Monster Mash: U.S. returns art looted during World War II; ‘Mona Lisa’ reveals more secrets

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-- Making amends: The U.S. is returning to Germany 11 oil paintings that were taken by American soldiers at the end of World War II. (Agence France-Presse)

-- Enigmatic: Researchers using X-ray technology say that Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ is revealing more secrets. (BBC News)

-- Questionable practices: Is the Guggenheim Museum engaging in pay-for-play? (Modern Art Notes)

-- Dropping a register: After singing a baritone role in ‘Simon Boccanegra,’ tenor Placido Domingo will perform the baritone title role of ‘Rigoletto’ in Beijing and Mantua, Italy. (Baltimore Sun)

-- Overheard: Brian Yorkey, who wrote the book for Broadway’s ‘Next to Normal,’ is joining the creative team of the musical ‘Catch Me if You Can.’ (New York Post)

-- Crowd pleaser: The creators of ‘Stomp’ are mounting another blockbuster stage show titled ‘Pandemonium.’ (Associated Press)

-- More than inflation: Ticket prices in the West End have more than doubled since 1995. (The Stage U.K.)

-- Celebrity art: Frances Bean Cobain, the daughter of the late Nirvana musician Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, is exhibiting her art work under a pseudonym at a Hollywood gallery. (Huffington Post)

-- Comic duo: Vince and Larry, the crash test dummies, have landed at the National Museum of American History. (Washington Post)

-- Passing: Conductor Charles Mackerras has died at age 84. (Sydney Morning Herald)

-- And in the L.A. Times: L.A. County cuts arts grants by almost 7%; the Kirk Douglas Theatre announces its lineup for the 2010-11 season.

-- David Ng