Stories

“Gypsy” Starring Audra McDonald Will End Broadway Run Early

The revival, which was nominated for five Tony Awards but won none, had been expected to run until at least Oct. 5; it will now close on Aug. 17. - The Hollywood Reporter

The Power Of Cutting Loose On The Dance Floor

“A new season at London’s Southbank Centre is inspired by Emma Warren’s book Dance Your Way Home, about the potency of communal movement. She and other artists involved explain why the dance floor is their happy place.” - The Guardian

When Condé Nast Was Fat And Sassy (And Really Successful)

What these editors have in common more than some Horatio-Alger-with-a-pica-ruler climb is that they were good at their jobs. They had strong visions and were good at marshaling talent to execute them. They were also the avatars of a major generational turnover in Anglophone culture. - The New York Times

KQED, San Francisco Public Radio/TV, Lays Off 15% Of Staff

Approximately 50 positions are being eliminated, including the entire video division, as the Bay Area’s flagship public media outlet faces a projected $12 million deficit. Last year the station had an $8 million shortfall and laid off 34 staffers. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

Four Smithsonian Museums Shut For Days Because Of HVAC Issues

The Hirshhorn, Asian Art, African Art and American Indian museums have been closed for about three days. - WTOP

The Kinds Of Books You Want To Read Over And Over

There are certain books where even if you’ve already solved the murder, even if you already know how it’s all going to turn out, you still don’t mind reading it again because the pleasure there isn’t really the ending but rather the journey. - LitHub

AI-Powered Robots Are Carving Sculpture From Stone. They Might Soon Be Changing The Way Buildings Are Built

The 2-year-old company is turning this aging warehouse into a modern stonecutting factory capable of quickly producing highly detailed decorative facades, museum-grade marble sculptures, and towering stone monuments. The company will soon be trying its robotic arms at an even grander project: reinventing the way buildings get built. - Fast Company

Australian Artists And Universities Could Have Funding Blocked If They Fail To Fight Antisemitism

“Universities and artists would have funding withheld if they fail to act against antisemitism, AI tools would be banned from sharing Jewish hatred, and the government would have new grounds to deport visitors under a wide-ranging plan put forward by Australia’s antisemitism envoy.” - The Guardian

France’s Art Galleries Are Under Stress As The Market Changes

“We’re having trouble attracting young people, whereas in other countries, like China, buyers are on average in their thirties,” Magda Danysz, vice president of the CPGA, told Le Monde. “Priorities have changed in France too; it’s the experience more than the object.” - ARTnews

Public Broadcasting’s Last Ditch Efforts To Save Public Funding

Congress is expected to vote on that proposal, known as a rescission request, by the end of the week. If approved, it would end federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes money to NPR, PBS and local stations. - The New York Times

Mark Morris After 45 Years

Morris’s dance impulse is still very much alive. “We’re far from that time, 40 years ago, when it was a group of my peers,” Morris said. “But my way of working hasn’t changed that much.” - The New York Times

Poet Andrea Gibson, Subject Of Prizewinning New Documentary, Is Dead At 49

Gibson, spouse Megan Falley, and their four-year struggle with Gibson’s ovarian cancer are the main subjects of the documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, winner of the Festival Favorite Award this year at the Sundance Film Festival and scheduled to air this fall on Apple TV+. - AP

Poll: Public Broadcasting Is Overwhelmingly Popular With The American Public

Over half of Republicans (58%) and three-quarters of Democrats (77%) support federal funding for public radio. And 59% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats agree it is a good value for taxpayer dollars. - NPR

AI Companions Are Getting Really Good. But We Lose Something Creatively Important

Solitude is the engine of independent thought—a usual precondition for real creativity. It gives us a chance to commune with nature, or, if we’re feeling ambitious, to pursue some kind of spiritual transcendence. - The New Yorker

Electrical Recording Debuted 100 Years Ago This Year

“The ascent from one method (purely mechanical recording on a horn) to the other (electrical recording with a microphone) was more significant even than the later leaps from wax cylinder to flat disc, shellac to vinyl, mono to stereo, analogue to digital or CD to streaming.” - Gramophone

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