New director Mara Manus has brought change and anxiety about change to the Film Society of Lincoln Center. “One-quarter of the society’s staff has been dismissed or has resigned, prompting concerns about the group’s direction. And the Film Society’s 3,600 members are waiting to hear what perks they may lose as part of Ms. Manus’s drive to run what has traditionally been a low-key and easygoing operation ‘more like a business,’ as she puts it.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Getting Your Concert Tickets Online? Good Luck With That.
“Two years after the repeal of New York State’s decades-old anti-scalping laws, the ticket marketplace has become a fiercely competitive game in which major corporations compete over resale prices with the fan next door, scalpers have a Washington lobbyist and thousands of tickets disappear in a fraction of a second. … And the churning secondary market has muddied long-held beliefs in the concert industry about what constitutes fair trade.”
Hollywood Is An Economic Driver, MPAA Head Says
“While other American industries look for cover during the economic crisis, Motion Picture Assn. of America chair-CEO Dan Glickman believes the thriving worldwide box office makes the U.S. film biz a powerful growth engine. Glickman had plenty of positive stats to rattle off during his annual state-of-the-industry address at exhib confab ShoWest thanks to the current surge in moviegoing.”
Asbestos Was In The Air At A Second Smithsonian Museum
“Members of a steamfitters union local said that in 2007, asbestos dust filled the air during renovation of the National Museum of American History because contractors repeatedly failed to take legally required precautions while removing insulation.” The Smithsonian acknowledges that there was a problem, though not as serious as the union alleges. A congressional hearing about asbestos at the Smithsonian is to take place today.
This Season, Broadway Gives Screen Stars A Workout
“Broadway’s the happening place for stars like [James] Gandolfini with a yen to moonlight. And the trend is accelerating. It’s becoming ever rarer for a straight play to arrive without a brand-name eminence. This spring has yielded the most crowded field in memory.”
Tate Modern To Grow With £215 Million Extension
“Even though Tate Modern’s home, the former Bankside power station, is a colossus, the sheer number of people visiting throughout the year has made an extension almost inevitable. Today, the London Borough of Southwark approved plans for Tate Modern 2, an 11-storey, brick-clad pyramid – of sorts – designed by Herzog and de Meuron, the Swiss architects who transformed the redundant power station across the Thames from Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral nearly a decade ago.”
From The Queen To Mexico’s President, A Copy Of 1984
“Pandora very much doubts that the Queen harbours many an anti-establishment tendency – though the prospect is, rather delightfully, raised by news of her gift to the Mexican President: a copy of the classic dystopian novel, 1984.”
Timed For Centenary, A Titanic Museum?
“A new museum charting the story of the Titanic could be built ahead of the 100th anniversary of the sinking. The £28m project in Southampton, from where the liner set sail in 1912 on her maiden voyage, is set to feature a climb-aboard replica of the ship.”
Rufus Wainwright’s Opera To Premiere In Toronto
“Luminato, Toronto’s annual arts festival, is going where the Metropolitan Opera does not dare to tread. Upshot: in June 2010, Toronto will scoop New York with the North American premiere of Prima Donna, a much-anticipated first opera by singer/songwriter and cult favourite Rufus Wainwright.”
Field Hard Hit, AIA Convention Crowd Will Be Much Smaller
“One month from now in San Francisco, a national architecture convention will be in full swing – but not nearly as full as the organizers had hoped. It’s the annual gathering of the American Institute of Architects, which in rosier times anticipated upward of 27,000 attendees touching down in, all rise, Everybody’s Favorite City. … Now the estimate is a crowd of 20,000 to 22,000….”