NEWSMAKERS | Troubled orchestra reveals funding plan

NEWSMAKERS

Troubled orchestra reveals funding plan

PHILADELPHIA

The financially troubled Philadelphia Orchestra is kicking off a new campaign aimed at rallying both classical music devotees and novices to support the ensemble by attending concerts and making donations.

The “Listen with Your Heart” initiative announced Wednesday will include public events, fundraising and public awareness campaigns in the city’s restaurants, hotels and shops. A key message of the effort is that the orchestra, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization last month, is essential to the city’s vibrancy and everyone — music lovers or otherwise — has a stake in its success.

Former concertgoers, lapsed season-ticket subscribers and those who have “somehow, some way” never attended a performance or made a donation can help the orchestra and the city as a whole, said Mayor Michael Nutter.

Macchio: ‘Dancing’ judges were rude

LOS ANGELES

Ralph Macchio feels like the judges on “Dancing With the Stars” didn’t give him a fair shake. The “Karate Kid” star was kicked off the hit ABC show Tuesday, and after the credits rolled, he told reporters he “felt circled as the one couple that didn’t get praise and built up like the others did” during Monday’s episode.

The 49-year-old actor said that some of the comments made by judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli were “rude and disrespectful.” Tonioli was briefly bleeped during his remarks, during which he also referred to Macchio’s professional partner, Karina Smirnoff, as “a pussycat.” Smirnoff was wearing a leopard-print catsuit for the performance.

Macchio said he “felt like the playing field wasn’t level for some reason” during Monday night’s competition.