“Dealers, auction house experts, museum directors, collectors and artists from around the world descended on [the Qatari capital] last week, ostensibly to support the many artists whose exhibitions were opening here but primarily in the hopes of doing business of their own.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Legislator Wants To Turn Minnesota Orchestra Into Publicly-Owned Corporation
“Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, unveiled a bill she plans to introduce for the 2014 legislative session to make the orchestra a community-owned entity in which any individual or group could buy stock.”
Why The Bible Belt Still Loves The Exorcist And Rosemary’s Baby
“These movies passed muster because they didn’t encourage people to dabble in the dark arts; they warned people. More to the point, they acknowledged the existence of God, the influence of Satan, and the truth of the Bible.”
Is France Becoming Too American?
“The French are now carb-conscious, and kale, which they once dismissed as the ‘curly headless cabbage,’ might find a place at the table. Meanwhile many Americans seem determined to emulate all things French. Are the French losing their je ne sais quoi?” Four observers discuss the question in a New York Times Room for Debate.
Why People Are Fascinated With Disney’s Dark Side
“Publications about the ‘true’ nature of Disneyland are a cottage industry, and it’s a cottage big enough to house Snow White, all seven dwarfs, Cinderella, her stepsisters, and the pumpkin carriage with all the horses.” Why? “Well, for one thing, it’s because Disney doggedly refuses to admit it has a dark side.”
San Francisco Ballet Concentrates On New Work, And Sells Out The House Doing It
Think audiences will only pay for familiar story ballets? At SFB, “several premieres happen every season, the repertory is packed with pieces created in recent years, and houses are reliably full. Under the leadership of Helgi Tomasson, the company has become one of the world’s most important vehicles for new ballet choreography.”
“The Sinatra Of The Arab World”, Wadih Al-Safi, Dead At 91
Known for his skill in both classical Arabic music and Lebanese folk songs, Al-Sabi wrote more then 3,000 songs, some in Lebanese dialect (a breakthrough at the time). His likeness has appeared on Lebanese stamps, and musicians in Beirut are calling for a national day of mourning.
“One Person’s Crazy Is Another Person’s Refreshing,” Says Mary-Louise Parker
“Her own neuroses and eccentricities have helped humanize a string of characters who, on paper, range from peculiar to unlikable … Those idiosyncrasies, to choose a kind word for what others describe as erratic behavior, have also made her a target of gossip in New York theater.”
London’s Old Vic “Desperately” Needs Renovation
“The Old Vic in London is to submit a planning application to the local council to create a dedicated space for its talent development arm as part of major restoration works aimed at securing the future of the ‘crumbling’ building.
Shakespeare’s Globe Says Julian Fellowes Is Wrong About The Bard
“Ancient grudge or new mutiny? Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has been criticised by Shakespeare’s Globe for suggesting that the playwright’s work is inaccessible without ‘a kind of Shakespearean scholarship’.”