The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation provoked a storm of protest this summer when it attempted to boost ratings by bumping its flagship national newscast two nights a week in favor of an American reality program. The reality show flopped, CBC’s ratings remain in the tank, and now a chorus of critics, politicians, and members of the public are calling for the broadcaster to reinvent itself as a true public service entity. “This CBC would stop trying to draw mass audiences to single events such as big-budget dramas, American movies or Saturday-night hockey games, but instead would offer a lineup of specialized Canadian programming that reached millions over the course of a week.”
Month: July 2006
A Matter Of Equity
Everyone remotely connected to the theatre world has heard of Actors’ Equity, the major union for theatrical performers. But unlike many other industries, theatres generally have a choice regarding how many union actors they hire, and whether they want to have the union in house at all. Furthermore, actors have to think long and hard about whether it’s even worth it for them to join Equity: the cost is prohibitive, and if they live in a town without many Equity houses, they’re unlikely to benefit much from membership.
Midwest Shakespeare Fest Falling Short
The Bloomington-based Illinois Shakespeare Festival has some serious challenges to face, not the least of which is this summer’s volatile weather, which has left several of the outdoor fest’s productions all wet. “The initial promise of this space as a festival environment — offering the chance to see several shows in a weekend, filling the gardens with picnickers and attracting audiences from Chicago — has yet to be fulfilled. In a town with few bucolic attractions, this theater seems underused.”
What’s In A Logo?
Logos may seem insignificant, but they have a major impact on the way people think about a company or an institution, or whether they think about it at all. So when Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art decided it needed a new logo, it was a major project.
Does Louisville Need A New Concert Hall?
The Louisville Symphony seems to be in a near-permanent state of fiscal crisis these days, and clashes between musicians desperate to hold onto what they have and managers intent on cutting costs pop up nearly every year. But Andrew Adler wonders if the success that other orchestras have enjoyed could be replicated in Louisville if the ensemble could somehow scrape together the money to build a shiny new concert hall where it is the primary tenant.
Is Edinburgh’s Fest Still Relevant?
The Edinburgh Festival is a beloved institution in Scotland, and visitors from throughout the world descend on the city every summer to experience it. But Robert Dawson Scott wonders whether the festival is really necessary anymore: “Obviously it is nice for central Scotland to have a glimpse of the international art world once a year. But does anyone else, apart from the attention-seeking adolescents who underpin the Edinburgh Fringe, really need to go there any more?”
Plenty of New Faces In Maine
The city of Portland, Maine, has been experiencing an unusual leadership vacuum in the cultural realm, with executives of seemingly every arts institution in town departing almost simultaneously. But the gaps are starting to fill, and Portland’s arts scene seems no worse for the wear.
This Summer Sucks (Culturally Speaking)
“So far, this has turned out to be the long soggy summer, not only in the backyard and the basement, but also around the watercooler, at the pool, beside the surf. The only things buzzing are the bugs… It’s the pictures, television, books and music that got very, very small. There’s little to rave about or worth running to consume… You know something is awry when Al Gore is the summer’s breakout movie star.”
Who Says Mozart Is Old School?
New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival is departing from tradition to introduce a massive piece of digital installation art outside its Lincoln Center home. The artwork “uses artificial intelligence in a visual and aural play of the composer’s last symphony — the ‘Jupiter’… In the interplay between sound and image, Mozart’s music is taken apart, with computers searching for the right sequence of notes that was recorded by real musicians — before reconstructing the final, perfect end to the masterwork.”
Disney Hall Suit Settled
“A complex lawsuit over who should bear unexpectedly high construction costs for Walt Disney Concert Hall has been settled, with builders to receive $13.3 million from the hall’s parent corporation and an additional $4.5 million under architect Frank Gehry’s professional liability insurance policy.”