Author: Matthew Westphal

New York Times’s 12 Small Gifts To Be Grateful For From The Arts In 2017

From the leotards in the Netflix comedy GLOW to a Janet Jackson backup dancer who got cheers of her own to the single-take episode of Mr. Robot, “these 12 blink-and-you-might-have-missed-them cultural moments of 2017 brightened up a year otherwise defined by the threat of nuclear war, natural disasters – from hurricanes to wildfires – that left hundreds of thousands homeless, a string of sexual harassment charges against some of the country’s most prominent political and entertainment figures and yet more terrorist attacks.”

A ‘Herculean Task For An Actor’: Playing An English Pantomime Dame

“What may seem disarmingly simple is actually incredibly complex. The dame is definitely a man in a dress, and one who needs to combine a character with strong maternal instinct, a mouth that’s full of broad innuendo and ensure that the joke is always on them. The great dames also form the bridge between the audience and the action on stage. … A great frock and wig can only take you so far.”

Four Hidden Biases That Shape (And Distort) Natural History Museums

“They are places for people, made by people. We might like to consider them logical places, centred on facts, but they can’t tell all the facts – there isn’t room. … Museums are a product of their own history, and that of the societies they are embedded in. They are not apolitical, and they are not entirely scientific. As such, they don’t really represent reality.”

How Weird Al Yankovic Stayed Relevant For Four Decades And Outlasted Most Of His Parody Targets

“In terms of longevity, Al falls somewhere between The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live, though rather than an ever-cycling comedic ensemble, Al’s just one bespectacled, poodle-haired accordionist with an adenoidal voice who’s never done illegal drugs in his life and kept the same band and manager for the duration of his career.” Andy Beta looks at how he did it.

The Most Remarkable Art-History Discoveries Of 2017

“In 2017, we gained new insight on the early years of Leonardo da Vinci and the final ones of Andy Warhol; amateur archaeologists were rewarded with major finds; and several masterpieces were discovered, simply hiding in plain sight. From newly mapped Venezuelan petroglyphs to a long-lost Magritte, these are 10 of the most notable art-historical discoveries of the year.”

The High-Pressure, High-Drama World Of Kids’ Competitive Dance

“The children who enter these competitions train up to 30 hours per week, primarily on weekends and after school. Because children must compete in many styles – hip-hop, ballet, jazz and others – versatility is essential, and training can be rigorous to the point of extremity.” Says one judge, “It was never like this when I was a kid. These kids are like gladiators.”