Cirque du Soleil is dismissing reports that an oil-rich Dubai investment fund has approached the Canadian company with a takeover bid.
Month: June 2008
Will August Play In The Provinces?
August: Osage County was a hit at the Tonys, and producers around North America are interested. But: “We have found our subscribers will accept the F-word if it is not repeated all evening long. But they won’t tolerate the C-word, which also figures prominently in Osage.”
The Secret Royal Ballet Interview
An interview intended to be kept under wraps for 40 years has shed remarkable light on an Australian’s disastrous directorship of the Royal Ballet in London.
Collector Files Complaint Against Basquiat Authentication Committee
The court papers say that, as no auction house will sell the painting as a Basquiat without the committee’s authenticity, its value is “less than $5,000” rather than “at least $3m” that the papers say it could command as an authentic Basquiat.
Canadian Publishers Agonize Over Proposed New Copyright Law
“The concerns largely relate to a potential loss of control over content as the industry increasingly becomes digitized. No one predicts anything as dire as the havoc that unauthorized downloads have played on the music industry, but the introduction of the Sony e-reader into the Canadian market last month has helped focus the conversation.”
The Actor Behind Big Bird
“Being Big Bird is sweaty, physical work. But Caroll Spinney, who has worked on “Sesame Street” for nearly four decades playing both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, has no wish to be anywhere else.”
UK Businesses Accused Of Playing Illegal Music
“It is estimated that more than half a million businesses across the UK are playing music illegally. But many of them don’t even know it.”
Research Beyond Google
“Just because students walk in the door as “digital natives,” the common observation goes, doesn’t mean they’re equipped to handle the heavy lifting of digital databases and proprietary search engines that comprise the bulk of modern, online research techniques. Yet the gap between students’ research competence and what’s required of a modern college graduate can’t easily be solved without a framework that encompasses faculty members, librarians, technicians and those who study teaching methods.”
The Movie Critic’s Lament
“Obviously, TV programs and movies need to be analyzed in context, taking into account who they’re meant for and what they hope to achieve. Nothing’s more irritating than reviews that torturously stretch to compare “Rambo” to “Satyricon.” Thanks to audience fragmentation, moreover, many projects are clearly not intended for middle-aged white guys. Amid critics’ lamentations about their dwindling ranks, this shifting dynamic has been understated as a factor.”
Vienna Opera Blames Soccer On Poor Box Office
“The venerable opera house saw its attendance numbers drop to the season’s lowest level on Monday, the same day Austria took on Germany in the city’s Ernst Happel stadium, the Staatsoper said in a statement.”