Cell Phones off. Pagers, ditto. But what about those whistling hearing aids? “This is a delicate matter. Users of hearing aids at performances have an unfortunate impairment and are still, to their credit, trying to enjoy live music. Moreover, a person wearing a hearing aid often cannot hear the whistling that his device sometimes produces. It is a pesky sound to track down for others in the hall. Those high-pitched sustained tones throw you off. You could be sitting just seats away from a malfunctioning hearing aid and think that the whistling is coming from somewhere up in the balcony.”
Month: December 2003
Chicago Theatre Crackdown
“Several small, non-profit Chicago theaters still are reeling from a surprise Nov. 21 crackdown by the City of Chicago’s Department of Revenue on venues without the required Public Place of Amusement (PPA) licenses. And at least one of the city’s theaters consequently has given up its home for good.”
Sing-along Beethoven
“Taking familiar pieces, both classical and popular, Robert Kapilow uses compositional theories and vigorous storytelling to deconstruct melodies, harmonies, themes and motifs into the essence of a work’s appeal. Lectures, enlivened by audience participation and generally raucous encouragement from Mr. Kapilow, end with a performance by a soloist or orchestra of the complete work analyzed.”
Hirst Dove Similar To One By Street Artist?
A picture of a dove by Damien Hirst looks awfully familiar to one by a street artist. Taalat Elshaabiny is “not resentful that Hirst can knock out what is very nearly the same image and sell it for so much. ‘He’s famous. And of course he has the right to paint the picture. If I were famous I would ask the same price. But I am poor and work on Bayswater Road’.”
Can Barnes Prove It Is Financially Unsustainable?
This month the Barnes Foundation goes before a court to try to win approval to move to Philadelphia. As part of its case, the Barnes wants to prove that its financial situation is so precarious it is unsustainable in its current home. “Yet while it is clear that many factors that are beyond the current management’s control have put the Barnes in dire straits, the Barnes management failed to control one important thing it has had power over: working within a budget.”
The Joy Of Grammar (As Bestseller)
Just how did Lynne Truss’ book about the joys of grammar hit the bestseller list? “The book tells you the rules, but is also full of jokes and anecdotes. ‘It is a sort of celebration of punctuation. You can’t help cheering it on, because it has done such a good job in its humble way.’ She speaks of the delights of the semi-colon with relish. She has listened to ‘the man from the Apostrophe Protection Society’ (yes, it exists) but does not sound like a member of any such group.”
Politic Up – Partisan Books On Bestseller List
Charged up, partisan political books are all over the best-seller lists these days. “There’s never been a time before when partisan books not only dominated the best-seller lists but also showed this kind of staying power.”
Austin Musical Theatre Files Bankruptcy
“In the biggest smashup of the two-year Austin arts bust, Broadway Texas, formerly known as Austin Musical Theatre, filed for bankruptcy Monday.”
Ancient Chariot Under Road
Highway builders have discovered an ancient chariot buried in their path in West Yorkshire. “Buried for 2,500 years, the find is a complete chariot containing the skeleton of a tribal leader, with the remains of at least 250 cattle, probably slaughtered for the funeral feast.”
Poetry: How $100 Million Changes You
It’s been a year since Poetry Magazine was given $100 million. “Over the last 12 months, the euphoria within the organization over what is believed to be the largest gift to a literary group — and which effectively guarantees in perpetuity the survival of the monthly founded 91 years ago in Chicago — has been undercut by the prosaic details of managing new wealth and responsibly employing it in the service of poetry. For some staffers, the excitement over a submission by a promising new poet has competed with the tedium of long meetings on legal, accounting and investment issues.”