“On one recent Tuesday, we spent an hour each with a dozen upcoming Broadway shows as they worked under looming deadlines.” From finding an actor who can embody Steve Jobs to singing and dancing American Psycho, “here’s how the steps and stories, the stitches and salesmanship come together.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
The Rise Of The Platonic Rom-Com
“Broad City does more than simply portray – more even than simply celebrate – its central friendship. It is instead taking a cue from a culture in which Tina Fey and Amy Poehler joke (and also totally don’t joke) about their status as ‘life partners.’ … What that amounts to is a culture that is not only recognizing the primacy of friendship, but trying to carve a space for it.”
Zero Gravity – Choreography’s Final Frontier?
“This time, it’s not a modern dance company that’s pushing the limits of choreography. It’s the quirky pop band OK Go … For their newest video, ‘Upside Down & Inside Out,’ the band performs an intricately-choreographed dance, using the fact that they are literally weightless to try unthinkable physical feats.” (includes video)
How Your Online Avatar Influences Your Offline Behavior
“You know your thoughts and feelings affect your body language – but this works the other way around, too. Happiness causes us to smile, of course, but smiling also causes us to feel happy. Experimental research suggests that this concept also applies to the virtual space, and that the physical traits of your avatar can change the way you behave in real life.”
Got $13M To Save The Birthplace Of Dada?
“That’s the reserve price that has been slapped on Cabaret Voltaire in a bid to secure Dada’s future during its centenary year. Now it is just a question of finding a deep-pocketed art lover who can envisage the unassuming building, nestled among cobbled side streets in Zurich’s old town, as a sculpture or oil painting.”
Dada’s 100 Years Old Now – Isn’t It Kind Of Over?
After all, at this point the most widely-seen Dada artwork is on the Swiss 50-franc bill. On the contrary, argues Swissinfo, the legacy of Dada is everywhere. (And it’s the first worldwide movement to originate in Switzerland since Calvinism.)
Andrzej Żuławski, ‘Poland’s Answer To David Cronenberg,’ Dead At 75
“‘The vision of the world portrayed in his films has been described as tragic, shocking and hysterical,’ with ‘explosions of violence, sexuality, and despair’; his methods yielded from actresses including Romy Schneider, Isabelle Adjani and Sophie Marceau some of the best performances of their careers.”
Actor George Gaynes, 98
“With his baritone voice, chiseled good looks and versatility as a character actor and singer, Mr. Gaynes appeared in hundreds of episodes of sitcoms and dramas on television” – most famously, Punky Brewster – “35 Hollywood and made-for-TV films [including Tootsie and the Police Academy franchise], and many plays, musical comedies and operas.”
Here’s Why The Axe Is Over English National Opera, Explains England’s Arts Funding Chief
“Those who know me understand that I have a personal commitment to classical music of all types, but they also know I will squeeze every ounce of value out of taxpayers’ cash. … [ENO] has been bailed out over the years by the Arts Council to the tune of millions of pounds. … Although we are seeing clear signs of improvement, as stewards of public money we cannot ignore its track record.”
Angry Prado Explains Why It’s Yanking Two No-Longer-Bosches From Big Bosch 500 Show
“The [Bosch Project’s] (at the very least) unprofessional manner of proceeding when offering its conclusions … not only contravenes the contractual conditions of the loan but also suggests that the Museo del Prado accepts and authorizes the proposed attributions.”