Rocco Landesman, Broadway producer of hits such as “Big River,” “Angels in America,” and “The Producers,” was confirmed by the Senate on August 7 as the new chairman of the NEA, the New York Times reports. Mr. Landesman told the Times that he is eager to get started. “It’s a daunting thing,” he said. “This historically has not been a great job—or not for a long time—and the challenge will be to make it one and to really accomplish something. There hasn’t been the financial commitment.” With characteristic candor, Mr. Landesman expressed concern about the fiscal state of U.S. arts organizations and the NEA’s budget, an ongoing issue intensified by severe cuts the national endowment took during the 1990s. “It’s not easy in this climate with scarce dollars,” he said. “On the other hand, there’s a crisis among arts institutions because so many of them are going out of business or about to—it’s an emergency. Even the pathetic NEA levels of funding will matter to a lot of these institutions and that funding needs to increase.” Mr. Landesman, 62, owner of Broadway’s Jujamcyn Theaters, New York’s third largest theater group, was nominated by President Obama earlier this year to succeed Patrice Walker Powell, who has served in an interim role since February when Dana Gioia stepped down. The Senate also confirmed Jim Leach to lead the National Endowment for the Humanities.