G. Willow Wilson “was a white kid with no religious upbringing, but converted to Islam during the height of the War on Terror. She’s lived in Egypt, done foreign correspondence for the New York Times, penned a memoir, written an acclaimed novel” – and created a female Muslim superhero who’s a commercial and popular success.
Archives for March 20, 2014
How to Run a Major Contemporary Art Museum Before You Have Art or a Museum
The team of managers and curators at Hong Kong’s M+, part of the long-delayed West Kowloon Cultural District, “is faced with two daunting tasks: It has to assemble a major collection and has to engage the public through temporary offerings, years before the museum building is completed.”
A New Specimen of That Rare Species, the Broadway Romantic Lead
Steven Pasquale “has generated excitement as the kind of bona fide leading man Broadway perpetually hungers for and has trouble holding onto.” Says a leading casting director, “They just don’t exist – leading men in musical theater who can sing. They’re snatched up by television and movies.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 03.20.14
Tax relief for British theatre
AJBlog: For What it’s Worth | Published 2014-03-21
A Curator For Black Artists?
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts | Published 2014-03-21
Falling in love
AJBlog: Sandow | Published 2014-03-20
“Nur,” About Islamic Art, Sheds Light On Broader Curatorial Goals
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts | Published 2014-03-20
It’s over in Hannover for enterprising music director
AJBlog: Slipped Disc | Published 2014-03-20
Embattled Minnesota Orchestra CEO Steps Down (But Not Till August)
“Henson, who joined the orchestra in 2007, oversaw the $50 million Orchestra Hall renovation, but became a divisive figure during the bitter, 16-month labor dispute that ended in January.”
New Study: All-Nighters May Cause Permanent Brain Damage
Concern about brain changes from lack of sleep has mounted in recent months with the publication of several other key studies. In January, sleep researchers at the University of Surrey linked sleep loss with disruptions in gene function that could affect metabolism, inflammation, and longterm disease risk to body and brain.
Are Opera Education Programs A Waste Of Time?
Considerable amounts of money, effort, resources and curriculum time are expended on these projects but to what end? Certainly not the development of new audiences and a future stock of those all-important punters who are freely prepared to part with good money to see a show. Thirty years into the “opera in education” mission and I have never encountered anyone who said to me: “I was turned on to opera by a school education programme.”
Here’s The Biggest-Selling Author Every Year Since 2001
“To call James Patterson prolific would be an understatement. The ad man-turned-author has put his name to 130 novels, 15 of which have publish dates in 2014 alone. But even when you divide his estimated 300 million booksales by that number, it still results with a healthy 2.3 million copies sold per title.”
Museums Worry About Their Funding As New Generation Comes Of Age
“Generational change is always occurring as new blood takes the place of the old. But as the boomers’ children take over, there is concern among administrators and trustees that millennials are not poised to meet the financial and leadership demands of increasingly complex — and expensive — museums.”
Symmetry Matters (And We Judge Quality Of Content By It)
“Asymmetrical designs may grab people’s attention. But if your goal is to get people intrigued, inspired, or involved, proportionality is your pal.
Dreamworks To Invest $2.4 Billion In Shanghai Entertainment Center
“This will become the world’s third great urban center of entertainment and arts alongside New York’s Broadway and London’s West End,” said DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Barack Obama, Patent Troll Slayer?
“Even now, a perfect storm of patent reform is brewing in all three branches of government. Over time, it could reshape intellectual property law to turn the sue-and-settle troll mentality into a thing of the past.”
Music Streaming Revenue Doubles In 2013, Passes $1 Billion Globally
“There are now an estimated 450 music rental services around the world, and while many people still listen for free, a desire for more choice is persuading more music lovers to part with their cash. In a three-year period the number of paying subscribers rose from 8 million to 28 million.”
Straight To No. 1: Song’s Lyrics Can Predict Its Popular Success
“It turns out, though, that lyrics are a significant predictor of a song’s commercial success. A new analysis by researchers at North Carolina State University reveals the top 12 most common themes based on the lyrics of No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100.”
Major New Tax Breaks For UK Theatres
“The scheme will mean producers are able to claim up to a 25% tax rebate on 80% of a production’s up-front eligible budget costs ahead of its run. Touring shows will receive a 25% relief, while other productions will be eligible for a 20% tax credit.”
Here’s The Most Overused Word On The Internet
Whereas basically and well are relatively harmless tics that crowd our sentences,actually has an attitude.
Warning: UK Arts Organizations Are Trapped In Funding Death Spiral
“The UK government suggests marching to the beat of the philanthropic drum. But there is no way that philanthropy can generate the kind of money that arts organisations are losing from local authority and Arts Council cuts.”
Art Taken From Museums By Ukraine’s Ousted President Is Returned
“Ukrainian museum officials and campaigners had complained for years that works were being taken from museums by government officials and not returned, or were being replaced by copies.”
The Terror Of One-Star Book Reviews
Go find a book you love. Click the one-star reviews – there will always be some. Cancel your plans for this evening. But one-star Amazon reviews are more than a space for performance art or green-ink rantings. Some authors believe that they amount to “bullying”.
San Diego Opera to Shut Down
Said executive director Ian Campbell, “Over the last several years, we have lost a number of prominent contributors, frequently because of death, but especially during the recent economic downturn … The demand for opera in this city isn’t high enough.”
One of Canadian Ballet’s Top Male Stars Moves On
After 23 years, National Ballet of Canada principal Aleksandar Antonijevic is retiring – to become a photographer.
When America Was Really Crazy for Shakespeare
“The 25-year period around the Civil War was the most extraordinary. You have John Quincy Adams on Desdemona having sex with Othello, Lincoln reading Macbeth, and another president, Grant, rehearsing the role of Desdemona at a military camp. You couldn’t make this stuff up. This is how central a preoccupation Shakespeare was at the time.”
Busby Berkeley Biopic in the Works
“Warner Bros. Pictures is giving Busby Berkeley the biopic treatment, with Ryan Gosling circling to play the famous director and choreographer of musicals from Hollywood’s golden age.”