavior to cops, with his paranoia so extreme that he usually kept $1,000 in cash on him to hide from Combs in hotels under an alias. On cross-examination, Combs' attorney, Xavier Donaldson, elicited answers from Nash about recording labels having an interest in how their artists looked. The stylist also acknowledged Combs launched his professional career and said he harbored no ill will toward him, having stopped working for Combs in 2018, the same year he split with Ventura. Jurors heard extensive testimony from Ventura about being violently abused and sexually exploited throughout their tumultuous 11-year relationship and being under 24-hour surveillance by Combs and his crew. They are yet to hear from alleged victims Jane and Mia, which are pseudonyms, who are respectively expected to testify about being forced into freak-offs and sexually assaulted. Combs is accused of operating a criminal enterprise to help facilitate his crime-ridden lifestyle and sordid sexual desires from 2004 to 2024. Prosecutors allege his employees engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, bribery, obstruction of justice, kidnapping and arson. The 55-year-old has pleaded not guilty to counts including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transporting individuals for prostitution and could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. Outside of his criminal case, Combs has faced around 70 lawsuits — brought by women and men — accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct. Allegations against him exploded into public view when Ventura brought suit in late 2023. Jurors have heard Combs settled that case for $20 million in just 24 hours. The feds then began investigating him. _____
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs threatened to send videos of Cassie Ventura in sex ‘freak-offs' to her parents, celebrity stylist testifies
NEW YORK — Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash took the stand at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial Wednesday, telling a Manhattan jury about hearing the rap mogul threaten to send videos of Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura engaging in humiliating sexual acts with strangers to her parents' workplaces. Nash said he began styling Combs and his ex-girlfriend Ventura as an intern in 2008 after moving to New York City and responding to a Craigslist ad. He stopped working for Combs in 2018. The stylist, who said 'absolutely not' when asked if he wanted to testify, said Combs had the final say on Ventura's appearance and that he regularly overheard the mogul berating her. An irate Combs, Nash said, frequently threatened 'that he would beat her a--, that he wouldn't put her music out, that he would get her parents fired from their jobs and he would send her sex tapes to their jobs — he would start there.' On Tuesday, the Manhattan Federal Court jury heard from law enforcement witnesses about incidents detailed last week by the rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi. Mescudi testified that his Hollywood Hills home was broken into, and his car was torched in his driveway weeks later after Combs learned he was dating Ventura. An LAPD officer said a Cadillac that left Mescudi's place the morning of the break-in was registered to Bad Boy Records. Arson investigator Lance Jimenez later testified about the investigation into Kid Cudi's burned car, which occurred in January 2012, and said the damage was limited as gasoline didn't disperse properly after a Molotov cocktail was dropped through a hole torn in the roof of the car. On cross-examination with Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo, Jimenez was pressed about a glove he found in the back of the car that he didn't record as evidence, as Mescudi said it belonged to him. He said he tried to reach Ventura after speaking with her father, a firefighter, but never got a call back. Judge Arun Subramanian denied a request for a mistrial after Combs' lawyers argued that a line of questioning by the prosecution suggested he had something to do with authorities' destruction of DNA belonging to a woman that was recovered from the car. Subramanian later told the jury not to draw any inferences about the questions. Combs is accused of employing a network of staff to help facilitate his crime-ridden lifestyle and sordid sexual desires from 2004 to 2024. Prosecutors allege the employees engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, bribery, obstruction of justice, kidnapping, and arson in the matter involving Mescudi's car. Jurors have so far heard from Ventura, who described being violently abused and sexually exploited by Combs throughout their tumultuous 11-year relationship. Ventura said Combs used videos of her in humiliating sexual performances with strangers that he directed as blackmail and said he and his staff had her under 24-hour surveillance. They are yet to hear from alleged victims Jane and Mia, which are pseudonyms, who are respectively expected to testify about being forced into the marathon sexual performances dubbed 'freak-offs' and sexually assaulted. Combs has pleaded not guilty to counts including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transporting individuals for prostitution and could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. Prosecutors allege that for years, Combs orchestrated weekly freak-offs that saw vulnerable women in his orbit coerced into humiliating sexual encounters with strangers. Outside of his criminal case, Combs has faced around 70 lawsuits — brought by women and men — accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct. Allegations against him exploded into public view when Ventura brought suit in late 2023. Jurors have heard Combs settled that case for $20 million in just 24 hours. The feds then began investigating him. _____
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs threatened to send videos of Cassie Ventura in sex ‘freak-offs' to her parents, celebrity stylist testifies
NEW YORK — Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash took the stand at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial Wednesday, telling a Manhattan jury about hearing the rap mogul threaten to send videos of Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura engaging in humiliating sexual acts with strangers to her parents' workplaces. Nash said he began styling Combs and his ex-girlfriend Ventura as an intern in 2008 after moving to New York City and responding to a Craigslist ad. He stopped working for Combs in 2018. The stylist, who said 'absolutely not' when asked if he wanted to testify, said Combs had the final say on Ventura's appearance and that he regularly overheard the mogul berating her. An irate Combs, Nash said, frequently threatened 'that he would beat her a--, that he wouldn't put her music out, that he would get her parents fired from their jobs and he would send her sex tapes to their jobs — he would start there.' On Tuesday, the Manhattan Federal Court jury heard from law enforcement witnesses about incidents detailed last week by the rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi. Mescudi testified that his Hollywood Hills home was broken into, and his car was torched in his driveway weeks later after Combs learned he was dating Ventura. An LAPD officer said a Cadillac that left Mescudi's place the morning of the break-in was registered to Bad Boy Records. Arson investigator Lance Jimenez later testified about the investigation into Kid Cudi's burned car, which occurred in January 2012, and said the damage was limited as gasoline didn't disperse properly after a Molotov cocktail was dropped through a hole torn in the roof of the car. On cross-examination with Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo, Jimenez was pressed about a glove he found in the back of the car that he didn't record as evidence, as Mescudi said it belonged to him. He said he tried to reach Ventura after speaking with her father, a firefighter, but never got a call back. Judge Arun Subramanian denied a request for a mistrial after Combs' lawyers argued that a line of questioning by the prosecution suggested he had something to do with authorities' destruction of DNA belonging to a woman that was recovered from the car. Subramanian later told the jury not to draw any inferences about the questions. Combs is accused of employing a network of staff to help facilitate his crime-ridden lifestyle and sordid sexual desires from 2004 to 2024. Prosecutors allege the employees engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, bribery, obstruction of justice, kidnapping, and arson in the matter involving Mescudi's car. Jurors have so far heard from Ventura, who described being violently abused and sexually exploited by Combs throughout their tumultuous 11-year relationship. Ventura said Combs used videos of her in humiliating sexual performances with strangers that he directed as blackmail and said he and his staff had her under 24-hour surveillance. They are yet to hear from alleged victims Jane and Mia, which are pseudonyms, who are respectively expected to testify about being forced into the marathon sexual performances dubbed 'freak-offs' and sexually assaulted. Combs has pleaded not guilty to counts including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transporting individuals for prostitution and could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. Prosecutors allege that for years, Combs orchestrated weekly freak-offs that saw vulnerable women in his orbit coerced into humiliating sexual encounters with strangers. Outside of his criminal case, Combs has faced around 70 lawsuits — brought by women and men — accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct. Allegations against him exploded into public view when Ventura brought suit in late 2023. Jurors have heard Combs settled that case for $20 million in just 24 hours. The feds then began investigating him. _____
