Month: March 2006

Flying Solo (And Blind)

Why do the parts for classical musicians contain only the individual’s part and not those for other instruments? “Imagine being an actor and being given a copy of a script that only contained your lines. Being an effective ensemble requires a fundamental understanding of what everyone else is doing in addition to what you’re doing. In fact, in that sense, ensembles in theatre, dance, and music are art’s most poignant metaphor for how individuals coexist in a society.”

Rabinovitch: CBC Needs A Makeover

CBC president Robert Rabinovitch says that “CBC television needs a new funding formula that recognizes not just its unique circumstances, but also its unique role,” he said, adding that, with its $7.3 billion budget, the BBC costs about $122 per person. “For less than $1 billion in government money, Canadians get 27 national and international services, in English and French, and eight Aboriginal languages. For that, each Canadian pays annually about $30.”

Guthrie Head To Step Down

On the eve of opening a new home for Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theatre, managing director Tom Proehl says he’ll leave the job. “I’ve been so focused on this new building for the last 2½ years. I thought this was a good time for me to say, ‘I got us here. Let’s move on.’ The new Guthrie will be a very different place, and I think it will do well with a fresh perspective on what it can really be.”

CBC Prez: Network Needs New Canadian Dramas

“Last month the CBC cancelled three of its critically acclaimed but low-rated series — Da Vinci’s City Hall, The Tournament and This Is Wonderland — prompting accusations that the broadcaster was placing too much emphasis on viewer numbers. But in his speech, CBC president Robert Rabinovitch said CBC-TV should be “taking risks and producing programs that innovate — Canadian equivalents to The Office from the U.K. or Six Feet Under from next door.”

An Oscars For Video Games

“The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced that video games are as important to popular culture as film and television. As a result, what it regards as “one of the principal contemporary art forms” will be rewarded with a beefed-up British Academy video games awards in October.”

Interpreting The Music (Silently)

You think music is all about the sound? Nope. In Seattle, interpreters perform at concerts to translate for deaf fans. “The craft is harder than it sounds: At its best, it’s being prepared and knowledgeable enough to communicate the essence of an artist’s lyrics over the actual words. By law, venues must provide interpreters upon request. And while local ticket sellers report just a handful of requests a year — typically for big-name events — it’s been particularly busy for KeyArena, which has trotted out U2, McCartney and the Stones.”

Audience Challenge On American Spanish TV Network

Spanish language TV in the US is big. “Catering to the country’s growing Latino population — 40 million and counting — Univision now challenges ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, especially in big coastal cities like New York, Los Angeles and Miami, occasionally beating them in the ratings with its sexy, soapy prime-time shows. Any new owner would have to wrestle with the shifting dynamics of the company’s audience. More Latinos are American-born and English-speaking, and their tastes in television are changing more quickly than Univision’s shows.”