Des Moines Metro Opera performs in a house with only 476 seats, yet it has a track record of successfully staging such large-scale works as Wagner’s Flying Dutchman, Strauss’s Elektra and Britten’s Peter Grimes. Audiences are thrilled with the results. - The New York Times
The world’s oldest natural pearl and an 1,100-year-old Qur’an will be among the star exhibits at Zayed National Museum, in a new building, designed by Norman Foster’s firm, in the cultural district on the emirate’s Saadiyat Island. Director Peter Magee says the museum’s aim is to be a “research powerhouse.” - The Art Newspaper
The 62-year-old Briton — currently music director of the Tokyo Symphony and Geneva’s Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and formerly at the helm of the Bamberg Symphony, the orchestra and opera company in Lucerne, and Paris’s Ensemble Intercontemporain — succeeds Josep Pons at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in 2026. - Moto Perpetuo
Sean Combs was acquitted on the most serious charges against him; Kevin Spacey has prevailed in both criminal and civil cases. Even Harvey Weinstein was found not guilty on one charge, and the hard-won conviction of Bill Cosby was overturned. What’s at issue isn’t anti-#MeToo backlash, it’s criminal law. - The Hollywood Reporter
“Is there a chance the fog surrounding the company’s quest to sell itself to Skydance Media is about to lift? So far, it’s not entirely clear — not even to executives at Paramount Global.” - Variety
Cuyahoga County, where Cleveland is located, has long used such a tax to fund arts and culture organizations. Ohio’s newly-enacted state budget includes permission for Summit County (which includes Akron) to adopt a similar tax — if voters approve it in a referendum. - Akron Beacon Journal (Yahoo!)
“The 11-month strike waged by the performers’ union was brought to a tidy end on Wednesday as members voted overwhelmingly to ratify a labor agreement with major interactive companies, which collectively are behind franchises like Call of Duty and Marvel’s Spider-Man.” - The Hollywood Reporter
It’s a particular issue for historians in and of Philadelphia, since so many 18th- and 19th-century documents are in that hard-to-read script used in the Declaration of Independence. So experts at the American Philosophical Society (founded by Benjamin Franklin) have developed software to transcribe those documents. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
The notification doesn’t remove Harvard’s accreditation—which would leave the school virtually unable to operate. Education Secretary Linda McMahon urged Harvard’s accreditor to work with the school to “keep the Department fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards.” - The Wall Street Journal
Festivals are also answerable to funders and to different stakeholders’ interests. Cancellations of planned films raise questions about festivals’ roles and accountability to community groups who find certain films objectionable, the wider public, politicians, festival sponsors, audiences, filmmakers and the films themselves. - The Conversation
The 1879 play Vera; or, The Nihilists is about a young woman and her band of radicals who plan to kill the tsar. Its 1881 London premiere was cancelled after Tsar Alexander II was actually assassinated, and the play has been neglected ever since. - The Guardian
The brand’s voice is embedded in the content, as are its products, but there’s no overt pitch, no awkward energy of a sponsored partnership. The videos are seemingly unpolished, even if they may have been meticulously planned. And, in many cases, viewers may not even realize they’re being marketed to. - The New York Times
After something of a boom year in 2023, revenue growth slowed to 4.3% in 2024. In fact, 2024 continued an oscillating growth pattern we have seen all decade, with strong growth years followed by weaker ones. - Music Industry Blog
I’ll upload sections of my book, along with interview transcripts, and ask whether everything I’ve written squares with what my sources have said. I’ll ask it to read long sections of text and flag any material that hasn’t been introduced chronologically. - CJR
“Libin produced more than 250 Broadway, Off-Broadway and touring productions. He led Circle in the Square Theatre for 62 years until his death, serving as Executive Vice President and Producing Director of Jujamcyn Theaters for 28 years until 2017, and was President of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for 24 years until 2018.” - Deadline
