The mayor of Los Angeles has weighed in on the MOCA mess. “His letter to board co-chairmen Tom Unterman and David Johnson asks that the board take time to thoroughly review its options and set aside 30 days to allow the public an opportunity to provide input before a decision is made.”
Author: sbergman
Bollywood To Revisit Mumbai Attacks
“Filmmakers in this hub of Indian cinema are already exploring how to bring the trauma of the deadly three-day siege of Mumbai to the big screen… Bollywood stars have responded cautiously to the Mumbai attacks, even though filmmakers were eager to draw audiences back to the theatres at a time when the industry was already hit by global economic woes.”
DC Art Collection Hauls In $23.5m For Endowment
“The Phillips Collection is expected to announce today that it has received $23.5 million for its endowment in the last nine months, including two of the largest single gifts in the museum’s history… The Phillips has an annual budget of $12 million, with the endowment contributing 7 to 8 percent.”
Broadway Going Dark, One Venue At A Time
“One after another, high-profile Broadway productions have been announcing that come January, they will breathe their last… Factoring in holiday shows and star-driven limited runs of straight plays that already had been programmed to end, about a dozen Broadway houses are to go dark — an exodus of several million dollars in weekly ticket revenues, and one of the largest mass exits in one fell swoop in memory.”
Corcoran Gallery To Close For Repairs
“The Corcoran Gallery of Art announced yesterday that it will close for seven weeks, starting Jan. 26, for repairs to its old and leaky roof. The project includes the replacement of nearly 50,000 square feet of glass, a hallmark of the original 1897 Beaux-Arts building.”
Nutcracker Apparently Not Recession-Proof
“If The Nutcracker is in trouble, then things are really looking bad. At least two of the nation’s ballet companies have reported poor sales for that Christmastime staple, a major source of income in the dance world, and are cutting back. The problems are a reflection of the difficulties the recession is causing for performing arts institutions.”
MOCA Director May Be Out; Broad Deal Close?
The museum is officially denying it, but one trustee tells the LA Times that MOCA director Jeremy Strick resigned at an emotional board meeting yesterday. There are also reports that MOCA’s board is leaning towards accepting a $30m donation from Eli Broad which would allow it to stay open without merging with another institution.
Vilar Locked Up Pending Sentencing
Alberto W. Vilar, who was a major benefactor of American orchestras and opera houses, “was sent to jail on Thursday. Convicted of 12 counts related to securities fraud on Nov. 19, Mr. Vilar had been free on bail pending his sentencing March 20. But federal prosecutors argued that Mr. Vilar was a flight risk given the prospect of a lengthy prison term and what they called his penchant for lying and stealing.”
It’s Actually A Pretty Terrible Life
It may be a classic holiday film, but Wendell Jameson says that It’s a Wonderful Life is anything but an uplifting tale. “[It] is a terrifying, asphyxiating story about growing up and relinquishing your dreams, of seeing your father driven to the grave before his time, of living among bitter, small-minded people. It is a story of being trapped, of compromising, of watching others move ahead and away, of becoming so filled with rage that you verbally abuse your children, their teacher and your oppressively perfect wife.”
New DaVinci Sketches Uncovered
“Previously unknown sketches have been discovered on the back of a Leonardo da Vinci painting in Paris that experts think may have been drawn by him. The sketches, which were discovered by accident, feature a horse head, part of a skull and baby Jesus with a lamb.”