“Atlanta Ballet has announced it will produce a full-length show based on Margaret Mitchell’s Civil War-era novel, published in 1936. The Ballet was awarded exclusive rights from Mitchell’s estate last year and plans to have Scarlett, Rhett and Ashley on their toes by 2003.” – The Age (AP) (Melbourne)
Author: Douglas McLennan
THE MYTHICAL LUCINDA CHILDS
Why has choreographer Lucinda Childs largely made her career in Europe? “European governments have always spent generously on the arts, with France showing particular interest in contemporary American dance. And when choreographers like Mr. Cunningham, Trisha Brown and Ms. Childs were struggling to find backers in the United States in the early 1980’s, France stepped in to rescue them. Today, Ms. Childs is revered across Europe as a grande dame of American dance. In the United States, though, her work is so rarely seen that she has assumed almost mythical status.” – New York Times
SENTENCED TO PERFORM TOGETHER
The Audubon String Quartet has played together for 26 years. But a dispute among the members that started last February got out of hand and when three of the players tried to fire the fourth, he went to court and got a restraining order. Now the quartet plays under court order to remain together. “The judge can’t make them like one another, or speak to each other. For now, though, he can sentence them to make creative harmony, until further notice.” – The Guardian
NOBEL EFFORTS
Last week Czeslaw Milosz and Günter Grass traveled to Vilnius Lithuania to unveil a plaque commemorating Joseph Brodsky. – Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
LONDON CALLING
Low-cost videoconferencing brought together live collaborative performances between British and South African musicians in “a fusion of communications technology and live performance. An array of British and South African sponsors combined forces to present Call and Response, an interactive concert linking musicians and audiences in Benoni and Birmingham, United Kingdom.” – Daily Mail and Guardian (South Africa)
BAD TIME TO TOUR
Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, led by Pinchas Zukerman is on a tour of Israel and Jordan. But an eruption of fighting on the West Bank has forced the orchestra to cancel concerts. – CBC
THE WORLD’S LONGEST-RUNNING PRODUCTION
Every 10 years since the 1600’s the residents of Oberammergau have performed a passion play. “This year, more than 2,000 locals, almost half the village, will give 100-plus performances to half a million visitors. Qualifications for participants are severe. If you weren’t born here, you must have lived here for 20 years, or ten if you marry a lifelong resident. Until 1990, rules for women were even more rigid. Actresses had to be unmarried and under 35.” – New Statesman
FUNDING BOOST FOR NEA
US Senate approves $7 million increase in budget for the National Endowment for the Arts. It’s the first funding increase in eight years. – Washington Post (Reuters) 10/06/00
- DETAILS of Congressional funding for America’s cultural institutions (including money to build an exhibit at the National zoo for farm animals? “This will raise the lowly mule, chicken and pig to the same status as the zoo’s celebrated cheetahs and mountain lions.”) – Washington Post 10/06/00
SEE YOU IN THE FUNNY PAGES
A writer uses the dissemination of comic books as a model to imagine a brave new world where artistic products are distributed solely according to their merit and interest. – *spark-online 10/00
OLYMPIC ARTS
The Olympics are over and the Sydney Games are judged a success. But there was an arts festival attached to the games too (as required by the IOC). How’d it go? – Sydney Morning Herald 10/06/00
- HIGHS AND LOWS: Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and French ballerina Sylvie Guillem pulled in audiences – the Asian Youth Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony and Australian Ballet attracted disappointing houses. – Sydney Morning Herald 10/06/00