It’s not just that the piece is in the final scene of Billy Elliot. A corps de ballet of muscular men as feral swans, in place of the usual ethereal women in white tutus, shows boys different, powerful images of both strong masculinity and ballet as a genre. That the production has been a success all over the world for 20-odd years helps, too. Roslyn Sulcas talks with four members of Bourne’s current company about the effect his Swan Lake had on them when they were young. – The New York Times
Author: Matthew Westphal
Making Theater On Death Row
Playwright Lynden Harris talks about working with condemned prisoners — first, to develop scripts for them to perform before fellow inmates and prison staff, and second, to create theater pieces for the general public in which actors portray men on death row talking about life inside. – HowlRound
Sydney Opera House Closes Its Concert Hall To Fix The Problems It’s Had Since It Opened
“The ambition of the Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s design, his walkout mid-project, and Peter Hall’s subsequent takeover in 1966 resulted in compromises that have bedevilled the building ever since. Now, as part of a five-year program in which the Opera House has been progressively upgrading its core infrastructure, construction is about to begin on a $150m revamp of its largest performance space, the 2,500-seat concert hall, designed to remedy the shortcomings born of the project’s messy origins.” – The Guardian
Harriet Frank Jr., Half Of One Of Hollywood’s Great Screenwriting Teams, Dead At 96
She and her late husband, Irving Ravetch, wrote 17 feature films together, among them The Long, Hot Summer, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, The Sound and the Fury, Conrack, and two for which they earned Oscar nominations, Hud and Norma Rae. – The Hollywood Reporter
Bothered And Bewildered Performing Arts Groups Struggle With California’s New Gig-Economy Law
“Assembly Bill 5 is intended to reduce worker misclassification, making it harder for companies to treat workers as independent contractors. … But the law’s ambiguous language — specifically the use of the phrase ‘fine artist’ without actually defining the term — already had led one opera company to postpone a production, prompted other small arts organizations to consider cutting programs and sent others scrambling to raise more money to comply with the law.” – Los Angeles Times
#MeToo Is Starting To Make A Real Difference In Hollywood
“No matter how Harvey Weinstein’s criminal trial in Manhattan turns out, the revelations about the way he used his power over women have altered Hollywood in ways big and small. … Activists and industry professionals say that the steps being taken represent sustained attention to the issue, some improvement in day-to-day working conditions and perhaps signs of bona fide change.” – The New York Times
SAG-AFTRA Releases Standardized Guidelines For Employing Intimacy Coordinators
The union for film, television, and radio performers spent six months preparing the document, which gives thorough standards for actors’ contracts, communication between actors and directors/producers, modesty garments, rehearsals and shoots, and so on. – Variety
Citing Multiple Threats, Publisher Cancels ‘American Dirt’ Book Tour
“Jeanine Cummins spent five years of her life writing this book with the intent to shine a spotlight on tragedies facing immigrants,” said the president of Flatiron Books. “We are saddened that a work of fiction that was well-intentioned has led to such vitriolic rancor. Unfortunately, our concerns about safety have led us to the difficult decision to cancel the book tour.” – The Guardian
‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ Will Be First Broadway Show To Play Madison Square Garden
The move to the arena, for one night only (Feb. 26), is meant to give a more diverse audience a chance to see the show; 18,000 tickets will be given for free to New York City public school students. – Variety
Due To Injury, Bryn Terfel Withdraws From Met Opera’s New ‘Flying Dutchman’
The 54-year-old bass-baritone fractured his ankle this week while in Bilbao to perform in a different production of Dutchman; he has returned home to Wales for surgery. The March 2 opening would have been his first Met appearance in eight years. – The New York Times