Graham Vick of Birmingham Opera Company: “So much is encouraging about opera just now, most of it found in the sense of adventure of performances in pub theatres, supermarkets and car parks. … Making this expensive art form accessible does sometimes mean finding less costly ways of presenting it. … But trapped between tyrannical, unyielding musical values and a theatrical inferiority complex, artists and programmers, artistic directors and marketing departments cling on to outmoded models by the fingernails (or do I mean by co-productions?). They fear the implications of radical change. But we need to bend – there’s no use pretending something’s not broken.”
On The History Of The American Flag In Black Protest Art
“[Colin Kaepernick’s] protest was a piece of performance art, and in staging it he blurred the line between art and protest. Kaepernick isn’t just a part of the long line of black athletes who have used their platforms to speak out about political issues; he (unintentionally) inserted himself into the rich tradition of black artists who have invoked the American flag in political protest.”
Cape Town Opera, Back Home From European Triumphs, Fires 12 Choristers Who Claim They Were Cheated Of Pay
“South Africa’s leading opera house has been accused of financially exploiting 12 singers who performed internationally in a controversial but critically acclaimed production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, set in colonial [Eritrea] and portraying racial abuse and rape by fascist Italian troops.”
Inside Dubai’s Lavish New Opera House
“Dubai Opera is attempting to rival the famous Sydney Opera House, with 2,000 seats, an elegantly designed marble interior boasting a dramatic multi-story 11,000-pound glass chandelier, and by hosting talent like the prestigious tenor Plácido Domingo. But perhaps even more striking than the glamorous décor is the building itself, inspired by the dhow, the traditional ship found in the Persian Gulf.”
Escalation: Parent, Dance School Report Each Other To Police
“The email war of words between the two led to each of them making a complaint against the other to the police. A Gloucestershire Police spokesman confirmed they had received the complaints.”
Yeah, Critics Hate Kevin Smith Movies – So What? He’s Made Himself Critic-Proof
“After horrible failures such as Jersey Girl and Cop Out, Smith retreated from Hollywood – not only because he had to, but because he could. His loyal fans, willing to follow him anywhere he commands, fund his work. … What Smith knew … was that the film is less important than the intellectual property and the fanbase that will gladly hand over their money for the right to own a piece of it.”
Is August Wilson The Shakespeare Of Modern America?
Actor Keith David: “‘There is a rhythm in this language that if you betray, you won’t find the truth of. It’s inherent in the language. … [And his characters] are rich, full, incredible human beings – and thinking human beings, colorful not only in their use of language but the way in which they think and communicate, both with each other and out in the world.”
Russia’s Most Outrageous Performance (And That’s Saying Something) Gets A Burger King Menu
Pyotr Pavlensky – the man who literally sewed his lips shut to protest the Pussy Riot trial, nailed his scrotum to Red Square, and set fire to the headquarters of Russia’s secret service as an art project – is being honored by the St. Petersburg branch of the fast food chain with a series of special-edition hamburgers named for his most famous stunts projects.
San Diego Symphony Musicians Accept New Five-Year Contract
“Annual wages for 82 full-time musicians in the 106-year-old orchestra will jump from just under $70,000 in the first year to $80,000 when the contract concludes in 2021.”
Ballet Hispánico Suffers Major Flood Damage – For Second Time
Following a water main break, “water began pouring into the ballet studio at 167 W. 89th St. around 9:30 p.m. Monday and quickly filled the basement with six feet of water, drenching the company’s stock of house-made costumes and props as well as the dance floors on the first floor.”
‘Back Off’, English National Opera’s New Chief Says To Opera Skeptics, ‘Stop Coming For Our Building’
Daniel Kramer: “Just because you don’t get opera, and that it does something superhuman, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a viable art form. … What we need to show is that this is such an important art form that we deserve to get back to 14 shows a year.”
