After the Colorado Supreme Court last month upheld a ban on onstage smoking, two Denver theatre companies decided to “pursue a legal case, hoping to win an audience with the U.S. Supreme Court.” In the meantime, they say the prohibition is affecting their art.
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
University Puts Pittsburgh’s Only NPR Affiliate Up For Sale
“Duquesne University, which owns WDUQ, wants to sell the station and channel the assets into education.” In addition to carrying NPR programs, the station is “home to the city’s only daily jazz format.”
An Ouster Exposes The Fault Lines In Getty Management
When J. Paul Getty Trust President James Wood requested museum director Michael Brand’s resignation, the move disturbed “the very waters Brand and Wood were hired to calm. But more alarming to some observers is that Brand’s resignation suggests the Getty has failed to resolve a tension inherent in its management structure from its earliest days.”
Avatar Earnings May Break Records, But Attendance Hasn’t
“Eleven years ago, of course, ticket prices were a lot cheaper — the most recent estimated average ticket price was $7.46, compared with $4.69 in 1998. And most people are seeing ‘Avatar’ in 3-D, where ticket prices are several dollars higher. The result: Far fewer people have seen ‘Avatar’ than ‘Titanic’ so far.”
German Obama Musical: Brechtian, No. Alienating, Yes.
“‘Hope,’ a musical that tells the story of Obama’s election, had its premiere at Frankfurt’s Jahrhunderthalle on Jan. 17. … Parts of it are so silly they have to be seen to be believed. Cringe-making moments include a love song between Michelle and Barack, the president-to-be dressed in a gray V-neck cardigan with a large diamond pattern.”
When You Reach Me Wins Newbery Medal
“Librarians and bloggers who write about books for young people had widely tipped the book, by Rebecca Stead, as a favorite before Monday’s announcement.” Also Monday, Jerry Pinkney’s “The Lion & the Mouse” won the Caldecott Medal.
Where Famous Writers Breathed Their Last (And Their First)
“[W]hen it comes to rating literary residences, poignancy counts. … Also visit worthy are writers’ residences that suggest industry and diligence, with extra points for hints of scrabbling and penury.” But authors’ birthplaces? Why should anyone care?
American Arts Respond To The Haitian Crisis
The same night George Clooney hosts a two-hour telethon on multiple networks, “Washington’s Kennedy Center will donate proceeds from a National Symphony Orchestra concert,” aiming “to raise about $100,000 in ticket sales for the Haiti Relief and Development Fund of the American Red Cross.”
The Issues Behind The Cleveland Orchestra Strike
“Orchestra leadership wants the players to take a pay cut to address urgent financial problems. The musicians say that would be the beginning of the end of the premier ensemble, making it harder to attract and retain top talent.”
Under Labour Or Tories, Future Of Arts Funding Is Tough
“Speaking at the first ever State of the Arts Conference, organised by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce and Arts Council England, culture secretary Ben Bradshaw and his shadow Jeremy Hunt both gave speeches in which they warned of a more difficult climate for arts funding over the next decade.”