Howard Sherman (who was one of the readers): “It certainly was a performance: the airing of a document with the use of theatrical tools to illuminate a text for others. … If journalism is the rough draft of history, then [the reading] was the first draft of drama based on history.” – The Stage
Blog
Barnes & Noble Bought By Hedge Fund
Publishers Lunch’s Michael Cader writes that the deal is for “a modest $6.50 per share,” putting the value of the transaction at some $477 million, “plus the assumption of long-term debt makes the cash purchase ‘valued at’ approximately $683 million.” – Publishers Weekly
The Empress Of Desserts, Cookbook Author Maida Heatter, Dead At 102
A self-taught cook who was discovered by Craig Claiborne when he ate at her husband’s Miami Beach restaurant in the 1970s, she wrote or co-wrote more than 20 cookbooks, the most recent of which was published in April, and won three James Beard Awards. – The Washington Post
Los Angeles To Redesign La Brea Tar Pits
“Officials from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the entity that manages the site, announced the selection of three architectural firms that will develop separate proposals for a new master plan for the 12-acre site, which includes the tar pits, the George C. Page Museum and surrounding parkland — home to the iconic Los Angeles sight of a mammoth clinging to life along the edge of a tar lake.” – Los Angeles Times
T-Rex And Robots And Toons, Oh My! Smithsonian’s Fossil Hall Reopens After Five-Year Renovation
Yes, “the Nation’s T. rex” still has pride of place in the hall at the National Museum of Natural History. “But there’s much more here than one awe-inspiring dinosaur. The hall, restored to its Beaux-Arts glory, offers a fresh view of the fossil record and the evolution of life. It looks at the impact of climate change — caused both by man and by natural sources — and mass-extinction events. The exhibition demonstrates what scientists can learn from seemingly innocuous marks on a fossil, uses a cartoon of an ancient sea creature to show why your brain is located in your skull, and lets visitors get up close and personal with giant bronze insects.” – The Washington Post
$55 Million — Philadelphia Orchestra Gets Largest Gift In Its History
“The donation, by a couple wishing to remain anonymous, places $50 million into the orchestra’s endowment plus $5 million for general operating costs.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Board Exodus At Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre
Thirteen out of 34 members of the board of directors, including chairman John Svoboda, resigned this week following a disagreement with Roosevelt University, which owns the building, over the hiring of a new CEO. – Crain’s Chicago Business
This Orchestra Played An Entire Concert In Total Darkness
“The string players sat in concentric semicircles, with odd-looking tangles of wires running between the players’ feet. … As the lights dimmed, long drifting skeins of sound emerged, which coalesced into warm major chords and then drifted apart again, but what really seized my attention were the fluctuating patterns of light winking in the gloom.” Ivan Hewitt checks out the Aurora Orchestra. – The Telegraph (UK)
Dr. John, New Orleans Musical Icon, Dead At 77
“[Malcolm John] Rebennack, in his younger years, was gangsta to a degree that would likely shock Lil Wayne. But over the course of a remarkable life and career, he evolved. From addiction to three decades of sobriety. From sordid escapades as a dealer and pimp to Disney soundtracks and the model for sleepy-eyed, jive-talking Muppet musician Dr. Teeth. From hometown outcast to one of its most outspoken advocates and beloved characters.” – The New Orleans Advocate
Edinburgh Festivals Lobby UK Gov’t To Stop Making Artist Visas So Difficult
“A delegation from the festivals has this week met with Caroline Nokes, the Minister of State for Immigration, in a bid to ease the apparent clampdown on visiting artists to the UK … [that led to] the visa crisis experienced by artists at last year’s festival.” – The Herald (Scotland)