“Could it be that big movie stars simply don’t swing that way? That lead actors defy all percentages and likelihood to remain a strictly heterosexual crowd? Or is the more logical explanation that while Hollywood preaches openness, it is fearful to practice it?”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Is It Cynical To Ask If There’ll Be Any Winners In ’09?
“Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank AG last night won prizes for their culture sponsorship in the U.K. from Arts & Business, an organization partly funded by the government.”
As Baltimore Orgs Face Cuts, Opera Co. Is On The Brink
“Due to stock market turmoil, endowments at the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra have dropped by millions of dollars, limiting the money that can be withdrawn for operating expenses. State grants have been cut significantly.” But it’s the Baltimore Opera Company that’s suffered most in the economic crisis: It may not even finish the season.
Don’t Hate Them Because They’re Brutalist
“Since the architect Paul Rudolph’s death, in 1997, his reputation has undergone one of the most dramatic rehabilitations imaginable, and his brutalist, sometimes off-putting buildings … are now recognized as some of the most expressive American architecture of the twentieth century. They are also some of the most threatened.” The Paul Rudolph Foundation, alas, lacks the muscle to ride to the rescue.
London’s Mayor Proposes Oyster Card To Boost The Arts
“An ‘Oyster card’ for the arts, giving free or cheap entry to events and venues, could be handed out to Londoners under plans announced by the Mayor today. The electronic pass” — used on London’s transit system — “would provide access to museums, theatres and sports centres for the elderly and children in care, and could eventually be extended to all schoolchildren.”
Gustavo Dudamel, The Magical Southpaw
Going to see Gustavo Dudamel conduct? “If so, keep an eye on the young conductor’s left hand. No, this isn’t some weird fetish thing. It’s a chance to focus on a key element of his technique, which is what makes him the real deal. A quick tutorial….”
Minn. Museum of American Art To Close, Reopen Eventually
“The Minnesota Museum of American Art in downtown St. Paul plans to box up its collection and temporarily close in January after years of financial and leadership trouble. Its board president David Kelly, a Minneapolis lawyer, said the institution hopes eventually to reopen in a new location although it has not identified a potential site or raised any money.”
The Planet’s Best Orchestras? Let The Debate Begin.
Gramophone’s poll of music critics names the world’s top 20 orchestras. “Seven American orchestras, four German and three Russian make the list, which is topped by the Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam. The mighty Berlin Philharmonic and the refined Vienna Philharmonic are second and third respectively.”
Is Chicago Taking Over The World?
First Obama, now the Chicago Symphony. “Gramophone asked classical music critics from the U.S., Europe and Asia to come up with their top 20 favorite orchestras. After the lists were compiled, the Chicago Symphony came out on top in the U.S.” It beat out six other American orchestras that also made the cut.
Christmas Theatre Bites — But Surely It Doesn’t Have To
“So Christmas is once again lurching towards us with all the stealth of a Salvation Army band and as I look around at what the arts have to offer I’m left with the same nagging question I have every year – how do we manage to make art about Christmas so boring?”