New York Times classical critic Anthony Tommasini found he didn’t entirely agree with the choice of winners at this year’s finals. So he called National Council Auditions executive director executive director about what the jury looks and listens for. – The New York Times
Mark Nerenhausen on Curating Outcomes
For a second video interview for my Presenting the Performing Arts class, I talked with Mark Nerenhausen, President/CEO of Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis, who shared the many moving parts in animating and activating a building and a neighborhood through the live performing arts. – Andrew Taylor
Why “Porgy and Bess” Is More than a “Period Piece”
Is the fundamental topic of Porgy and Bess a black Carolina subculture ca. 1920? If so, does that validate the Gershwin Estate’s insistence that only blacks sing it? – Joe Horowitz
Look alive
As I grow older, I find that my personal definition of what it means to be beautiful is becoming far more encompassing. What no longer catches my eye, however, is youthful prettiness. It is wasted on me, whether in its natural form or in the chemically assisted simulacra that are easy enough to spot. – Terry Teachout
Michael Tilson Thomas At 74: At The Center
“I have a checklist of things I want to get done before I’m outta here,” he says. “What I don’t know is: Just how much applause do I actually need to hear?” – New York Magazine
American Museum Protests Use Of Image Of One Of Its Paintings By German Far-Right Party
The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the owner of a provocative painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme, objects to the image’s use to stir up nationalist fear. – The Art Newspaper
‘Hadestown’ Leads 2019 Tony Nominations With 14 Nods
“But the nominations were notable not only for those they honored, but for those they ignored. To Kill a Mockingbird and Network, two costly dramas that have been big hits at the box office, did not get nominated in the best new play category. But they did not come away empty-handed — Mockingbird was nominated in nine other categories, and Network in five.” – The New York Times
Is The New Emphasis On Inclusiveness Being Made At The Expense Of Connoisseurship?
Alexander Adams: “British arts venues are now ripe for the taking. They are staffed by individuals schooled in cultural relativism and primed by feminism, anti-colonialism and identity politics. They are eager to turn their bastions of so-called privilege and oppression into beacons of inclusivity and empowerment. Their overwhelmingly left-leaning political beliefs welcome the chance to throw off the shackles of connoisseurship, historical rigour and professional integrity in order to become champions of social justice.” – Standpoint