L.A. Opera’s “Das Rheingold” will run two hours and 45 minutes, no intermission. “And much of the action takes place in and around the Rhine River — well, that’s a lot of water imagery, given the circumstances. Do we need to spell it out? Applause isn’t the only thing you’ll have to hold until the end.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Reversal: Drama Teacher Says He’ll Make A Stand For Rent
“Ron Martin, the drama teacher at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, says he will fight for ‘Rent: School Edition,’ the show he contends was arbitrarily pulled by a principal concerned about depictions of prostitution and homosexuality. … He said hundreds of e-mails and phone calls led him to try to make the case for ‘Rent,’ which in the school edition omits bad language and depictions of sexual behavior.”
National Gallery And Tate Reach Turf Truce
“The two titans of the British art world, the National Gallery and the Tate, have finally edged towards a truce after four years of disagreement about where the cut-off between their collections should be. The armistice comes just days before the opening of the National Gallery’s latest blockbuster, devoted to Picasso – an artist whose natural territory is, arguably, Tate Modern rather the National Gallery.”
An Al Jolson Musical Opts To Go Without Blackface
“In a new production, Jolson & Co – the Musical, to open at the King’s theatre in Edinburgh, the pantomime star Allan Stewart will play Al Jolson. Controversy has erupted as the producers have decided that in a seminal scene he will not black up.” This is a cowardly misstep, as “contemplating Al Jolson without blacking up is like considering Marvin Gaye without sex; if the producers wanted to avoid controversy, they shouldn’t be doing a musical about Al Jolson.”
Despite Star In Lead, B’way Play Had Trouble Raising Funds
“Even having a major Hollywood name in a Broadway play does not guarantee that investors will rush to put money into it in these recessionary days, theater producers are learning. Case in point: Jane Fonda’s star turn in ’33 Variations,’ the new play written and directed by Moisés Kaufman now in previews at the Eugene O’Neill Theater and opening on March 9.”
Another Instrument Left In A Taxi; Will Epidemic Ever End?
“Glenn Dicterow, the concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, has joined an illustrious club: prominent musicians who forgot their instruments in taxis. In Mr. Dicterow’s case, it was a 1727 Guarneri del Gesù violin belonging to the orchestra. But his separation anxiety lasted barely 30 minutes because of a lucky set of connections that sent the taxi driver zooming back in time for a concert curtain.”
Placido Domingo Wins $1 Million Birgit Nilsson Prize
“Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo has been awarded the first ever Birgit Nilsson prize for his ‘unrivalled contributions to the world of opera’. He receives $1 million (£697,000) – the biggest prize in classical music.”
$500M In Tax Credits Aim To Make Calif. Film-Friendly
“After years of watching [film] production lured away by government incentives, California’s gotten into the game by approving a five-year $500 million tax credit program. … California’s program, which goes into effect July 1 with a cap of $100 million annually, will likely strike at the heart of the New York production industry.”
In WiFi-Free Oscars Press Room, Internet Service Is $500
“There is wireless internet service available in most any upper Egyptian coffeehouse for a handful of piasters. In Turkey, I paid the equivalent of a buck for an hour of Internet service in a dusty Anatolian town near a bunch of Greek ruins. … But in the middle of the busiest part of the most industrialized city in this state, it still costs $500 for the use of a high-speed phone line for four hours to cover that lumbering old two-toed sloth, the Academy Awards.”
An Affectionate Defense Of Muzak (Really!)
“There were mixed feelings when Muzak Holdings LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month. Most reactions ranged from surprise (does Muzak still exist?) to snobbish relief (they should have driven a stake through its canned heart long ago). But some of us felt a real pang, as memories flooded in on the wave of news about the possible disappearance of yet another pipeline to the past.”