“Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater announced Thursday that Jamar Roberts has been selected to be the company’s first ever resident choreographer. Mr. Roberts, a veteran company member, will begin his tenure with Ode, an examination of the value of life in an era of pervasive gun violence.” – The New York Times
Author: Matthew Westphal
Corbin Gwaltney, Co-Founder Of Chronicle Of Higher Education, Dead At 97
The Chronicle struggled in the first few years after Gwaltney and John A. Crowl established it in 1966, but became widely-read and influential for its coverage of unrest and social issues on college campuses in the weeks and years following the Kent State shootings in 1970. And in 1988, Gwaltney and Crowl founded The Chronicle of Philanthropy. – The Washington Post
PBS To Live-Stream Over Internet For First Time
While PBS has offered on-demand streaming for a number of years, it will stream programming live on YouTube TV. “Based on their markets, 333 member stations will be available to users.” – Ars Technica
Why Do American Orchestras Keep Running Into Financial Trouble?
The Balitmore Symphony is not alone; almost every concert season sees news stories about a U.S. orchestra facing potential ruin (often with a strike or lockout raising the stakes). Why? There’s the “cost disease” phenomenon as well as longer-term trends that, say some observers, may see orchestras in cities 100 miles or less apart merge. – The Baltimore Sun
Karsten Schubert, Gallerist Who Championed Young British Artists Movement, Dead At 57
“His first exhibition was of the sculptor Alison Wilding, whose work he continued to show until his death. It was in 1988, though, that … three of the [Goldsmiths] art school’s new graduates – Gary Hume, Michael Landy and Ian Davenport – had their first West End exhibition at Karsten Schubert Limited.” – The Guardian
New York Times Names Gia Kourlas Staff Dance Critic
Kourlas has been writing reviews and features for the Times on a freelance basis since 2000; she has also been dance editor of Time Out New York and an editor of The Paris Review. – The New York Times
World’s Largest Grand Piano, Almost 20 Feet Long, Installed In Concert Hall
Instrument maker David Klavins’s custom-built 470i piano, with a vertical steel frame six meters (19.7 feet) long and strings up to five meters (16.4 feet) long, has been installed in a new concert hall in the Latvian port town of Ventspils. – Yahoo! (AFP)
The Rent Is Too Damn High, Say Edinburgh Fringe Performers
“Changes to rental rules in Scotland and an increasing lack of affordable accommodation are threatening to turn the fringe into ‘a glorified industry showcase’, according to artists.” – The Guardian
Two 23-Year-Olds Got Their Musical Produced On Broadway, And It Closed After Opening Night. Here’s Why It Wasn’t Really A Flop.
Nick Blaemire and James Gardiner’s Glory Days was a promising little show when it finished a successful run at metro DC’s (small) Signature Theatre, but the transfer to the Great White Way just didn’t work. Here’s the story of how the show’s creators handled its rise, fall, and surprising afterlife. – Topic
Tel Aviv’s Grotty Central Bus Station Is Becoming A Hotbed Of Experimental Art And Theatre
It’s a seven-story, five-block-long concrete hulk with cheap clothing and electronics stores and hair salons, along with lots of abandoned space and a colony of bats. But in the past few years, artists have made their move on the place: there’s colorful graffiti on the 7th floor, installations on the 5th, an architecture exhibit on the 4th, and a theatre company that uses all seven levels for immersive productions. – The Washington Post