Skirball Center

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - An unseasonal gust of wind greets Alicia Keys as she steps out of a doorway behind a Beverly Hills hotel on a late October afternoon. Decked out in a black leather vest and black leggings brightly accented by turquoise suede knee-high boo a hint of matching eyeliner, the Grammy Award-winning singer is surprised by the chilly blast before she ducks into a waiting black sport utility vehicle. Commenting on the wind's force, she laughs when it's suggested the quick dust-up is a forecast of the whirlwind activity cranking up on behalf of her latest studio album, "The Element of Freedom."

Lengthy, high-concept, modern-dress 'Othello' with Philip Seymour Hoffman falters off-Broadway. Funny thing about director Peter Sellars' lengthy version of "Othello," now on view at New York University's Skirball Center.