At Berkshire Theatre Group’s outdoor production of Godspell, things are different. “For the artists, it’s a brave new world. … They perform six feet apart in the musical about Jesus and his disciples, flanked by plexiglass shields on wheels that protect them and the audience as they sing. For good measure, in their pockets they also have masks, which they put on periodically during the show.” – Los Angeles Times
Author: ArtsJournal2
Trying To Fix A Deeply Flawed Trilogy More Than A Decade After Its Publication
Not that it would be easy to fix the issues with Twilight, but author Stephenie Meyer gives it a try with her newest book. So … how did that work out? Uh: “Meyer seems to think that accountability means addressing how toxic your behavior is and then continuing to do it anyway, but it’s fine now because you know it’s wrong.” – Slate
Can German (Can Any) City Centers Be Saved During The Coronavirus?
Many things have battered the city center over the past two decades. “German mayors have tended to turn to marketing in an effort to attract more people to the city center. With retail moving online, entertainment, cultural events and good food became the primary selling points. And it worked for quite a while.” Then Covid-19 shut it all down. – Der Spiegel
In A Very Abnormal Year, Indigenous Art Persists
Artist Ngarralja Tommy May, a Wangkajunga-Walmajarri artist, has won the major prize at the (streamed) National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art awards. Said another winner (for painting), “I love the ability to make sure that people like myself feel included in the visual national identity of Australia.” – The Guardian (UK)
Bon Appetit’s Only Two Black Editorial Staff Members Quit In Continuing Controversy
The Condé Nast food magazine’s missteps around race and representation continue. “The departures came a day after three journalists of color said they would no longer participate in the magazine’s popular video series, citing inequitable pay.” – The New York Times
Neighbors Performing Music For Neighbors Hasn’t Stopped
And, in the U.S., it may be just getting started. A cellist in Pasadena who performs weekly with his wife, a pianist, says, “We thought with so much suffering, and so much anxiety, this is something very small that we can try to do to help.” – Los Angeles Times
There’s A New Genre In Town: Quar-Horror
A couple of the filmmakers: “This is where our brains went. Instead of making bread, we were like, ‘what can we do with how we’re creative?'” – NPR
It Took 80 Years For This Piece By Composer Ulysses Kay To Have Its World Premiere
Why? Perhaps this: “While Ulysses Kay shared stages with the greats of his day, his daughter said over time his compositions haven’t been performed as widely and are often programmed for cultural anniversaries or events including Black History Month.” – WBUR
Is That Dead Air Time? No, It’s Deliberate Peace And Quiet On The Airwaves
Some stations have meditation minutes, and some have other ways to fill all of that time when they’d normally have stories about events (the events that aren’t happening right now). Some 30-second promos “feature sounds like ocean waves and remind listeners to breathe and limit their screen time.” – Nieman Lab
Victor Victor, Musician Who Brought Music, Dance, And Theatre To The Underprivileged, 71
Víctor’s hit was the 1991 “Mesita de la Noche,” but before that, his son says, the Dominican singer/songwriter/producer had “lived a double life. … He was writing romantic songs and being an artist, but he was also part of the underground political movement” opposed to dictator Rafael Trujillo. – The New York Times