“I have an impressive Armenian cast,” playwright Mark Ravenhill writes from Yerevan, where he’s directing one of his plays. “Part of the Soviet legacy is the high standard of actor training. The quality of the acting is astonishing.” Still, there is one obstacle: “I don’t speak any Russian or Armenian, and the cast doesn’t have any English.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
A New Copyright Czar! (Or: Bush Job Creation In Action)
“President Bush on Monday signed into law legislation creating a copyright czar, a cabinet-level position on par with the nation’s drug czar. “
Airlines Choose Filters Over Porn-Surfing Customers
“Airlines, worried the wi-fi services they’re rolling out will turn planes into flying porn theaters, are installing filters to prevent passengers from surfing smut. The decision is hailed by flight attendants — who’ve so far been responsible for preventing porn peeping — and by activists concerned that children and other passengers might be subjected to objectionable material.”
King Children Battle Each Other Over Mother’s Bio
“In the third King v. King legal dispute in four months, two of Dr. [Martin Luther] King [Jr.]’s children are refusing to provide a biographer of their mother, Coretta Scott King, who died in 2006, with a collection of her photographs, letters and personal papers. Their brother, Dexter King, chairman of their father’s estate, has asked a judge to force them to comply. At stake is a $1.4 million book deal with the Penguin Group — as well as the reputation of one of America’s most famous families.”
On Eve Of Frieze, Atmosphere Is Gloomy
“Contemporary Fine Arts, a Berlin gallery that represents artists such as Peter Doig and Georg Baselitz, has made profit at every art fair the past five years. The winning streak may end this week at Frieze, London’s largest art fair, which is taking place during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.” Dealers and other industry professionals are sounding grim.
Berger: ‘New Tier Of Collectors Has Stabilized The Market’
“Roland Berger, founder and chairman of the German management consultancy that bears his name, expects the art market to ride out the current financial turmoil as wealthy Russians, Indians and Chinese buoy sales. … ‘A new tier of collectors has stabilized the market. Just because the financial markets collapse today doesn’t mean art prices will drop tomorrow — at least not for good-quality art.'”
In Pasadena, Playhouse Flourishes As Symphony Suffers
“The Pasadena Playhouse announced that an anonymous donor has stepped up with $3 million, the largest gift in its history. It rings down the curtain on a five-year capital campaign that raised $11 million, exceeding the goal by $2.5 million. … The Pasadena Symphony, meanwhile, is canceling two shows while cutting its 2008-09 budget by $1 million.”
Howard Stern, King No More
“Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed King of All Media, has lost his crown. The shock jock’s syndicated morning radio show once drew a national audience of 12 million, but since jumping to satellite radio three years ago, his listeners have dwindled to a fraction of that. … So far, the radio personality’s leap from traditional media to a niche platform has come at a heavy price — namely, cultural relevancy.”
Politicians Court Danger When They Seek Pop-Music Cred
With the notable exception of Barack Obama, “hanging off the coat-tails of musicians is a dangerous game for any politician to play.”
Cheesy, Yes, But The Kids Just Love It. Thanks, HSM!
“I went to the theatre last Thursday evening to see a touring musical with no real star names, no West End transfer on the cards, and no long-established fanatical following (all right, I admit it: I was seeing Flashdance). Usually with that kind of show a good crowd would be a three-quarters-full auditorium. This place was packed out. … All became clear as I heard one little girl aged about eight say to her grandmother: ‘So will this be like High School Musical?'”