“In the 10 months since the New York Public Library announced plans for a $300 million renovation of its Fifth Avenue flagship building, scholars and writers have accused the library of abandoning its commitment to research and questioned how the circulating library across the street could be shoehorned into a treasured landmark.” Now the NYPL is ready to show them how.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Strike By Broadway Service Workers Averted
“Hundreds of theater workers, including bathroom attendants, porters and elevator operators – all represented by the 32BJ union – last week threatened to strike as their current contract speeds toward its expiration date on Dec. 30. On Monday, however, 32BJ reached a tentative agreement with theater producers of the Broadway League.”
Recently Restored Munch Mural In Danger Again
“A monumental frieze made between 1909 and 1916 by Edvard Munch for the Aula (assembly hall) of the University of Oslo was unveiled to great acclaim in 2011 after a lengthy [restoration] project … However, only 20 months after the project was completed, a Norwegian conservator has warned that harmful dust and debris from the restoration of the building’s exterior may harm the recently treated frieze.”
Miriam Margolyes Chews Out Audience Member Who Didn’t Stand And Cheer
During the curtain call after a recent Vancouver performance of her longstanding solo show Dickens’s Women, the actress publicly berated a lady in the front row who chose not to join the rest of the audience in the usual standing ovation.
Towards A New Model Of Regional Touring Theatre
“When the Arts Council asked how organisations would respond to the five ambitions set out in their 10-year strategy, a group of eight programmers and producers based across the south east of England saw the possibility to put into practice a more generous, collaborative model for touring theatre.” One of those eight, Gavin Stride, explains how the model works.
Renewed Controversy Over White Australian Artists Using Aboriginal Motifs
A couple of prominent indigenous artists (along with one Indian-Australian taking umbrage on behalf of people of colour) have broken with their dealers in protest over the “appropriation” by certain white artists of dots, cross-hatching and other techniques characteristic of indigenous painting. Others argue that the indigenous motifs are now an integral part of contemporary art’s visual vocabulary and should be available to all.
If Our Universe Is Just A Matrix-Style Simulation, How Could We Know?
Here’s one physicist who claims to have an answer.
The Dos and Don’ts Of Flower-Giving At The Royal Ballet
Making gifts of bouquets to the dancers at Covent Garden has a history going back to the company’s shoestring beginnings at Sadler’s Wells in the 1930s. The tradition is now thoroughly established – for all performances, not just opening nights – but there are rules to be followed (and certain preferences to be kept in mind).
When An Audience Member Supplies The Music’s Expression Markings – On The Spot
Toothbrush, a new work performed by So Percussion, “is an otherwise fully composed and notated piece featuring instrumental music, singing and spoken dialogue – plus one silent participant who sits onstage listening and writing down notes that become in-the-moment instructions for players to improvise on.”
Mariinsky Will Cut Back On Foreign Touring
“World audiences have come to know [Valery] Gergiev and his company well as they crisscrossed the globe after the collapse of Soviet state funding. But with Russians now pouring the kind of money into the arts that has just built the $700-million Mariinsky II theatre [the company’s third stage], he wants to concentrate on domestic performances.”