Wednesday, June22
The Babble-izer
Too noisy where you work? Office mates talk too loud? Now there's a gadget that scrambles voices and makes noise easier to take. "It works by electronically listening, then repeating back random bits of what it hears. The resulting sound is blurred -- as if familiar voices were speaking in a foreign language I can't quite make out. We're hard-wired to like the way the human voice sounds. The problem isn't sound -- the problem is that the search for meaning demands attention. Noise that settles into the background can be very pleasant."
Wired
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 7:16 pm
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Manhattan's Misguided Stadium Plan
Why did anyone ever think building a stadium in Manhattan was a good idea, asks Ada Louise Huxtable. "A stadium should never--repeat, never--be built on the midtown Manhattan waterfront; this is a flagrant violation of everything we know about urban land use. It is axiomatic that you do not put industrial-size blockbusters in uniquely desirable locations; they destroy an enormous potential for profit and pleasure while denying access to one of the city's most valuable amenities. Located next to the convention center, the stadium would have doubled the mass and length of the huge bunker against the river already established by that "lump of black coal"--as essayist Phillip Lopate described its dark bulk in his literary trip around the edges of Manhattan--cutting off views and access with nearly a mile of hulking wall."
OpinionJournal.com
06/22/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 8:53 am
Hughes: Serra Is Our Greatest Artist
Robert Hughes writes that Richard Serra is one of Amer'ica's three greatest sculptors. Ever. In fact, Hughes says, Serra's new installation at Guggenheim Bilbao makes Gehry's architecture seem pale by comparison. "Let's come right out with it: on the basis of his installation of one old and seven new rolled steel sculptures at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, we can call Richard Serra not only the best sculptor alive, but the only great one at work anywhere in the early 21st century."
The Guardian (UK)
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 8:41 pm
Of Venice And Basel...
Two major events in the art world this month - Art Basel and the Venice Biennale. But though one's a commercial art fair and the other's an "aesthetic" exercise, they're not so different. "While Venice is about discovering and appreciating new art and is ostensibly aloof from the market, commercial interests are never too far from the surface. Reputations are made and deals are done behind the scenes that impact directly on the market. Basel, on the other hand, is unquestionably about money, but aspires more and more to be about culture and education, to be like a biennale."
The Telegraph (UK)
06/20/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 6:19 pm
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DC: A Tale Of Two Concert Halls
Washington DC now has two concert halls - the Kennedy Center and the new Strathmore in the suburb of Bethesda. Mark Swed takes a side-by-side listen. "The Music Center at Strathmore is probably about as good a hall of its size as you can get for $100 million these days. But, despite the hype, it breaks no new ground acoustically or in any other department. Put on something worth hearing in it, and people will surely come. Situated in the heart of Washington, the Kennedy Center, for all its faults, remains a destination."
Los Angeles Times
06/22/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 9:05 am
Minnesota Opera Looks Ahead
Minnesota Opera had a great year. "Not only did it boost revenues by 11 percent over the previous year, sell 92 percent of its seats and report an overall contributions increase of more than 15 percent, but it has raised $10.6 million of a $20 million endowment initiative called Opera at the Ordway." But what about the small overcrowded theatre in which the company performs?
The Star-Tribune (Mpls)
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 9:19 pm
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The Cynical Side Of Live 8
"It's easy to get cynical about Live 8, the much-touted, multi-venue mega-concert aimed at raising the West's consciousness on poverty in advance of the G-8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. No question the July 2 event is getting huge hype. Didja hear that Pink Floyd is getting back together for the occasion? Or that the memory of the 1985 Live Aid is being desecrated? Or that 2 million text messages in London alone — at about $4 Canadian a pop — were sent during the e-lottery for freebie tickets? Or that some of those tickets landed on eBay for up to $1,000? Yet there's hardly been a peep about, just to name one thing, the heart-rending videos of orphans and street kids, and the effect of the crushing debt faced by many nations."
Toronto Star
06/21/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 10:20 am
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Live 8 - The Responsibility Of Artists?
Are we getting numb to big celebrity-promoted causes? There have been a lot of them. Live 8 doesn't aim to raise money though; it's looking to shine some celebrity attention on an issue. "It's what artists have always done - comment on society and raise awareness. The question to ask is, 'Are you an artist or an entertainer?' Because artists do more than entertain."
Philadelphia Inquirer
06/22/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 10:00 am
A Plan For Funding Pennsylvania Arts
Pennsylvania state legislators consider tax bills that would provide the arts with stable funding of about $8 million a year. Statewide, that won't make a huge impact - the mayor of Philadelphia estimates that his city needs income of $50-$100 million/year to stabilize arts needs - but it's a good start...
Philadelphia Inquirer
06/22/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 7:57 am
Tech Will Propel Entertainment Biz
A new report says that digital technologies are dramatically boosting the entertainment industry. "Worldwide, new ways of buying all forms of entertainment - such as broadband internet - will increase revenues from $11.4bn in 2004 to $73bn by 2009, the report predicted. Wayne Jackson, global leader of PricewaterhouseCoopers Entertainment and Media Practice said the entertainment and media industry could reinvent itself. He described the industry's "ability to create new revenue streams through innovative offerings that hardly existed as recently as 2000".
BBC
06/22/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 7:47 am
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In Los Angeles - Concerns About New Play Development
"In the four weeks since Center Theatre Group's new artistic director Michael Ritchie announced that he would eliminate most of the company's formal programs for developing new plays — including the annual New Work Festival as currently constituted and labs for Latino, Asian, black and disabled writers — his actions have been the talk of the theater community."
