“The atmosphere has been electrifying” throughout the Kirov Ballet’s recent five-week run at Covent Garden. “Three times in the 20th century the Russians have come to teach us a lesson in the lively arts. What has sustained them through the century is a peculiar blend of collective outlook and blind conviction.” – The Telegraph (London)
Author: Douglas McLennan
THE QUESTIONABLE TOURIST BALLETS
St. Petersburg is the home of great ballet, home of famed Russian dance companies. “Unfortunately, virtually every package tour of St. Petersburg feels the cultural necessity of including a ballet performance in its offering – rather as Paris tours once felt equally compelled to provide the Folies Bergere, or Le Moulin Rouge and Pigalle. But the tourists’ ballets, as I recently discovered to my cost, are occasionally questionable. – New York Post
FIRST THE BOOKS, THEN THE MOVIE, AND NEXT…
Plans for a movie are already far along. Now a planned stage reading has rumors flying around Broadway that a “Harry Potter” musical is in the offing. – Theatre.com
TAILOR-MADE READING
Consolidation of the book industry is reshaping the face of publishing. But just as significant is the rise of print-on-demand publishing. “Print-on-demand technology allows books to be produced quickly and in small quantities. It eliminates huge print runs, which require large sales to break even. It relieves publishing companies of the need to warehouse inventories and process bookstore returns.” – Chicago Tribune
BEING POLITICAL BY BEING APOLITICAL
“Two years ago, Bill T. Jones was approached by Arena de le Sol in Bologna, Italy, to make a dance depicting the influence of Latin culture in the New World. Though confronted with issues of colonization and what Jones describes as cultural ‘collision,’ he decided to make a poetic rather than a political response to the unjust historical truths surrounding these native communities. ‘Ultimately, I’m trying to enter this on the level of culture and art,’ he says. ‘I’m trying to tell the story as I see it, and what that looked like in terms of music.'”- Village Voice
BEST READ
What are America’s top public libraries? Here’s a list. – Book
A DIVA’S DUDS
More than 400 personal items once belonging to opera diva Maria Callas will be auctioned in Paris in December. The auction itself will also be open to Internet bidders using the site www.leftbid.com. – New York Times
WALL RENOVATION
When the Berlin Wall came down 11 years ago, artists from around the world quickly covered what was left of the eastern side with more than 100 paintings, creating “the world’s longest open-air gallery.” Now that most of the artwork has deteriorated, city officials want the remaining wall torn down. But the artists have banded together to lobby for its restoration: “It is symbolic that when the wall fell the artists could paint in the east. It is necessary for a new generation to see this history of the division of the city.” – ABC News (Reuters)
WHEN EVEN THE CAPITAL DECAMPS
“For almost 30 years, 420 Broadway served as Soho’s capital of contemporary art, headquarters for Leo Castelli, Ileana Sonnabend, and John Weber, as well as a string of other important dealers.” But with most of the important dealers having folded their tents and headed to Chelsea, now the building “stands empty, with demolition crews tearing out the ghosts of exhibitions past to make way for luxury co-ops.” – Village Voice
INSIDE JOB
At least 150 rare antiquarian books and artworks were stolen from the Japanese embassy in London, by the very man employed over the last three years to organize the valuable collection. Recovery will be difficult since the discovery came months after the collection had already been sold through auctions at Christie’s. – Japan Times