Airport Security Bins May Get Cleaner

The Museum of Broadway is set to launch in the heart of New York City’s theater district next year, offering visitors a behind-the-scenes look at some of the city’s greatest shows and musicals of all time. The “Great White Way” The part of Broadway between 42nd and 53rd streets – including Times Square – is considered the home of American theater. Known as the Theater District or the Great White Way thanks to its blinding neon billboards, this famous stretch of street attracts millions of people to theater shows every year. Broadway is one of the major draws in New York City and this past season, attendance was up 9.5%, according to Broadway League. A New Pop-Up Museum Next year a pop-up museum will showcase why its appeal is so enduring. Visitors will be taken on a journey from the birth of Broadway up to the present day through a variety of immersive exhibits. Open to visitors of all ages, the Museum of Broadway will focus on three main components: the evolution of the theater district from Lower Manhattan to Times Square in the 1800s, the making of a Broadway show, and landmark blockbusters that defined eras of Broadway. It will also showcase actual costumes, props and scenery used in famous Broadway shows. “We are excited to welcome the new Museum of Broadway to Times Square in 2020. No visit to New York City is complete without seeing a Broadway show, and now with this new pop-up museum, visitors can further immerse themselves in the history and legacy of one of our City’s most iconic draws,” said NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon. Opening in April The Museum of Broadway will be presented by three-time Tony-nominated producer Julie Boardman and marketing executive Diane Nicoletti. It’s scheduled to run from April through December 2020.

CNN reports that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to send up to 175 law enforcement officials and up to “400 people from Security Ops” to the Southwest border to assist with immigration duties, according to an internal email obtained by CNN. TSA May Face Depleted Resources According to the CNN report, TSA acknowledges that the “immediate need” at the border presents “some risk” of depleted aviation security. The effort will not involve TSA’s airport screeners—the most visible part of the TSA’s daily activities—but will involve employees who work in behind-the-scenes security roles, including monitoring airport security lines, conducting airport sweeps, and working with local and state law enforcement officials. Will Your Travel Experience Be Affected? Because the move of TSA workers to the border will not initially involve uniformed screeners, chances are most travelers will not immediately experience longer lines or wait times at airport security. However, the effect on behind-the-scenes security initiatives—arguably as crucial to TSA’s mission as routine screening—remains to be seen. TALK TO US: If you experience longer-than-usual wait times at airport security, please share your stories in the comments below. This story is evolving, and Budget Travel will continue to follow developments that may have a direct impact on air travelers.

You might sound good singing in the shower or rocking the mic at karaoke, but now you can take your show on the road—no tour dates required. With enthusiastic hosts in destinations near and far, Airbnb Experiences (airbnb.com/experiences) gives travelers the opportunity to dig deep into local cultures with interest-specific adventures, and if you're looking to put your musical chops to the test, there are plenty of options available. Spend time in a Los Angeles recording studio, create your own beats with a DJ in Brooklyn, or try something farther afield—the ancient art of taiko drumming in Tokyo, perhaps, or flamenco guitar lessons in Sevilla? Whether your interest lies in performing, songwriting, or making the instruments themselves, the home-sharing platform is encouraging aspiring entertainers to take center stage. School of Rock Dreaming of bringing a stadium of fans to their knees? Channel those air-guitar skills and step into the studio. In Burbank, you can book time with an award-winning producer to write, arrange, and record your own song, and you’ll come away with an MP3 of the finished product, as well as a deeper understanding of how the recording magic happens. To get a feel for the operational side of things, look to Nashville’s fabled Music Row, where you can schedule a songwriting session with a professional or learn the ropes at a working studio. Can’t get enough K-Pop? Head to Korea, where you can train with a vocal coach and record your tune. You’ll walk away with a short music video and your song on CD—a guaranteed chart-topper, naturally. DJ Dreams If getting behind the turntables is more your speed, DJs from coast to coast can help. Talk shop with a Grammy-winning producer in L.A. who will lead you through DJing 101 and send you home with a record from his stacks, or go vinyl shopping with a Brooklyn DJ who will show you how to create a sample and produce your own beat. Overseas, you can become a mix-master in Paris or pick up the tricks of the house-DJ trade in Medellín, to say nothing of the scenes you can experience in London, Berlin, and Havana while you're there. Go Off-Book To see how the sausage—errr, music—gets made, tour a ukulele factory in Honolulu, where you’ll lay hands on the instruments and watch the craftspeople at work; for a truly immersive experience, check out a three-day itinerary with a historic violin maker in Paris, which includes an introduction to the city's musical heritage, time in the workshop for a peek at the process, and a demonstration of the finished product, plus a concert outing to cap things off. From harp lessons, taiko drumming, and traditional dragon flute in Tokyo to the seven-string guqin in Chengdu to Indian finger drumming in New York, there’s a world of instruments just waiting to be played.

The travel community is responding with disbelief at the news that a fire broke out on the medieval wooden roof of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, in Paris, on Monday evening. FIREFIGHTERS STRUGGLE TO SAVE THE CATHEDRAL The New York Times and other news sources report that part of the cathedral's iconic 315-foot spire has collapsed. A spokesman for the cathedral told the Times that as of this evening no injuries were reported, and Parisian fire department officials confirmed that report. The fire may have been caused by an ongoing construction and restoration project, but that has not been confirmed. More than 400 firefighters worked into the night to stop the blaze and save the cathedral from further damage. Hours after the fire began, fire department officials announced that the most significant works of art, and religious relics such as the crown of thorns, inside the cathedral had been saved and that the main structure and two towers at the front of the building had been saved. UNESCO released a statement of support, saying it stands by France "to safeguard and restore this invaluable heritage." French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "Thinking of all the Catholics and all the French people. Like all of our countrymen, I am sad tonight to see part of us burning." FOLLOW #NOTREDAMEFIRE ON TWITTER TO LEARN MORE For travelers with memories of visiting the City of Light and its 850-year-old cathedral (which attracts 14 million annual visitors), the damage to the roof, spire, and church interior is, of course, especially heartbreaking. The fire struck the storied church, which has survived centuries of warfare, plague, and civil unrest, at the start of Holy Week, when liturgical events such as Holy Thursday and Good Friday commemorate the Last Supper and the Passion, culminating in the celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. For further updates from the BBC, CNN, and other news organizations on the ground in Paris, we suggest following the hashtag #notredamefire on Twitter.