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The Met Opera Is Courting Influencers (And The Young People Who Follow Them)

“Newcomers to opera (many are self-described theater enthusiasts), … they share with their followers their delight and surprise at what they have found: the lack of a dress code; the English-language translations on the backs of seats; the Hollywood-worthy projections and videos; and, yes, the existence of cheap seats.” - The New York Times

New York’s Public Theater Hit By Yet More Layoffs

“A decade after Hamilton opened on Broadway and the Public Theater began reaping roughly $100 million for helping to develop the blockbuster musical, the legendary downtown nonprofit company is undergoing its third round of layoffs in four years.” - Broadway Journal

Trump’s First-Term NEA Boss Is Back

“The United States Senate voted to confirm Mary Anne Carter as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. It will be Carter's second time leading the agency, after serving ... during President Donald Trump’s first term. Carter succeeds Maria Rosario Jackson, a Biden appointee who resigned from the post on January 20.” - Publishers Weekly

Major Off-Broadway Theater Is Sued For Discrimination Over Discounts For Ticketbuyers Of Color

According to the lawsuit, Playwrights Horizons promoted the discount with the language ‘For this BIPOC Night performance, we welcome folks who are Black, Indigenous or People of Color to use code BIPOCNIGHT to unlock ($39) discount seats.’ The plaintiff, Kevin Lynch, who is white …, (paid) $90.” - The New York Times

Tech Mega-Billionaire Makes Massive Guarantee To Back Up Paramount’s Hostile Bid For Warner Bros.

“On Monday, Skydance-owned Paramount announced that Larry Ellison — the founder of Oracle and father of Paramount CEO David Ellison — had personally agreed to be responsible for $40.4 billion of equity financing for the company’s offer (to buy Warner Bros. Discovery), as well as any damage claims.” - AP

Kennedy Center Trustee Sues Trump For Renaming Venue

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH), one of the Congressional representatives on the Center’s board, argues in her court filing that Trump and the trustees who voted to add his name to the place are “willfully flouting the law to satisfy defendant Trump’s vanity.” - Bloomberg (MSN)

What The Arts Could Learn From The Data Revolution In Gambling

Not long ago, many online casino experiences were built around flashy graphics and simple luck-based mechanics. Today, game development has become a sophisticated data-informed process. - The Walrus

Death Of The Dictionary?

Like the rest of the analog world, legacy dictionaries have had to adapt or perish. - The New Yorker

Is The Reason Our Culture Seems Stagnant Because… Lack Of Critics?

If someone has spent years of their life on a work, they deserve a serious, sustained response. Critics who write such reviews aren’t just offering something to the maker of a work but to the world. Look here, a critic says. Imagine what culture could be like. - Asterisk

Europe’s Approach To Developing AI Is Deeply Different

The differences between Europe and the United States when it comes to AI regulation aren’t so easy to fix; they’re rooted in deep cultural differences that have informed how the tech industries have developed on both continents.  - Politico

Might AI Help Us Unlock More Creative Ideas?

Generative AI will indeed make many tasks easier and quicker to perform, increasing efficiency and decreasing costs. But we think that one of the biggest promises of this technology lies elsewhere: in unlocking new forms of human creativity that can drive innovation and growth. - Harvard Business Review

How Might One “Fix” Or Reinterpret Historically Racist Statues?

As some political leaders double down on the old memorial language, they ask: What if we thought of our memorials as works in progress, to be improved, edited, reconfigured and even deleted? - Washington Post

What If The Audience Prefers AI-Written Books?

I can write a book for my own reasons, but I can sell the book only if readers like it more than what they can get from, say, a chatbot. If readers prefer A.I.-generated fiction, then authors won’t be able to stop it. - The New Yorker

Broadway’s Record Box Office In 2025 Still Doesn’t Keep Up With Costs

“It’s just so difficult for (producers) to get their money back. These shows are now upwards of $25 million. Ten years ago, you could have a musical on Broadway that was probably in the $13 million range." - CNN

Trump Officials Threaten Smithsonian Funding Over Content Review

“Funds apportioned for the Smithsonian Institution are only available for use in a manner consistent with Executive Order 14253 ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." - Washington Post

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