“What is believed to be the first recording of Allen Ginsberg reading his iconic Beat poem ‘Howl’ has been found at the library” of Portland’s Reed College. The recording predates by more than a month a Berkeley recording previously thought to be the earliest.
Author: sbergman
Hollywood Readies For Heavy Production Schedules
Debate over what the writers’ strike will eventually mean for the television business are raging, but meanwhile, those who work in the business are ramping up for an unprecedented production push to make up for lost time and reestablish storylines. “For some series the immediate question will be whether they have any future beyond this season.”
Ford Ditches Knopf For Ecco
“In a surprise move, Richard Ford, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Independence Day and The Lay of the Land, has switched publishers for his next three books.”
Ratmansky Turns Down City Ballet
Following a weeks-long flirtation, the outgoing director of the Bolshoi Ballet has decided not to join New York City Ballet as resident choreographer. Alexei Ratmansky “is considered one of the ballet world’s major dancemakers, and his presence would have been a coup for City Ballet.”
Thai Artifacts Stolen Property, Say Feds
The 1966 discovery of ancient Thai artifacts by a Harvard student living in northeast Thailand still ranks as one of the great artifact finds of the era. “Now Ban Chiang is in the news again as a result of a five-year undercover investigation by three federal agencies… In the affidavits filed to obtain search warrants, the agents laid the groundwork for a legal argument that virtually all Ban Chiang material in the United States is stolen property.”
Seeking The Relevance Of Theatre
“Is live theater still relevant in a society where computer users can create high-quality video and distribute it almost instantly via the web?” Two Seattle critics have been debating the issue, and a new area production titled “How Theater Failed America” is more grist for the mill.
New Home For Pittsburgh Opera
Pittsburgh Opera will be moving into a new rehearsal and office space this spring, which will allow the company more flexibility in scheduling, as well as giving it much-needed storage space for sets. Other plans are in the works as well, all part of an $8m improvement project.
St. Paul Taps Zacharias For Partner Role
“German conductor and pianist Christian Zacharias is coming to perform with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra this weekend … and he’s decided to stay for a while. On Tuesday, Zacharias was named the newest artistic partner of the SPCO.” The orchestra works without a single music director, and instead has a rotating stable of “artistic partners,” each of whom programs and leads a portion of the season. Zacharias will take on the role beginning in fall 2009.
TV Producer Who Brought The Arts To The Air Dies
“Kirk Browning, whose unusual career path took him from chicken farmer to television director of Live From Lincoln Center, died on Sunday in Manhattan. He was 86.”
CBC Records Dropping Classical?
Canada’s CBC Records is apparently dropping its commitment to classical recordings in favor of music it hopes will attract younger listeners. And “even the non-classical outlook is cloudy… CBC Records has nothing “in the can” — industry jargon for a completed recording pending release — in any genre.”