Los Angeles Needs A Summer Music Festival Of Its Own (Just Ask Salzburg)
“As the city weighs the feasibility of its bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, let us remember what it meant in 1984 when L.A. mounted an Olympic Arts Festival that changed the complexion of performance arts in Los Angeles. Do we have it in us to do it again?”
The Problem With Having Non-Trans Actors Playing Trans People In Films
“Hollywood is having a very difficult time letting go of the idea that putting a male actor in a dress, wig and makeup is an accurate portrayal of a transgender woman.”
The Guy Who Replaced Lin-Manuel Miranda As Alexander Hamilton
“Javier asks if I’d like to see his garden. He keeps one on the roof of the marquis of the Richard Rodgers theater, so that he could be alone for a few minutes on performance days, and so that he could watch things grow.”
Two Death Eaters From ‘Harry Potter’ Have A Conversation
“All coincidences probably come to think of it. We’re definitely the good guys here. We’re doing the right thing for everyone.”
Wait, Were The Critically Panned DC Movies Just A Way To Sell An Ungodly Number Of Comics?
“Unburdened by the often complicated superhero continuity, a good reboot can both entice new readers and excite current fans, while goosing the bottom line. Or it can blow up in their face.”
YouTube Creators Protest Over Takedowns Of Ads
“YouTube is facing a backlash from creators angry that the video giant is blocking advertising from running against content it deems inappropriate — while the Google-owned video giant says it has not actually changed its policy.”
Broadway Musicals Are More Diverse. But Broadway Plays?
“Somewhat overshadowed by the #TonysSoDiverse hype of the evening were the best performance awards in a play category: all four went to white actors over the age of sixty. After such an exciting season on Broadway, where productions finally reflected the zeitgeist of our times, are Broadway plays lagging dangerously behind?”
Fear Of Eternity Is A Genuine Phobia
“Woody Allen once said, ‘Eternity is a very long time, especially toward the end!’ Eternity sounds great on the surface, but actually experiencing it may be an entirely different matter. For some people, the very notion of infinity sends chills up the spine. In fact, for many who suffer from ‘apeirophobia’ – a term for the fear of eternity – the thought of an existence that goes on forever amounts to torture.”
At North Korea’s Only Film Festival, There’s No Red Carpet, And The Audience Screamed At A Gay Sex Scene
“With three screenings a day in seven theatres across Pyongyang, the majority of films are foreign titles for a local audience. North Korean filmgoers are so excited when the theatre’s doors crack open, they literally run for a seat. Some are left standing in the aisles, some sit on the floor, and many seats have two people squeezed into them.”
Britain’s National Gallery Asks Government To Help It Buy £30m Italian Old Master
“The National Gallery in London wants to buy a portrait by Pontormo that its aristocratic owner sold to an oversees buyer for more than £30m last year. Unusually, the seller paid inheritance tax on Portrait of a Young Man in a Red Cap (1530) before its new owner applied for an export licence. The National Gallery therefore hopes that the Treasury will refund the tax paid to help keep the portrait in the UK.”
What’s The Key To Making An Arts Organization Resilient? The Workplace Culture
“The key point for leaders to realise is that a culture exists in your workplace whether you like it or not. And that’s the point: to develop and co-create a culture, you need to be ‘intentional’ about it. If you don’t think about it, it’s going to emerge anyway and, more often than not, you won’t like what you find.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 09.01.16
So you want to see a show?
Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-09-01
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Restructuring At Yale University Press London Worries Critics
“In their annual report for the year ending in June 2015, the trustees of YUPL reported that the Press had had its second best year ever. But they also sounded a warning note: while sales remained strong, the margin was disappointing and it singled out the results of the ‘Art list’ as being in particular decline compared to others.”
Bass Museum In Miami Postpones Reopening To Next Year
“Because of construction delays, the Bass contemporary art museum in Miami will reopen in the spring of 2017 rather than on Dec. 1 … In the meantime, the Bass will continue its programming in offsite locations.”