“Who are these dancers scraping by on their earnings? A new, short cinéma vérité documentary, We Live This, shines a light on the world of one crew, whose four young members perform on the J train. They are talented, hardworking, committed, and full of dreams, the film shows. But for some, the obstacles are high, and the alternatives slim.” (video)
Author: Matthew Westphal
Women Cinematographers Of The World, Unite!
“Cinematographers XX, whose website went up in February, is one of several new efforts among professionals in the industry to correct its gender inequity. The International Collective of Female Cinematographers, a networking and resource site that went live in April, is another. It was formed, a spokeswoman said, ‘out of the desire to get rid of the singular excuse we hear so often: ‘There just aren’t enough female D.P.s.””
A ‘Hamilton’ Film Could Resurrect The Entire Movie Musical Genre
“As long as Hollywood doesn’t see Hamilton as ‘what gimmick can we glean to slap on other projects for money’ … but takes risks for the audience to enjoy, then we could start to see movie musicals marching back toward their live action origins. Book of Mormon, Next to Normal, and many other musicals not even created yet could be the revitalization of the genre – but Hamilton is the linchpin.” (Lin-Manuel Miranda may beg to differ.)
Disney’s Doing Three Different Stage Versions Of ‘Frozen’
“Keeping all the efforts untangled can be challenging. Is the theme park show a miniversion of the Broadway one? What about the Disney Cruise Line production? Here’s what we know about the live-performance versions of Frozen underway.”
‘An Untenable Situation’: Cleveland Opera Theater’s Founding Director Steps Down
“Citing the creation of an environment at the company in which it would be ‘impossible for me to continue,’ the soprano [Andrea Anelli] this week announced that she had stepped down from the troupe she launched in 2006 as Opera Per Tutti.”
Orchestra Musicians Vote Three-To-One Against Renewing Chief Conductor’s Contract
As part of a larger survey distributed by management, the musicians of the Orquestra de València were asked, “Are you in favor, once his current contract expires, that a vote of confidence should be renewed and [Yaron Traub] should continue as conductor of the OV?” Well …
(in Spanish; Google Translate version here)
The What-Classical-Music-Needs-To-Change List To End All What-Classical-Music-Needs-To-Change Lists
It seems the classical web has acquired its own version of The Onion and Clickhole.
‘Both Solid Box And Blob’: Bjarke Ingels’s 2016 Serpentine Pavilion
“Viewed side-on, the pavilion is rectangular. But when seen from the front or at an angle, its curving silhouette is revealed. It also changes from opaque to see-through, depending on the viewing angle.”
Serpentine Gallery Erects Four ‘Summer Houses’ To Accompany Pavilion
“Architects Kunlé Adeyemi, Asif Khan, Yona Friedman and Barkow Leibinger … have created structures to reference Queen Caroline’s Temple in Kensington Gardens, designed by architect William Kent in the early 18th century.”
Meryl Streep Does Donald Trump Even Better Than She Did Margaret Thatcher
“She may have already played inspiring political figures like Margaret Thatcher and Emmeline Pankhurst on the big screen, but let’s face it: this is the role of a lifetime. At New York’s Shakespeare in the Park gala on Monday night, Meryl became the Donald.” (includes video clips)