The libertarian/quasi-liberal HBO host and the far-right-wing provocateuse did a three-city tour this week, debating before an audience as part of the 2009 Speakers Series run by MSG Entertainment. (That’s MSG as in Madison Square Garden.)
Author: Matthew Westphal
Is Television Sketch Comedy Finished?
James Kettle: “What I am worried about is that sitting down and engaging in the ritual of watching a 30-minute sketch show seems at odds with the way we consume comedy these days. […] And the basic unit of comedy on YouTube, whether it’s a revoiced advert, surreal spoof journalism or yet another bloody take-off of Downfall, is a sketch – a self-contained burst of comedy that lasts no more than a couple of minutes.”
John Waters Wants Pink Flamingos To Be An Opera
“‘It would be a good opera,’ he says. ‘It’s extremes of competition to see who can be the filthiest person in the world. It stars a fat lady. And, I’ve said it before, not only does she sing at the end, she does something else. If you think about it, it would work.'”
UN Piece Mission: A Search Of HQ For Misplaced Artworks
“As the UN prepares to leave its New York headquarters for a four-year, $2bn renovation, staff are scouring the corridors to try to find valuable works of art that have gone missing.” Among the lost items are a sculpture by abstract expressionist José de Rivera, paintings and other gifts from Mexico, China, Belarus and other member nations.
National Symphony To Tour Far East This June
“At the invitation of the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, the [Washington, D.C.] orchestra’s principal conductor, Iván Fischer, will lead the ensemble in five concerts in Macau, Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai. […] The NSO will then continue on to play two performances in Seoul and Goyang, South Korea.”
Bolshoi Reopening Postponed Yet Again, This Time To 2013
The reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theatre began in 2005 and was originally supposed to be finished by mid-2008. Just last month, the estimated completion date was pushed back to 2011; now the project’s chief architect says work may not be finished until 2013 – and will cost an extra $1.5 billion. The Moscow landmark had not been refurbished since 1856 and was reportedly near collapse.
Ailing José Carreras Ends Florida Recital Mid-Song
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the respect you have shown us tonight,” the 62-year-old tenor, who was audibly struggling with a chest cold, told his audience in West Palm Beach this week as he stopped the music. “But I don’t think you are going to enjoy this. I’m certainly not enjoying myself. I promise to come back as soon as I can to sing for you.”
Philadanco’s Indy Gig Postponed Due To Poor Ticket Sales
“Philadanco was scheduled to perform March 28, but the program is being rescheduled ‘because of the effects of a slow economy on ticket sales,’ according to a Walker news release. The performance is being moved to the theater’s 2009-10 season, which begins in September.”
The Wall Street Journal Explains Twitter For You
“When I first joined Twitter, I felt like I was in a noisy bar where everyone was shouting and nobody was listening. Soon, I began to decode its many mysteries: how to find a flock of followers, how to talk to them in a medium that blasts to lots of people at once and how to be witty in very tiny doses.” (Also features Fran Drescher on twittering.)
And Slate Explains Twitter For You (In A Meta Sense)
“Twitter is also extremely simple – so simple that it’s often tempting to describe it as something more than it is. Perhaps that’s why, in trying to capture Twitter’s potential, boosters compare it to known successes – search engines and social networks. The trouble is, neither comparison makes much sense.”