Author: Douglas McLennan

Staff Versus Board: Seattle’s Intiman Theatre On Verge Of Closing?

At a contentious meeting Wednesday night, Intiman’s board of directors laid out a stark vision for the nearly 50-year-old arts organization, saying it was out of money and would probably have to close in October. Intiman’s staff, led by artistic director Jen Zeyl, and a collection of roughly 10 arts leaders and philanthropists from around the city, seemed to think otherwise. – Seattle Times

New Queens Library As “Third Place”

“With this project, Steven Holl ran with the idea that architecture could sculpt the experience of bringing together a community in a free-of-charge, 22,000-square-foot “third place,”—reflecting the belief popularized by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg that people need a place to socialize that is neither home nor the ubiquitous privatized realm.” – Architectural Record

Record Low Ratings For Last Weekend’s Emmys – Here’s Why

Various production choices — no host (unless you count Homer Simpson), crummy disco music, a puerile announcer — are partly to blame. But the main problem is the award itself. The Emmys don’t mean much to the American public because last night’s big winners — “Game of Thrones,” “Fleabag” and “Chernobyl” — are done, off the air, out of production, kaput. Sure, you can go back and watch them on HBO on Demand or on Amazon, but you’re not likely to. – New York Post

Canadian Publishing In 2019: Sales Flat, Some Structural Issues

A recent survey of independent bookstores across Canada by BookNet received responses from a total of 69 stores, with 80 locations. One consequence of this dearth is that online book purchases surpassed purchases in bookstores, with 53% of customers surveyed by BookNet saying that they now primarily ordered books online, a trend that has flipped in Canada in the past two years. – Publishers Weekly

Zanzibar’s Only Music School On The Verge Of Closing

Nearly 70% of its 80 full-time students can’t afford to pay their tuition, which comes to about $13 USD per month, according to an official DCMA press release. While the school has received support over the years from international donors and diplomatic missions, they face a gap in funding that may force them to shut their doors at the historic Old Customs House. – Global Voices

How Gianandrea Noseda Is Remaking Washington’s National Symphony

For players, the NSO has become more appealing than ever. It has long been one of the best-paid orchestras in the country. Now, it’s also seen as among the more dynamic ones. The orchestra is touring Asia this year, and a European tour is said to be in the works. It appeared at Carnegie Hall in the spring and will go to Lincoln Center in November. Selected performances are being streamed and distributed online on Medici.tv; others will be recorded, including the Beethoven cycle at the end of this season. – Washington Post

A Seattle Jazz Institution Closes

A modest room with fewer than 100 seats, Tula’s is a movie-set-ready jazz joint: cocktail tables bathed in golden light, wood-and-mirror-paneled bar, intimate stage, flat black ceiling, slowly turning fan. On the back wall hangs the huge wooden sign that once advertised Bud’s Jazz Records, in Pioneer Square. (The ashes of the owner of that shop, Bud Young, are also stashed in the club. Talk about keeping the spirit of jazz alive.) – Seattle Times