“In almost four hours of conversation in Los Angeles this winter, the artist and critic met and talked honestly about why the art world has been so hostile to Franco and other celebrities who try to enter it – and what drives Franco to continue, hostility be damned.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Violinist Breaks Her Foot, Plays Concerto Anyway – Standing Up
“‘It happened at like two o’clock,” she said. ‘I had a soundcheck at four.’ There wasn’t time to go to the doctor, and besides, she was pretty sure what a doctor would say: ‘You need to ice it, and elevate, and medicate: three things I couldn’t do at that moment.'”
Mirga Doesn’t Quite Get The Fuss About Her Being A Woman Conductor
“But I accept I must still be a cheerleader. Mothers come up to me and thank me for setting an example to their daughters. And I am happy to take that responsibility. I grew up without imagining any problems.” (In the Baltics, after all, maestras aren’t all that unusual.) “I hope those who come after me will think it quite normal.”
Ronit Elkabetz, Leading Actress Of Israeli Film Cinema, Dead At 51
“The actress and filmmaker was known equally for her striking dark looks and immense emotional vulnerability onscreen. Her life ended just as her career flourished at an all-time high.”
From ‘Roseanne’ To ‘The Office’ To ‘The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ – How Did The Dark Humor In Sitcoms Get *This* Dark?
“Some years ago TV comedies found grim humour in ordinary domestic life. Now even sitcoms about murder and sex slavery are bright and bubbly. … What happened?”
A Hard-Hitting Radio Soap Opera For War-Torn Syria
“If the soap was about anywhere other than Syria, you might call the storylines melodramatic, but as the scriptwriter Mahmoud points out, all his plots resonate with Syrians because they’re just hearing their own story.”
Classical Raves Aren’t Good For Classical Or Dance Music, And They Need To Stop (Says Nightclub Critic)
John Thorp: “The current trend for high-concept classical ‘raves’ in prestigious venues feels at odds with dance music’s forward-thinking worldview. … Getting an orchestra to play dance anthems may come off as a gilded seal of prestige or legacy but it drains them of their naive simplicity and euphoria.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 04.19.16
Pricing for the sensible arts consumer
At flux[x] Tom Whitwell has a very interesting read on pricing, and the psychology behind how we make choices when confronted with varying sets of prices. I highly recommend it. He uses examples ranging from … read more
AJBlog: For What It’s Worth Published 2016-04-19
Pulitzer winner Threadgill: “What is harmony?”
My profile of Pulitzer Prize winner Henry Threadgill, commissioned by and published in DownBeat in 2010: Henry Threadgill exuded confidence and impatience when facing four video cameras and a standing-room-only gallery of serious listeners at the Manhattan … read more
AJBlog: Jazz Beyond Jazz Published 2016-04-19
Client, Customer, Collaborator: A Roadmap
Do you treat arts patrons like customers, clients, or collaborators? … If our job as arts managers is to bring artists and audiences together, these definitions become very important. … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2016-04-19
Deaccessioning Its Home: National Academy’s Posh Digs on the Market for $120 Million
The National Academy’s two interconnected townhouses and school building are now on the market for $120 million, according this listing by luxury real estate brokers Cushman & Wakefield. A museum spokesperson had previously told me … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2016-04-19
Bracing Winds from Miami
Miami City Ballet bursts into Lincoln Center. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2016-04-19
Annals of postmodern journalism (cont’d)
Like everyone else who pays the slightest attention to theater in America, I was neither surprised nor displeased that this year’s Pulitzer Prize for drama went to Hamilton, about whose overwhelming excellence I have long … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-04-19
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The Smog In Medellín Is So Bad, Even The Botero Scupltures Can’t Breathe
“Activists protesting severe pollution levels in Medellín, Colombia, aired their concerns last week with a striking public gesture: they strapped giant face masks onto a number of Fernando Botero sculptures in the famous Botero Plaza.”
‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ Play Is Back In Monroeville – Under New Management
“Harper Lee, the author who first gave life to the story and became this town’s most famous resident, died in February. The play, which is an adaptation of her novel, is being produced this spring for the first time by a nonprofit she” – and her controversial attorney, Tonja Carter – “created, not the local museum that had relied on it for revenue.”