As the challenges of navigating the visa process form a perennial topic of discussion on these boards, I was pleased to see the problem garner some attention from the mainstream press:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/arts/us-visa-rules-frustrate-foreign-performers.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/arts/us-visa-rules-frustrate-foreign-performers.html