OK, sure: Heated Rivalry Night “began as a single event that quickly sold out, leading to extra dates … and more than 100 multi-city pop-ups are planned over the next few months in places like Brooklyn, Washington, D.C., Chicago and London.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
The opera, which "received an influx of donations, from more than 500 donors, after its announcement last Friday that it would seek a new home … will host two operas this spring season at George Washington University, where the organization got its start nearly 70 years ago.” - The New York Times
“The Prado does not need a single visitor more. We are comfortable with 3.5 million,” (Miguel Falomir) said. ... “A museum can collapse due to success, like the Louvre, with some rooms becoming over-saturated. The important thing is not to collapse.” - The Times (UK)
“The museum said the 45% price hike to 32 euros ($37) from 22 euros is part of a national ‘differentiated pricing’ policy announced early last year that’s coming into force across major cultural sites. … The change affects visitors from most non-EU countries, including the United States.” - AP
“'The shared laughter in a crowded theater, the eager debrief after a musical, the heavy silence that hangs over all of us in a drama — these are moments that every New Yorker deserves,’ Mamdani said.” - The New York Times
Her publisher sure didn’t help, at least not at first. But then the community “was nurtured and deepened by the connections that Louise made through her own efforts, touring, doing events in the U.S. and Canada, meeting readers face to face, and then also building a social media presence.” - CBC
Digital tickets fixed physical ticket counterfeiting, sure. But "digital tickets didn’t eliminate fraud. They just changed the face of it—and in the process, blew the doors open for a new generation of scammers.” - Fast Company
“There was what I would not call lying to my family but obfuscating about where I was and what I was doing, as if I were having an affair. (An affair would have been easier to explain.)” - The New York Times
“Resistance was easy. Uncomplicated, too. Like so many who have grown skeptical of AI, I value my life. I don’t want AI-generated music taking a moment of it away from me.” - Washington Post (MSN)
Leonardo DiCaprio (not present for the most global military of reasons) said via a prerecorded speech, “Movies still matter, not content, but cinema. Stories made by people meant to be shared in a dark room in a communal experience.” - Seattle Times (AP)
“I saw entire families, many in pajamas. Friends young and old. Lots of couples. There were Hellfire Club T-shirts, Demogorgon crowns and popcorn buckets (purchased in advance, from Target). Everyone was taking group selfies, posting photos or Instagram Reels of how crowded the concession area was.” - The Guardian (UK)
“Midtown marquees were packed with famous names from prestige cable (including more than one Succession sibling) and popular franchises. ... As theater continues to recover from the pandemic, luring audiences off the couch with faces they recognize from the screen has proved a lucrative strategy.” - Washington Post (Yahoo)
There were reasons to feel optimistic about the trajectory of an industry that has been knocked down and counted out for half a decade. But those reasons didn’t end up counterbalancing several worrying trends — not least of which was the expansion of Netflix. - Variety
Listening to a podcast is usually a solo experience. “Going to a theater to see these podcast performers live can feel like the exact opposite: Strangers with the same niche interest crowding into one place in not just rapt, but maybe even a bit rabid, attention." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
