“Because of a software glitch in some machines, TiVo customers have been discovering over the last few months that some of the shows they had set to record were cut off before the programs ended.”
Month: March 2006
Art Of Conversation
“Conversation is one of those acts that require subtle forms of social imagination: an ability to listen and interpret and imagine, an attentiveness to someone whose perspective is always essentially different, a responsiveness that both makes oneself known and allows the other to feel known — or else does none of this, but just keeps up appearances. It may be, then, one of the most fundamental political and social acts, indispensable to negotiating allegiances, establishing common ground, clearing tangled paths. Conversation may reflect not just the state of our selves, but the state of society.”
“Rings” – Aiming For Three-Plus Hours
Lord of the Rings, the musical, is long. Very long. “As the March 23 opening night bears down on the cast and crew of the most expensive theatrical show of all time, several issues still need attention. Some scenes and characters don’t work quite right. The music must be tweaked. Actors are still working on their characters. And the show’s producers must fix these things while making it all go faster — far faster than the nearly five hours the show ran at its first night of previews Feb. 4.”
This Is What a $23 Million Musical Looks Like (Almost)
The new Lord of the Rings musical costs $23 million. “This is one of the most expensive theatrical productions ever, and it comes on the heels of an Oscar-winning film trilogy of the Tolkien classics, of which more than 100 million books have been sold worldwide. On top of paring 1,200 pages to 3 1/2 hours of text and music to tell the by now familiar tale of hobbits, elves and humans pitted against evil wizards and their henchmen, the creators faced the challenge of assembling a team of 75 technicians from around the world, a cast of 55 — classical actors, singers, dancers and acrobats — and a 25-piece orchestra.”
Tonys Ban Voter Swag
Oscar “goodie bags” were worth more than $100,000 to presenters. There will be no such largesse to voters for the Tonys. “The Tony Awards Rules Committee has adopted resolutions that ban the distribution of “any campaign or promotional materials to voters, other than a script or a cast recording” tied to a show in award contention. The resolutions also prohibit nominees’ promotion through any communication that disparages or casts “any negative or derogatory light on a competing production, element, person or achievement.”
Violinist Sues Seattle Symphony
The complaint alleges “intentional emotional distress arising out of the hostile environment and harassment … over a long and extended period of time.” The violinist, who has an anxiety disorder that developed in his late teens, said in his suit that he has suffered “persistent and severe discrimination.”
Tere O’Connor On Dance:
“I feel it’s unfortunate that people feel that there’s a hidden intellectualism in dance, but it’s one of those places where marginalization looks elitist and it’s not. Lace-making is not a popular thing, and in a way it’s the same thing with dance. We’re small, not because we don’t want more people, but because this is a different way of looking at the world that isn’t born out of capitalism or religion.”
Who Owns The Public?
“The practice of street photography has a long tradition in the United States, with documentary and artistic strains, in big cities and small towns. Photographers usually must obtain permission to photograph on private property — including restaurants and hotel lobbies — but the freedom to photograph in public has long been taken for granted. Remarkably, this was the first case to directly challenge that right. Had it succeeded, “Subway Passenger, New York City,” 1941, along with a vast number of other famous images taken on the sly, might no longer be able to be published or sold.”
Do American Museums Need An Exit Strategy?
The Metropolitan Museum has made a deal with the Italians to return artwork. But this is just the beginning. “With the Italians playing their cards close to their vests and other nations, such as Greece, Turkey and Egypt, examining the prospects of making their own claims against American museums, worried museum officials are wondering who’s next.”
Reinventing America’s Tallest Building
Chicago has approved the construction of what will be America’s tallest building. “The design for the $550 million tower, which was breathtaking but hardly flawless when it was introduced last July, has taken some important steps forward, both in the sky and along the ground. Now here’s the trend part of the story: If this tower and Jeanne Gang’s sensuous Aqua high-rise both get built, Chicago will be running a clinic in the new aesthetic possibilities offered by skyscrapers that are places to live rather than work.”