New series will broadcast theatre productions on TV. Broadway’s Roundabout Theatre production of “The Man Who Came to Dinner” will air live on PBS on October 7. – Variety
Author: Douglas McLennan
STAND AND DELIVER
Conductor Leonard Slatkin took his lumps from female musicians after making sexist comments about the proper concert attire for women. – The Guardian
Slatkin’s remarks “prove is that in the orchestra pit, as in every other walk of life, it is always open season on women. Men, by contrast, tend to be mutually protective of one another. We will know we have achieved true equality when they congregate anxiously at social events, sucking in their stomachs and asking: ‘Does my belly look big in this?’ – The Guardian
THE PROBLEMS WITH JAZZ
“More and more prospective young instrumentalists and singers are attending jazz music schools, but find nowhere to play after completing their studies; clubs presenting jazz are finding it particularly difficult to fill rooms, and this goes for Manhattan as well as San Francisco.” – San Francisco Examiner
WHAT MAKES A GOOD MOVIE?
Vladimir Nabokov was an evocative writer. Yet attempts to turn his books into films have been failures. “Many film-makers have tried to mine the wily Russian, and this new attempt revives the question: can Nabokov ever be filmed successfully?” – The Guardian
INVESTING IN THE ARTS
The UK’s new Film Council will be investing in movies. Art films? Documentaries? Not hardly. “There’s no difference between the Film Council and the mini-studios that exist in Britain, such as FilmFour, Momentum, Redbus, Renaissance, Sky Pictures, Intermedia. We are not dirigistes, as you are in France. Public money should be invested prudently, just like private money. We are not prepared to take unnecessary risks.” – The Guardian
RADIO STATION GIVES UP BROADCAST FOR THE WEB
A Santa Monica California radio station decides to abandon broadcast operations and exist only on the web. “It’s still a bit early, but we want to be there when the technology catches up to the demand.” With the push of a button, listeners will be able to purchase the works of the artists they’re hearing, and concert tickets, too. Down the road, advertisers will be able to target ads to individuals. – Chicago Tribune
MATERIALS ARE EVERYTHING
Wednesday, the British Museum revealed it had been “duped” by a stonemason who had used cheaper stone than had been agreed upon for a new $97 million portico under construction at the British Museum. But evidently the switch was discovered a year ago and workers were allowed to continue. Now everyone is “aghast” at the mismatch in stone color as the scaffolding is being removed. – The Guardian
- NOW FUNDING WOES: Britain’s Lottery, which is helping to fund the new British Museum portico to the tune of £15.75 million, said it will withhold £2 million because the right stone was not used. – London Evening Standard
DAMAGES FROM RESTORATION
Scientists tell the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society that “collectors and curators have been unknowingly using risky techniques that cause the polymers forming their paints to fall apart. Poor preservation techniques, including the cleaning of paintings using harsh chemicals, could soften and deform the paint.” – Ananova
ARTIST SUED OVER WOODS TRADEMARK
An Alabama artist painted a picture of golfer Tiger Woods winning the 1997 Master’s tournament. Woods sued the artist claiming violation of trademark. Though a Cleveland judge threw out the case, Woods has appealed and new organizations “believe that if Woods’ appeal is successful, it would increase the potential for publicity rights laws to extend into the newsgathering process.” – USA Today (AP)
BRITISH MUSEUM SCAMMED
The British Museum was scammed by a stonemasonry company that substituted a cheap stone for the stone it had offered as a sample for building a portico for the museum. The company “mixed samples of Portland stone with a cheaper French limestone to get approval – and then secretly went ahead with building in the French stone. The result has appalled experts. The portico is dazzling white and stands out from the Portland stone that surrounds it. ‘We were mugged,’ said the museum’s managing director Suzanna Taverne.” – London Evening Standard