“[The] gifted Italian soprano … rose to instant fame in 1958 when she was called on to substitute for the mythic and sometimes mystifying Maria Callas in one of opera’s most dramatic episodes, and three years later surprised people again by ending her own career.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Now There’s Even A Prize For Roman Catholic Lit ($25,000, No Less)
The George W. Hunt Prize, sponsored by the Jesuit magazine America and Yale’s St. Thomas More Chapel, stipulates that nominees “should be familiar with the Roman Catholic tradition … [and] be a person of sound moral character and reputation and must not have published works that are manifestly atheistic or morally offensive.” (Good luck to the jurors on hashing that out.)
How Does A Choreographer Go About Updating One Of Jerome Robbins’s Greatest Works?
It’s a tough job bringing On the Town into the 21st century, especially for a high-profile Broadway revival, but Joshua Bergasse took it on.
Al Pacino Will Be Doing More Mamet On Broadway
Following on the huge commercial success of the 2012 Broadway revival of Glengarry Glen Ross that starred Pacino, David Mamet has wriiten a new play for the actor: China Doll. (The playwright says his new work “is better than oral sex.”)
Rossen Milanov Adds Another Music Directorship To His Portfolio
The 49-year-old Bulgarian, who was appointed to the Columbus Symphony in Ohio last month, will lead the Chautauqua Symphony in western New York State, effective immediately. (Milanov also directs two orchestras in New Jersey and one in Spain.)
How Many Online Video Ads Are Too Many? Or Too Few?
Is the problem how often those damned ads for Prius or Geico or Viking River Cruises interrupt the stream you’re trying to watch? Or is it that those same damned ads play over and over? (Which would be because there aren’t enough different ads in rotation.)
Heroes: They Act First, Think Later
“People who perform heroic acts seem to do so instinctively, risking their lives to help someone else without giving the consequences much conscious thought.”
Animals Can Also Be Heroes, Of Course
Sure, we know about dogs who’ve rescued people and the cat that chased a dog away from a toddler, but seals, hippos, and rats are among the many animals who’ve been observed displaying altruistic behavior. (Especially rats, some of whom have learned to locate land mines.)
How Much Will Artists Be Paid Under The New W.A.G.E. Certification Program?
“Last Friday, Working Artists and the Greater Economy (aka W.A.G.E.) announced that they will be rolling out their new W.A.G.E. Certification program, which promises to be a ‘paradigm-shifting model for the remuneration of artistic labor’.” Hrag Vartanian finds out just what wage rates W.A.G.E. has in mind.
Edward Villella Gives Ice Dancing A Spin
No, not as a skater. (Our Eddie is 78, after all.) Dick Button – no doubt with an assist from Villella’s wife, once a champion skater herself – convinced him to try choreographing serious ice ballets. (And by the way, Villella says, “I will never work for a board again and I will never raise money again. It’s a beautiful freedom.”)