“[The election of] Robert F. Smith, the private equity titan who was named the richest African-American man by Forbes last year after making a fortune in software, … brings to an end a low moment at the hall. The billionaire Ronald O. Perelman served as its chairman for less than a year before stepping down last fall after he alienated the board by clashing with the hall’s executive and artistic director, Clive Gillinson.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Why Yannick’s New Job At The Met Is Good For Philadelphia (And Not Just For The Orchestra)
“The orchestra was able to retain Nézet-Séguin even as he was wooed by the Met – which is being seen as something of a feather in the cap of the city.” Said one local arts executive, “He could have so easily just walked away. Everyone is talking about attracting and retaining talent, and the fact that we’ve kept the talent is beyond brilliant. This is such a good story for Philadelphia.”
Newly Discovered James Ensor Painting Sells For €1 Million
“A previously unknown painting by the Belgian artist James Ensor was the star lot in Dorotheum’s Modern art auction in Vienna on 31 May. Baptême de masques (1925-30), which is based on a contemporary photograph featuring the artist, vaulted over its high estimate of €500,000 selling for just over €1m (including buyer’s premium). “
Stop Workshopping New Plays To Death, Says Famous Playwright
Christopher Hampton (Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Sunset Boulevard,The Talking Cure): “The world is full of people telling you how to rewrite your play. Generally that has a homogenising effect because the advice people give you is based on their experience of other plays. … it all takes away those jagged edges that really cut into the audience.”
Guillaume Côté Choreographs His First-Full-Length Ballet – $2 Million’s Worth
“Although Côté has staged short dance pieces before, Le Petit Prince‘s world premiere on Saturday marks his full-length ballet debut as a choreographer. Carrying a hefty $2-million price tag (covered by a single private donor), it’s also the first new full-length production by a Canadian choreographer that the National Ballet has staged in a decade.” (includes video clips)
Top Posts From AJBlogs 06.02.16
So simple to fix
In my recent posts, I’ve noted a lack of real physicality in most opera stagings, which — to cite just one problem it causes — can lead to violent moments not looking violent. Which then … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-06-02
Review: Meet Rob Clearfield
Rob Clearfield, Islands (ears & eyes records) Pianist and composer Rob Clearfield is a member of Chicago’s under-30 jazz community, admired for work as a sideman with bassist Matt Ulery and pianist-singer Patricia Barber, among … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-06-02
So you want to see a show?
Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-06-02
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Why Keeping Secrets Is So Difficult (And How To Make It A Little Easier)
“You have to pay a lot of attention both to what other people already know as well as to whether they’re allowed to know the secret information, too. This mental effort can be a problem in casual conversation, where it’s easy to let a piece of information slip unintentionally. Our minds have a limited capacity to process information.”
Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum Goes In-House For New Director
“The board of trustees at the Rijksmuseum announced on Monday that Taco Dibbits, the museum’s director of collections, would replace Wim Pijbes as general director. Mr. Pijbes, who had seen the museum through a major expansion, announced his resignation in March after accepting a job as director of a new private museum.”
They’re Giving British Cops Special Training In How To Handle Protests Against Controversial Art
“The advice pack – put together by Index on Censorship and Arts Council England – hopes to create a more cohesive approach to policing across different forces, with an emphasis on avoiding censorship. Its publication follows protests in recent years against performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Barbican Centre, which resulted in the cancellation of both shows.”
Irving Benson, One Of The Last Of The Vaudeville/Burlesque Comedians, Dead At 102
“Mr. Benson won an amateur contest as a dancer in the 1920s and, by the mid-1930s, he was touring the country telling jokes. He worked in the vaudeville theater, in which a variety of performers – singers, jugglers, dancers, magicians – appeared on a single bill. For many years, he also appeared opposite strippers and other performers in burlesque shows, vaudeville’s more disreputable cousin.”