Containers of mysterious unclaimed movie props were sold at auction this week. Were they part of the original “Star Trek” set? What was actually in the containers…
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Engineer By Day, Professional Dancer At Night
The PushPULL Dance Company is made up of dancers who have other careers going. “We didn’t become professional dancers because we have multiple interests that have to be satisfied, and the name PushPULL underscores just how torn we are between the love of the arts and our day to day jobs. If you love dance, but you also love science or math or languages or the law — it’s hard to do these on the side. That’s why dance became the hobby, and in my case, engineering became the career. Once the decision had been made, there is also the benefit of knowing you’re going to get the higher paycheque.”
On The Eve Of The Tonys, Thinking About Musicals
“Though Broadway sold a record 12 million tickets in the 2005-06 season, the musical year was notable more for spectacular fiascoes than hits. Among the flops were “Lennon,” about the late Beatle, and “Lestat,” a big-budget Warner Bros. show with music by Elton John which closed after a month.”
US House Seeks To Open Cable Market
“The biggest telecommunications legislation in a decade, approved 321-101, would make it easier for telephone companies to enter the subscription television market. A national franchise process would replace the current system where potential providers must negotiate contracts municipality by municipality, sometimes taking months and years.”
A Computer Society That Learns
“A team of computer scientists, sociologists and linguists are creating a population of millions of unique entities that have the ability to pass on life-prolonging tips to their community. In the process, they may evolve their own language.”
UK Arts Managers Make Funding Plea
“The heads of the Royal Opera House, National Theatre and the Tate are among those who have joined forces to urge the government not to cut investment. They want the current level of funding to stay, despite fears the Treasury may have other spending priorities.”
Minnesota’s Culture Makeover
“A series of major arts and cultural building projects in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, designed by a half dozen architects with international reputations and costing half a billion dollars, hits its zenith this month with two grand openings.”
A Plan To Open London Theatres On Sundays
“While people are cramming into cinemas, museums and concert halls, the vast majority of theatres remain obstinately shut. It’s mad. It’s anomalous. Now, at last, something is being done about it. Nicholas Hytner, the director of the National Theatre, who has already revolutionised seat prices with his £10 Travelex-sponsored ticket scheme, is now working hard on his next big idea: to phase in Sunday opening.”
UK Arts Leaders Praise Government Arts Leadership
“A decade of strong funding under Labour has transformed society, says their manifesto, Values and Vision: the Contribution of Culture. There has been an “explosion of creativity” said Hytner, artistic director of the National Theatre. Britons now engage with culture “to a degree undreamed of a decade ago”, according to Sir Nicholas, director of the Tate. Seven of Britain’s top 10 attractions are museums or galleries; 85% of foreign tourists visit for our museums; 66% of the population attended at least one cultural event in the past 12 months.”
Where Architects Are Experimenting
“Architects are living in one of those all-too-brief moments in which the world seems to be swimming with fat wallets — cities, Middle Eastern oil states, capitalist dictatorships — with the means and the egos to indulge in fantastical visions.Not in Britain, naturally. We prefer to get our visionary fantasies in the sale aisle at Matalan. No, it’s in China, of course, and Dubai, but also in culturally adventurous continental Europe, and even in the once architecturally cautious America, that experimentation is flourishing.”