Says Shuler Hensley, who's played the 600-pound Charlie in New York and London: "It's a brilliant ending, because audience members have constantly told me they couldn't breathe afterwards. They didn't know what to do, whether to applaud or get up or move because they've become so connected to Charlie." - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
I figured, Hey, if I don’t know what to write, I’ll just pop something in there and it will get me going, and I’ll be right back into the book I left a week ago. It didn’t quite work out that way. - The Verge
"There were long-lost tombs uncovered during renovations of Notre-Dame in Paris, the mosaic floors upon which Santa Claus — well okay, St. Nicholas — once trod, multiple hordes of ancient coins ..., and the latest discoveries in the Amazon thanks to LiDAR, the laser-powered gift that keeps on giving." - Artnet
"Staff at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts are speaking out against the museum's director, Michel Draguet, after 31 of 176 employees signed an open letter condemning a toxic work culture. ... Six current or former employees criticised inappropriate behaviour from the museum director." - The Brussels Times
Here's the story of how Zhang Yiming built the tech giant ByteDance and its star video app became a global juggernaut — only to find itself caught between U.S. concerns about data privacy and the ever-tighter rule of Xi Jinping's Chinese Communist Party. - The New York Times Magazine
"When her father died in 1973, Maya took up the mantle of preserving and propelling his legacy. ... It involved assembling and organizing a large archive of his oeuvre and becoming the major authenticator of his work, a task she performed thousands of times until her eyesight gave way in the mid-2010s." - Artnet
"Hit hard by a cash shortfall and lackluster ticket sales ..., the (company) said Monday that it would withdraw up to $30 million from its endowment, give fewer performances next season, and accelerate its embrace of contemporary works, which, in a shift, have been outselling the classics." - The New York Times
"The Pops announced in November that it would cease operations at the end of this season. But the new tentative agreement, back-dated to this past Sept. 1, runs through Aug. 31, 2024 — suggesting that the group is eyeing a potential path to survival." - The Philadelphia Inquirer
With warnings mounting over a new Covid wave in the new year and the Bureau of Meteorology not predicting an end to La Niña until late summer, the live performance and festival sector has been left crippled – with no return to normal in sight. - The Guardian
Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) has named Matt August, a director and educator, their new artistic director. He succeeds Sean Daniels, who will serve as director of the new Recovery Project at Florida Studio Theatre. - American Theatre
This year’s race for the best-actress Oscar is so stacked with contenders that I’m ready to comb the academy bylaws for a workaround. Are five slots really enough to honor a field this formidable? - The New York Times
The adult protagonist has become a rare figure in American children’s books. With a few notable exceptions most children’s books today are deeply child-centric. - The New York Times
Security stopped Kelly Conlon because she is a New Jersey lawyer. MSG has begun using facial recognition technology to identify any visitor to any of its venues—including Radio City Music Hall—who is involved with any law firm that is actively involved in litigation against MSG Entertainment. - Ars Technica
"What happens when an ad agency and a greeting card company make a TV show?" In this case, Hallmark Playhouse, the Hallmark Hall of Fame (and its 81 Emmy Awards), and, ultimately, the Hallmark Channel and its iconic Christmas programming. - Tedium
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Bereny’s long-lost masterpiece on the wall behind Hugh Laurie. I nearly dropped Lola from my lap. A researcher can never take his eyes off the job, even when watching Christmas movies at home.” - The Guardian
