Author: Matthew Westphal

Arts Degrees Cost UK Taxpayer 30% More Than Engineering Degrees, Says Study

“Including drama and music, creative arts degrees are studied by approximately 37,000 young people in England each year. Taxpayers provide more to students who study these courses because they typically earn less than other degrees and therefore pay back less of their loans. The [Institute for Fiscal Studies’] report claims because of this, taxpayers spend about 30% more on arts degrees than on the equivalent engineering courses.” – The Stage

‘It’s Like The Life Of An Athlete’: How Ethan Hawke Prepares Himself, Eight Times A Week, For ‘True West’

“The unfortunate thing about [stage] fights is the more you practice them, the better they get, the more out of control they can seem. … We have to work really hard to make sure we actually feel like the other one is not trying to hurt us, so that [co-star] Paul [Dano] and I can maintain our friendship.” (photo journal) – Vulture

The Musical That’s ‘Too Dark To Live’: ‘Lolita, My Love,’ Lerner’s Worst Disaster

Troy Patterson: “Its first act is weird and perfect; the second indicates the limits of this salvage operation. In The Complete Lyrics of Alan Jay Lerner, the editors ask, in a headnote, ‘How could songs and laughter be woven into a sinister story of a murderous pedophile?’ In other words, how do you solve a problem like Lolita? You don’t, not entirely, but the attempt offers a rare view of a masterpiece.” – The New Yorker

A Ballet Company Director On What Ballet Can Learn From Broadway

Marcello Angelini of Tulsa Ballet: “I think the current system for ballet companies robs dancers of their edge, whereas in Broadway, you need to remain marketable all the time. When a show opens, nobody knows how long it will run, and there is always a chance you may be unemployed in a matter of weeks. The cast needs to engage their audience show in, show out, as lackluster performances may lead to reduced ticket sales and, rather quickly, the show closing.” – Dance Magazine

Pianist Jacques Loussier, Who Brought Jazz Style To Bach, Dead At 84

“The combination of Bach’s elegant contrapuntal melodies with jazz swing had instant commercial appeal. [Loussier’s LP release] Play Bach No. 1 proved a runaway hit and two follow-up releases were equally popular. A subsequent European concert tour was so successful that the Jacques Loussier Trio continued to tour for 15 years, during which they sold more than 6 million albums.” – The Telegraph (UK)

No, Steven Spielberg, Netflix Is Not The Problem

“The debate about the future of moviegoing shouldn’t be a binary one between a studio system increasingly beholden to franchises and intellectual property, and a nihilistic streaming service set on eliminating all competitors and monopolizing its users’ attention. The real problem with film right now is a lack of diversity caused by a lack of competition — both in Hollywood and online.” – The New Republic

The Last Blockbuster Video Store In The Whole World (And It Still Does Good Business)

The next-to-last one, in suburban Perth, Australia, closes this month, leaving only the franchise in Bend, Oregon. “But this is no elegy for Blockbuster, no lament for how Netflix killed the video star. … This is about the ability of the Bend store, like sturdy links in other dying chains, to live on and avoid being turned into a pawnshop or a fast-food restaurant.” – The New York Times

Riccardo Muti Intervenes On Musicians’ Side In Chicago Symphony Contract Talks

The CSO music director said, in a letter to the board of directors, “I hope that the board will remember that theirs is not a job but a mission, and that tranquility and serenity will be given for the artists to do their work.” The musicians have voted to go on strike if agreement on a contract is not reached by March 10 (i.e., by the end of this Sunday’s matinee concert). – Chicago Sun-Times