Baritone Peter Braithwaite: "These folk traditions are really strong; they’re about resistance and they’re about remembrance of former freedoms, but they’re also about laying something down that can be passed on to future generations." - The Guardian (UK)
The Texas-born "Princess Rita Jenrette Boncompagni Ludovisi has ... defied the court order demanding she vacate Rome’s Villa Aurora. The property is known for its rare mural by Caravaggio." - Artnet
Navasky "appreciated the work of making news stories passionate and beguiling. He told NPR he watched Fox News for years, because Bill O'Reilly and other Fox stars were so entertaining. ... But Navasky added he missed progressive voices in mainstream media." - NPR
Choreoroboticist Kate Sicchio: "It's really interesting to have this unfamiliar device do this uncanny human thing. It’s similar to why we love putting googly eyes on everything. This makes it human even though it's not supposed to be. And that becomes funny or endearing somehow." - Inverse
The post-fire clearance took forever - "'intricate and painstaking' work, done by hand, of removing from the site and evaluating in excess of 2,400 of tonnes of fire-damaged material – 1,200 tonnes of which can be recycled for the rebuild." - The Guardian (UK)
"More often than not, these books come across as props intended to be on camera — signifiers much like a Birkin bag or expensive watch. While those items can indicate a certain level of status and wealth, an artfully staged bookcase aims to convey something as well, although perhaps more subtly." - Literary Hub
"Long before witty digital comics found a home on your Instagram feed, depicting things from the struggle with Grindr to birth-control access, there were 'Gay Comix' and 'Dykes to Watch Out For.'" - MSN (Washington Post)
"Ardern (who kept the culture ministry herself) had a lot going on as Prime Minister — the Christchurch Mosque attacks, the eruption of White Island/Whakaari, COVID — so her other roles would rightly take a back seat. That said, Ardern hasn't been hugely active in her arts portfolio." - The Big Idea (New Zealand)
Kiyon Ross at Pacific Northwest Ballet: "The skills you learn as a choreographer are definitely transferable to being a leader. ... You have to have a certain kind of authority over the room—not an oppressive kind of authority, there just needs to be someone running the show." - Dance Magazine
"It was not well received, and I was devastated by the reaction. ... It was way too long in San Francisco and Amsterdam. The stories are still great, but it's considerably shorter now. I've made significant changes that I think focus on the fates of these characters." - San Francisco Classical Voice
"Cédric Klapisch’s Rise, about a ballet dancer (Marion Barbeau) who, after an injury, seeks a new future in contemporary dance, picked up 9 César nominations." - The Hollywood Reporter
Hayley Finn, 48, is a career-long specialist in new plays and has conducted workshops for nearly 1,000 scripts. She's currently associate artistic director of the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis. - MSN (The Washington Post)
Which is to say, not since George Balanchine's Jewels (1967). Premiering this week, Peck's Copland: Dance Episodes is also City Ballet's first use of Aaron Copland's three classic ballet scores: Rodeo, Billy the Kid, and Appalachian Spring. Joshua Barone looks in the creative team in rehearsal. - The New York Times
"Rupert Murdoch sent letters to the board of directors of News Corp. and Fox Corp. on Tuesday, informing both groups he had decided to withdraw his recent proposal to recombine the two companies, which his family, controlling shareholders of both, split apart in 2013." - Variety
