According to a report from Britain’s Publishers Association using data from the industry group UK Theatre, “in 2016, adaptations took, on average, three-and-a-half times more at the box office and sold 4.8 times as many tickets as original productions. … A family musical based on a film attracts more than six times the revenue of an original show. Page-to-stage adaptations were also more successful than original productions, particularly when analysing plays.”
Month: July 2018
Riccardo Muti Knows He’s Difficult (And Doesn’t Mind A Bit)
“I don’t want to fight any more. I’ve been fighting stupidity all my life. … The problem is that when you defend your dignity people say you have a bad character. If that’s true, though, everybody with any sort of character has a bad character.”
Today’s AJBlogs 07.19.18
Followup: Bechet By Liebman And Stowell Following the June 28 Rifftides review of the Scenes trio’s Destinations album, its guitarist, John Stowell, sent this comment: “Your readers might also enjoy the recent duo CD I recorded with Dave Liebman. It was … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2018-07-19
So you want to see a show? Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. For more … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2018-07-19
Creator Of ‘The Simpsons’ Talks To The Times About Apu
“Well, I love Apu. I love the character, and it makes me feel bad that it makes other people feel bad. But on the other hand, it’s tainted now — the conversation, there’s no nuance to the conversation now. It seems very, very clunky. … I think particularly right now, people feel so aggrieved and crazed and powerless that they’re picking the wrong battles.”
Wife Of Cliburn Winner Vadym Kholodenko Found Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity Of Their Children’s Murder
“The verdict was handed down after a brief hearing in which the judge was read reports by three experts — including one retained by the prosecution — who agreed that [Sofya] Tsygankova was criminally insane when she killed her daughters [in March of 2016]. … The judge then ordered Tsygankova, now 34, committed to a state mental hospital.”
Indianapolis Symphony Quietly Extends MD Krzysztof Urbański’s Contract
The 35-year-old conductor’s existing contract was set to expire with the end of this past season, but last fall the orchestra’s board added two years to Urbański’s tenure, which now runs through the 2019-2020 season. ISO management made no public announcement of the extension at the time and only revealed it in response to this reporter’s inquiry.
Paris Opera Ballet Sues One Of Its Own Dancers Over Leaked Survey Revealing Unhappy Company
“You’d think the Paris Opéra Ballet would be in damage-control mode after a leaked dancers’ survey, in April, brought up worrying reports of harassment and mismanagement. But instead of addressing these issues internally, the French company is suing one of its own dancers in order to strip him of his union representative status and subsequently be free to fire him.”
Actor Gary Beach, Tony Winner For ‘The Producers’, Dead At 70
“Mr. Beach won the 2001 Tony for best featured actor in a musical for “The Producers,” … in which he originated the role of the cross-dressing director Roger De Bris. He began his acceptance speech at the Tonys memorably. ‘Heil Mel!’ he shouted.” He received additional nominations for playing Albin in La Cage aux Folles (2004) and Lumière the candelabra in Beauty and the Beast (1994).
Defying UK Trend, V&A Museum Attendance Up 26%
“A new and less intimidating entrance has helped the [Victoria and Albert Museum] achieve record visitor numbers, bucking a trend of sharp falls across the UK’s museums and galleries. The museum said more than 4.4 million people visited the V&A and its London satellites, Blythe House and the Museum of Childhood.”
You Think Spike Jonze Is A Filmmaker? Ha – He’s A Dancer (And A Dance Filmmaker)
The general public known him as the auteur behind Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and Her. But some of his best work has been in dance-heavy music videos for the likes of Björk, Fatboy Slim, and Weezer. Jonze has even created for himself a dancing alter ego with an, er, inimitable styke.