“The classical music station Radio 3 has recorded its joint highest audience share since records began, as listeners weary of politics take refuge in Brahms and Bach. The BBC station reached 2.13 million listeners a week in the last quarter, up 16 per cent on the same period for the previous year.” – The Times (UK)
Author: Matthew Westphal
Five Years On, An Oral History Of #OscarsSoWhite
“In edited excerpts below, filmmakers, awards-watchers and academy members” — among them Barry Jenkins, Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee, and former Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs — “tell the inside story of how what began as a three-word hashtag forced an insular, $42 billion industry to change course.” – The New York Times
This Study Shows Why Netflix And Movie Theatres Shouldn’t Be Enemies
“People were more likely to stream a movie when they knew it had been released in theaters, according to a new survey by Ernst & Young … Sixty two percent of the study’s respondents reported that if a movie had appeared in cinemas, they were more willing to check it on their streaming services.” – Variety
Art Basel Hong Kong Is Officially Cancelled
“After a tumultuous period in Hong Kong marked by continuing protests and fears of a coronavirus outbreak, Art Basel has called off its fair in the city. … MCH Group, the holding company that owns Art Basel, said that the coronavirus and ‘severe logistical challenges’ limiting travel were among the ‘numerous factors’ that had influenced the decision. The ongoing protests were not mentioned in the release.” – ARTnews
If The British Arts World Doesn’t Want BP Or Sackler Money, Should It Really Be So Dependent On The National Lottery?
“Our sector relies on the gambling industry for over a third of its public investment in a country where an estimated 430,000 people have a serious problem with gambling. And we seem to take active pleasure in that fact.” – ArtsProfessional
Nello Santi, Conductor Renowned For Italian Opera, Dead At 88
A traditionalist maestro who led more than 400 performances at the Met, he had to wait a while before critics gave full credit to his gifts, but singers and orchestral players adored him. – The New York Times
When Comedians Cross The Line (As With One Unfortunate Tweet About Kobe Bryant)
We won’t share here what comic Ari Shaffir put on Twitter about the late basketball star (it’s in the article), but it got him dropped by his agent, criticized by his colleagues, and threatened by angry Kobe fans. “Shaffir’s fans do expect this kind of thing from him. But the shocking death of Bryant hit a bigger cultural nerve, revealing how dark humor has expanded and evolved in the era of social media.” Jason Zinoman considers that evolution. – The New York Times
Closing time
I never sit around pining for what might have been. What was and is, after all, have both proved to be wholly satisfying. But when you get to be my age — I turned sixty-four today — you can’t help but think about the roads you didn’t take, the unknown and unknowable possibilities. – Terry Teachout
Tenor Masters Griffin And Davis Live At The Penthouse
Johnny Griffin and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis were tenor saxophone masters whose collaborations made them among the instrument’s most celebrated players. Their “new” album is titled OW! after one of its tracks, a celebrated Dizzy Gillespie composition from the early years of bebop. – Doug Ramsey
L.A.’s Geffen Playhouse Establishes Residency For Heavyweight Collective Of Black Theatre Talent
The group is called Cast Iron Entertainment, and includes Oscar-winning and Tony-nominated playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney and actors Sterling K. Brown, Glenn Davis, Brian Tyree Henry, Jon Michael Hill, and André Holland. They’ll have complete freedom to create and develop projects, with no requirement of an end project committed to the Geffen. – The Hollywood Reporter