"It was practised and watched everywhere, including during religious rituals, on the theatrical stage and in private houses. It was the object of nuanced reflections on the part of Roman philosophers and poets. Careful study of their texts yields hints as to what they thought dance accomplished." - Aeon
Globalisation didn’t begin in the 1990s, or even in the past millennia. Remembering this older shared history is a path to a different tale, which begins much, much earlier. The tale of globalisation is written across human history. So why do we keep getting the story so wrong? - Aeon
To account fully for the phenomenon of bullshit, we require a conception that envisions the bullshitted to expect that someone completely unlike him or her in essential social ways, perhaps even the bullshitter her/himself, will admit the objections the bullshitted would raise, if s/he were allowed effective access to socially recognized means of objection. - 3 Quarks Daily
How can theatres and individual artists position themselves as liaisons to the public to raise awareness about climate change, gun violence, mental health, and literacy? If people are worried about inflation and the economy, how can theatres be a force for economic good, seen not as an expense but as an asset? - American Theatre
"From December 23-29, Wicked pulled in $5,037,392, the largest weekly number ever recorded. The average paid admission was $290.61." The next highest, The Lion King, was over a million dollars behind, but $4.2 million in seven days isn't bad for a show that's been running for almost 28 years. - TheaterMania
Sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s were down for the second year in a row in 2024. With both supply and demand for big-ticket art in a slump, the auction houses are making major bets on selling luxury goods and niche experiences to make up the shortfall. - The New York Times
Over the past few years, the British-born Harding has led dual, and often dueling, careers: conducting Mozart and Mahler symphonies one day, piloting commercial flights to Paris, Milan, Stockholm and Tunis the next. - The New York Times
With National Theatre Wales having folded last month, leaving the principality without a flagship English-language stage company, Sheen has decided to launch a new one, called Welsh National Theatre, with himself as artistic director and the first production planned for autumn 2026. - The Guardian
Though the station, CAI, and its listeners raised the money to renovate the historic building, both real estate and broadcasting license are owned by Boston station GBH, which is facing serious money problems and staff layoffs. GBH sold CAI's building without telling anyone at CAI, and the community is furious. - Nieman Lab
He created 31 productions for the Vienna State Opera (some still in use) and 16 for the Met, attracting scorn from revisionists and admiration from traditionalists. "All the secrets of Wagner's Ring," he once said, "should be guessed by the audience or found by the audience." - AP
"Theodore Farnsworth, the former CEO of MoviePass parent Helios & Matheson Analytics, pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding and conspiring to defraud investors in two public companies, including lying about artificial intelligence capabilities that it didn’t have." - Deadline
The department store chain has definitively decided to close its historic Philadelphia location, making the future of the world's largest fully-functioning musical instrument uncertain. But the store's Grand Court, including the organ, has protected landmark status. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
"(The move) follows years of campaigning by politicians, musicians and the theatre industry to stop professional 'resellers' hoovering up tickets at the expense of fans and selling them on for huge mark-ups in alliance with platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub, which take a cut of the profits." - The Guardian
"(She was) a beauty queen, singer and wholesome pitchwoman for Florida orange juice whose crusade against gay rights in the 1970s transformed her into one of the most polarizing figures in American public life." - The Washington Post (MSN)
