“The Minnesota Ballet was maybe the hardest-hit local arts organization, with an estimated 90 percent of sets and backdrops affected by last week’s flood.”
Month: June 2012
Judge OKs Philadelphia Orchestra’s Exit From Bankruptcy
“On Thursday U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Eric L. Frank approved the orchestra’s reorganization plan, which drew no opposition at a hearing attended by most of the major interested parties. His action clears the way for full emergence from bankruptcy by the end of July.”
Musicians’ Union Demands Mediator In Philly Pops-Peter Nero Dispute
“Saying it does not believe the Philly Pops can last without Peter Nero and an orderly passing of the baton to a successor, the local American Federation of Musicians is calling in a federal mediator in the dispute over Nero’s contract.”
Rosemary Dobson, 92, Last Of A Generation Of Australian Poets
Over a six-decade career, “[she] won the 1948 Sydney Morning Herald poetry prize for the title poem of her second collection, The Ship of Ice, and in 2001 the Age book of the year for Untold Lives and Later Poems.”
Our E-Books Are Reading Us
“In the past, publishers and authors had no way of knowing what happens when a reader sits down with a book. Does the reader quit after three pages, or finish it in a single sitting? Do most readers skip over the introduction, or read it closely, underlining passages and scrawling notes in the margins? Now, e-books are providing a glimpse into the story behind the sales figures, revealing not only how many people buy particular books, but how intensely they read them.”
The Book Of Mormon Tour – Will It Play In Peoria?
“The show, with its profanity-laced songs and irreverent take on religion and poverty, has grossed more than $90 million on Broadway and picked up nine Tony awards. The racy material will stay unchanged for the tour, say sources close to the show. But will it work in the heartland?”
Major Gift Of African Sculpture To Boston’s Museum Of Fine Arts
“The Museum of Fine Arts has been given 34 rare West African pieces from a group of works known as the Benin bronzes, marking a dramatic upgrade in a long-neglected area of the museum’s collection. The 28 bronzes and 6 ivories come from New York collector Robert Owen Lehman.”
Pottery Was Invented 10,000 Years Earlier Than We Had Thought
“The US archaeologists involved have determined that fragments from a large bowl found in Xianrendong Cave, Jiangxi Province, are 20,000 years old. The discovery … is the latest in recent years that have pushed back the invention of pottery by 10,000 years.”
Watching How Dancers Rehearse
“Sitting in on a rehearsal by a professional dance company is a privilege; even seasoned dancegoers rarely see this side of the process, although it makes up the bulk of a dancer’s life. The rehearsal is where details of a dance are worked out, spacing is shored up, and lifts are negotiated; it’s where the movement language is studied and committed to memory.”
British Public Broadcasting’s Spending On Arts Has Dropped By More Than A Third
“Spending on arts programming by the five main public service broadcasters – including the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 – fell by 39% over the five years to 2011, according to a report published by [UK media regulator] Ofcom today.”