When it comes to the classics, one of the biggest hurdles to bringing new audience members to the ballet is that people are initially intimidated by the art form. They think they’re supposed to know what’s happening, but they come and witness an entirely foreign vocabulary where dancers use their bodies to express a story. - Playbill
"The poet Mary Oliver once described art as being like 'bread in the pockets of the hungry'. … (But) what does it mean when our pockets are empty of art? The result is a cultural climate in crisis, … (and) the squeezing out of affordable culture has profound knock-on effects." - The Guardian
The best thing to do is just start with any poem, because what matters about poetry is not what other people think of it or think of you reading these particular poems. What matters about poetry is which poems work for you. - The New York Times
Someone has dug out a 2005 interview on NPR's All Things Considered. Host: "We assume that you are who you say you are, but how can we be sure?" Banksy(?): "Oh, you have no guarantee of that at all — this could be a better prankster than I was." - CNN
“To deny tenure to such a gifted musician on the basis of some unsubstantial and, frankly, unconvincing reasons seems highly suspect. Any shortcomings in the ‘management and organization’ area would need to be really egregious to justify such a decision.” - The Pitch KC
The nuclear apocalypse comedy will be adapted by Armando Iannucci (Veep, The Death of Stalin) and will star, and be directed by, Sean Foley. Said Iannucci, "In these sad times, what better way to cheer the nation up than a stage show about the end of the world." - BBC
"As the North American tour of Funny Girl gets ready to hit the road beginning Sept. 9 following the Lea Michele-led musical's closing on Broadway, the tour has received backlash after casting newcomer Katerina McCrimmon in the lead role of real-life Jewish vaudeville star Fanny Brice." - The Messenger
"The furry pooch, named A.I.C.C.A. (or Artificially Intelligent Critical Canine) has been trained on a corpus of visual art and art writing. … Using its black-lens eye, it assesses physical artworks, before working with OpenAI's GPT model to generate a concise piece of art criticism" which is ejected you-know-where. - Artnet
"Derek defined himself as a reviewer rather than a critic, having started when more judgmental figures were leaving the arena. Among many choice anecdotes, he recalled that one of his predecessors on The Guardian ... was fired for dismissing The Sound of Music in a one-word review: 'No'." - The Guardian
"Dancer Sarah Michelson has inked representation with David Zwirner, which has plans to show new work by her at its new Los Angeles location in 2024. … Yet much of Michelson's work for David Zwirner will take the less conventional form of a residency program for the gallery." - ARTnews
"Some of publishing’s most celebrated and enduring editors are leaving Penguin Random House after accepting buyout packages. Meanwhile, an undetermined number of company-wide layoffs has begun, … amid a broader reorganization at (the publisher). - AP
"The transport secretary has granted a development consent order for a scheme to widen roads and dig a two-mile tunnel near the ancient site. The project, which was initially costed at £1.7bn, is designed to speed up journey times on the A303, a major link to south-west England." - The Guardian
At 62, Langrée has never been one of the world’s most famous or sought-after conductors. His career has been a steady climb of prestige and quality, quietly remarkable but undersung even as he has transformed ensembles. - The New York Times
Investigators from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office have carted away 71 looted artifacts from Shelby White’s home in the past two years, though they have not suggested that she or her husband knowingly bought stolen antiquities. In fact, investigators would later thank White, 84, for her cooperation. - The New York Times
“They proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get one day’s pay, and their companies should own that scan, their image, their likeness and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity on any project they want, with no consent and no compensation. - The Verge
