Author: ArtsJournal2

Alicia Keys Didn’t Just Host The Grammys, She Made A Clear Reference To Issues In The Industry

Keys was not playing the “sweep this mess under carpet for the awards show” game: “I’t’s a new decade,’ she said. ‘It’s time for newness. And we refuse the negative energy. We refuse the old systems. You feel me on that?’ … ‘We want to be respected and safe in our diversity,’ Keys continued. ‘We want to be shifting to realness and inclusivity.'” – The New York Times

Should Architects Work For Tyrants?

The answer seems obvious, and it seems like it must be no. And yet, says a (supposedly) liberal and progressive architect who recently agreed to work with the homophobic and environmentally horrifying Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, “If there’s a responsibility that comes from the creative platform we’ve created, it is to use that platform to change the world for the better.” – The Guardian (UK)

The Best Opera For Newbies, And Other Opera Questions

Tom Huizenga explains opera to NPR listeners: “It’s one of the most complicated art forms because, if you think about it: you’ve got drama, you’ve got music, you’ve got singing, you’ve got costumes, you’ve got lighting, you’ve got ballet sometimes. You’ve got all kinds of stagecraft. When all the cylinders are firing, it can be mind-blowing. But for me, it ends up being all about the voice. They’ve got to do it without a microphone, over the top of an orchestra, and they’ve got to project that voice, even if it’s soft, way up to the nose-bleed seats.” – NPR

Thelma Schoonmaker – Martin Scorsese’s Longtime Editor And Collaborator – Says He Hates Eyebrows

The other things Schoonmaker, who is nominated for the eighth time for an Oscar for The Irishman, says, have more to do with Netflix as a studio, and the long experience of trying to get the movie made. “‘Scorsese’s general manager said ‘Netflix will give you the money and they will leave you alone’ – and they did,’ she says. ‘I can’t tell you what a blessing that was. We’re sorry about the [short] theatrical release but nobody else would make this movie. The film wouldn’t have been made without Netflix.'” – BBC

Netflix Holds Its First Fan Screening At The Theatre It Bought In New York

Of course, it was for the sequel to the young adult rom-com To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and of course, the place was packed with superfans who could answer obscure trivia questions and cheer when the film’s stars made a surprise guest appearance. One woman said, “I love sitting at home on my couch and being warm and cozy. … But there’s just something a little bit more magical about seeing it on a big screen with a bunch of other people, too.” – The New York Times

Is There Anything Steve McQueen – Turner Winner, Oscar Winner, Recent Knighthood Recipient – Can’t Do?

He’s not a big fan of artistic cowardice. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s all about the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. End of. To get to that, you have to go in close, uncover what’s been hidden or covered over. Obviously, the easy thing is not to go there, but I have a need to go there.” – The Guardian (UK)

How Can Australia Come To Terms With Its Past?

Australia’s Aboriginal poets had some ideas as Australia Day – or #InvasionDay, as it’s known by many on social media – fever hit the country over the weekend. Problem: “Australia is the only Commonwealth country without a treaty between its government and Indigenous people. Yet, in the resulting vacuum, long after the gong’s last clang, the work of First Nations artists maps some directions reconciliation, treaty and atonement might take.” – The Irish Times

With An Organization In Budget Trouble, A Theatre’s Artistic Director Cut Two Shows – And Then His Own Job Was Eliminated

The St. Paul’s Park Square Theatre had a budget issue due to expected donor funding shortfalls and lackluster ticket sales. Now it has a leadership issue. “For ‘at least two years,’ Park Square will be in the unusual position of being an arts organization without a full-time artistic leader, Mattessich said. Board members plan to arrive at a solution this weekend at a retreat, he said. The plan is to create an ‘artistic committee’ — made up of Park Square staffers and Twin Cities theater artists — that will be involved in season planning, … working with collaborators and overseeing productions.” – The Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Sam Mendes Wins The Directors’ Guild Award For ‘1917’

Can any other film win the Oscar? Doubtful. “The strongest best-picture spoiler is likely Parasite, the South Korean thriller that prevailed at the Screen Actors Guild Awards this month and could become the first film not in the English language to win the top Oscar. Still, with the momentum of the PGA and DGA prizes, 1917 will be tough to beat.” – The New York Times