Matthew Westphal – Page 2096 – ArtsJournal Wayback

A World Cup For Pole Dancing

“Contestants from 36 countries climbed, gripped and did splits on poles during the three-day competition in Rio de Janeiro.” The competition, open to men and women alike, has a top prize that can run up to around $30,000. (video)

Rational Debate: We Can’t Live (Together) Without It

“How do you change people’s minds when arguing the facts only seems to lead to polarization? Commentator Tania Lombrozo wonders how we can overcome our disagreements about teaching evolution.”

Newest Producer Of West End Musicals: English National Opera

“The subsidised company has announced a long-term partnership with commercial producers Michael Grade and Michael Linnit, which it said would see it present ‘world-class musical theatre’ in its London Coliseum home. It is understood that ENO hopes these productions may transfer to the West End.”

London’s Five Biggest Arts Institutions Get More Lottery Money Than 33 Local Governments Combined

The National Theatre, the Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells, English National Opera and the Southbank Centre have, over the past 18 years, have been given £315 million of Lottery arts funding. In that same period, the 10% of England’s local authorities with the lowest levels of community arts engagement received £288 million.

Netflix Signs Deal With Verizon To Pay For Higher Connection Speeds

“Netflix CEO Reed Hastings may really hate the peering deal he signed with Comcast, but that didn’t stop him from entering a similar partnership with another ISP: Verizon and Netflix have also agreed on a paid peering relationship.”

Lydia Davis Can’t Write Casually, Even In Email

Says the short-story wizard and MacArthur fellow, “I can’t write incorrectly. I find it very difficult to just relax and have spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes and punctuation -– I cannot do that. But I can’t do that even if I write a shopping list.”

Metropolitan Museum Gets A Resident Theater Company

“As the museum’s first theatrical group in residence, the Civilians, a self-described center for investigative theater, will collaborate next season with Met curators and visitors to create works of theater inspired by objects in the museum’s American and Egyptian art collections.”

Spain Charges Montserrat Caballé With Tax Evasion

The superstar soprano, still not fully retired at age 81, is accused of dodging more than €500,000 in taxes on roughly €2 million in income in 2010 by using the good old tax haven ploy.

Berlin’s Hottest, Strangest Piano Recital Venue

“Forget the Berliner Philharmonie. The hip place to hear classical music here in the capital of Germany isn’t the late Hans Scharoun’s acclaimed concert hall but a former tram-repair shop with free booze and a collection tin for donations” – not to mention a bunch of restored historic instruments and the guts of other old pianos strewn about the place.

Author: Matthew Westphal