Los Angeles Times
06/22/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 9:29 am
Baywatch On The Boards
Catherine Tate has an unlikely new project. "I've been approached by a man who wants to know if I'd be interested in writing Baywatch: the musical. The idea is so off the wall that I agree to meet him to discuss it further. Presuming that if the show were to happen it would be a camp extravaganza, I fully expect to find an equally camp extravaganza waiting for me at a bar in Soho. But the man looked surprisingly like a supply teacher. He talked about his vision with such confidence that Baywatch: the musical didn't seem like such a ridiculous idea after all. I left feeling quite buoyant."
New Statesman
06/20/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 7:56 pm
How Theatre Killed Spamalot
"The original Python was a creative force that chewed up whatever medium tried to contain it—a Broadway show in that spirit could only exist off-off-off-Broadway, under an awning somewhere and would probably never find its way to the main stage. As a Python fan, I wanted to love Spamalot, but it wouldn't let me. It is choreographed, safe Broadway subversion, decked out in gaudy makeup, camping it up for the folks in the balcony. It replaces Python's subtlety with glitter and shouting. Even when it's making fun of Broadway, it's still only Broadway."
Slate
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 7:43 pm
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Moscow Bookstore Closes As Corruption Increases
In 1998, Mary Duncan opened Shakespeare & Company bookstore in Moscow. The store thrived, selling English-language books. "But we didn't survive the election of President Vladimir Putin. Within a month of his inauguration in 2000, new, slickly dressed city officials claimed our sign did not conform to proper standards, our wiring was a fire hazard and our paperwork was incomplete. Fifty-dollar fines escalated to $1,500."
St. Petersburg Times
06/21/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 10:52 am
Study: US Authorities Have Asked Libraries For Records 200 Times
"The Bush administration says that while it is important for law enforcement officials to get information from libraries if needed in terrorism investigations, officials have yet to actually use their power under the Patriot Act to demand records from libraries or bookstores." But a survey by the American Library Association reports that "agents are coming to libraries and they are asking for information at a level that is significant, and the findings are completely contrary to what the Justice Department has been trying to convince the public."
The New York Times
06/20/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 10:43 am
Voice Of Arab Women Turns Out To Be A Man
"When novels by 'Yasmina Khadra' first appeared, literary France thought it had at last found the authentic voice of the Arab woman. But then she turned out to be a man - and not just a man but a veteran Algerian army officer."
The Guardian (UK)
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 8:52 pm
Religious Books Find New Readers
The market for religious books is booming, and publishers are cranking out new titles at a record pace. "According to the Book Industry Study Group, which uses data from all sectors of the industry, total U.S. book sales rose 2.8 percent in 2004 to $28.6 billion, while religious books saw 11 percent growth to nearly $2 billion."
Yahoo! (Reuters)
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 6:42 pm
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Senators Call For Removal Of CPB Chief
Sixteen Democratic senators have appealed to President Bush to remove Kenneth Tomlinson as head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. "We urge you to immediately replace Mr. Tomlinson with an executive who takes his or her responsibility to the public television system seriously, not one who so seriously undermines the credibility and mission of public television," wrote the senators. The New York Times
06/22/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 9:09 pm
Writers Want To Unionize "Reality" Shows
The Writers Guild of America wants to unionize workers who create TV reality shows. "Unlike a sitcom or drama, a reality show doesn't often employ 'writers.' Instead, people with titles such a 'field producer' or 'story producer' make sure each episode follows a script that's often conceived in advance. In other cases, editors have the job of finding dramatic story lines in hundreds of hours of tape. Producers might boil down 400 hours of footage to create a single 44-minute episode of a show." Yahoo (AP)
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 6:32 pm
No. 2 American Theatre Chain Buys No. 3
"AMC Entertainment Inc., the No. 2 U.S. movie theater chain, on Tuesday said it will buy its next-largest competitor, Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corp., to compete with market leader Regal Entertainment Group . " Yahoo! (Reuters)
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 6:27 pm
BBC In America
For the first time, BBC Radio 1 will be broadcast in America. BBC has signed a deal to be carried on satellite radio. "Radio 1 will be heard on Sirius, which offers around 120 commercial-free services for a subscription fee. " BBC
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 6:10 pm
NPR Ombudsman On CPB Ombudsmen
NPR ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin says its regrettable that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting thinks it needs two ombudsmen to watchdog politics. "The appointment of the CPB ombudsmen has, indeed, accomplished something: It has sown doubts (or reinforced existing ones) among many listeners (and viewers) that there is something fundamentally wrong at NPR and PBS. But these doubts are based on impressions, innuendo and hearsay evidence. Questioning the practices of journalism is always a good thing. But declaring a priori that there is bias, as Mr. Tomlinson has, contradicts the high standards of public broadcast stewardship that CPB has always advocated." NPR
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 6:01 pm
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Suzanne Farrell Teaches Don Q
Suzanne Farrell on working with dancers on staging Balanchine's Don Quixote for the first time since 1978: "Somebody did it for me when I was young. All I had to concentrate on then was dancing and being the best I could be. Now it's my turn, so they can be the best dancers."
Toronto Star
06/22/05
Posted: 06/22/2005 10:14 am
A Bournonville Triumph
Tobi Tobias is back from Danish Ballet's Bournonville Festival in Copenhagen. "Whatever quibbles one might have over some of the artistic choices (and I have several fairly serious ones), this Festival was a triumph simply as an event, and [director Frank] Andersen, though he has continually given ample credit to the stagers, dancers, coaches, teachers, and staff “without whom,” was the leading force in bringing it about."
Seeing Things (AJBlogs)
06/21/05
Posted: 06/21/2005 9:36 pm
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