“The July 18 attack on Kyoto Animation, a famed anime studio that produced popular ‘slice of life’ shows and movies,” killed 36 people and was the worst mass murder in Japan in decades. “Officials said that the attacker had shouted ‘Die!’ as he entered the building and then tried to escape, but collapsed on the street outside and was subdued by workers.” – The New York Times
Author: Matthew Westphal
Philadelphia Museum Of Art Staffers Make Official Request To Unionize
At least two-thirds of eligible employees have signed authorization cards to request that the National Labor Relations Board oversee a union election, according to organizers. The union at the museum would be affiliated with AFSCME District Council 47, which “currently represents most white-collar employees of the city, including workers at the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Zoo, [as well as] workers at several museums around the country.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Mark Morris’s First Created-On-Zoom Dances Are Here
“For the past two months, he has experimented with making dances using Zoom and Final Cut Pro. Four of these short works will premiere on ‘Dance On!,’ to be shown on the Mark Morris Dance Group’s website on Thursday evening. (The program is free, but registration is required.)” Marina Harss reports on how it all came together. – The New York Times
Opera Conductor Joel Revzen Dead Of COVID At 74
A staff conductor at the Met for 21 years, Revzen served as artistic director of Arizona Opera (2003-2012) and Berkshire Opera (1991-2005) and was, from 2012, the founding artistic director of the Nevada summer festival Classical Tahoe. – The Strad
Here’s What Actors’ Equity Wants To See Before It Tells Members It’s Safe To Do Shows Again
Saying “I do not think that making everything safe for the audience – although that is important – and leaving the the people on stage to be epidemiological guinea pigs is the right answer,” Equity president Kate Shindle and the union’s public health consultant released a set of four principles on which the reopening of theaters should be based. – Deadline
‘Fear Of Jerks’ Is Why New Yorkers Are Nervous About Coming Back To See Live Shows
“A New York Times/Siena College Research Institute poll, administered [last week], sought to gauge how soon New Yorkers would be comfortable attending live performances like Broadway shows. … And for the hesitant, their single greatest concern is their fellow audience members, who they worry will show up without masks or ignore social distancing rules.” – The New York Times
Guy In Hazmat Suit Tries To Steal Painting That Banksy Gave To Hospital
The piece, titled Game Changer and showing a boy leaving his other superhero action figures behind for one of a nurse, had been in Southampton General Hospital in England for all of two days when a man wearing a protective coverall and carrying a cordless drill was caught walking past the painting five or more times, “clearly having a good look.” – Artnet
Philly Fringe Festival Will Happen This Fall, At Least Partly In The Flesh
No specific program has been announced yet, but “look for some combination of performances presented online, outside, or in other ways that maintain social distance. The festival will continue [from Sept. 10] through Oct. 4, and organizers expect it to include eight to 12 curated works, as well as a virtual bookstore, artist talks, and independently presented works.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
€50,000 A Day: What La Scala Would Lose By Operating Under Social-Distancing Rules
That’s the grim figure that the Milan opera house’s new superintendent, Dominique Meyer, will present to its board of directors on Thursday. Under the law that Italy’s parliament passed last week, La Scala could accommodate only 200 people, including the performers. – Gramilano (Milan)
Philip Glass’s Lost ‘Music In Eight Parts’ Has Been Recovered
“For decades, [the piece] seemed, to Mr. Glass’s circle, to exist only as fragments in his archive. Then the final manuscript for Music in Eight Parts resurfaced near the end of 2017. … Now in the hands of Mr. Glass’s publisher, it has been realized anew for his ensemble and, 50 years after its premiere, released on a recording by Orange Mountain Music this week.” – The New York Times