“The U.K. government wants to cooperate with the U.S. to curb illegal downloads of music, films and TV shows. In a press confab with media scribes, Media Minister Andy Burnham said, ‘It’s my aim that we develop an international consensus on illegal downloading.’ … But the media minister ruled out criminal sanctions for people who download content for free.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Opera Shouldn’t Have To Be For Grown-Ups Only
“[O]pera is practically written for teenagers: it’s all about big wild uncontrollable emotions expressed in very loud voices, and speaks directly to the teen experience. Half of opera’s heroines, after all, are young teenagers with rather naive and overblown views of love and life.”
Is Popularity Endangering The Soul Of Slam Poetry?
Marc Kelly Smith, the Chicago-based originator of slam poetry, “expresses mixed feelings about the growing popularity and respectability of the art form that he created almost 25 years ago. From the start, he envisioned slam poetry as a subversive, thumb-your-nose-at-authority movement, and he wants to ensure it stays true to those origins.”
Open In The Fall And Kiss Your Tony Nomination Goodbye
“Over the past 20 years, 64 percent of the nominees for Best Musical and 72 percent of the nominees for the Best Play opened in the spring, [producer Ken] Davenport found. Over the past 15 years, 60 percent of the nominees for the Best Musical Revival and 68 percent of the nominees for the Best Play Revival opened in the spring. … [I]t’s time to change the system.”
Better No Shakespeare Than Shakespeare Poorly Done
“Classical theater requires study and training from its actors. Competency at performing contemporary theater does not automatically translate into an ability to make Shakespeare clear and accessible to audiences. … That brings us around to the question of whether a community is better off without Shakespeare if the alternative is poorly executed productions of his work. I believe you do it well or you don’t do it.”
Mexico City Museums Suffering In Wake Of Flu Outbreak
“Visits to some of Mexico City’s museums have fallen by as much as 90% since the outbreak of the H1N1 virus last month that prompted a near shutdown of numerous facilities, according to reports in the local media. Owners of some of the privately owned museums in the capital are seeking financial help from the government and say that if attendance doesn’t pick up, they may be forced to take ‘drastic measures’ such as cutting staff by half and opening for only three days a week.”
In Form, Function, Men’s Book Clubs More Like Women’s
“The idea of a bunch of guys sitting around a living room, or in a restaurant or bar, and not talking only about the Sox or their sex lives or their mortgages, but also ruminating on something as abstract as evil while sipping Cabernet, might be hard to imagine. … Men’s book groups are coming of age, digging deeper and acquiring a seriousness of purpose commensurate with these serious times.”
San Francisco Ballet To Make First Chinese Tour
“San Francisco Ballet will announce plans today for its first trip to China, including appearances in Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing. … Though the presenter,” which approached the ballet only two months ago, “is footing most of the bill for the trip, the Ballet needed to raise nearly $1 million to cover transportation and other expenses.”
San Francisco Ballet To Make First Chinese Tour
“San Francisco Ballet will announce plans today for its first trip to China, including appearances in Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing. … Though the presenter,” which approached the ballet only two months ago, “is footing most of the bill for the trip, the Ballet needed to raise nearly $1 million to cover transportation and other expenses.”
To Foster Community, London Will Place Pianos On Street
“In an experiment backed by Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, and by the national lottery, 31 pianos are to be plonked around the capital to encourage people to gather for a singsong with strangers. They will be placed at prominent sites such as the British Library, the Natural History Museum, the Bank of England and Tate Britain. … A full-time tuner will tour the sites on a bicycle to maintain them.”