For arts groups in search of leadership, times are changing, and increasingly, a thorough knowledge of the art involved is not always a prerequisite for the job. “More typically, organizations seem to be looking for a do-it-all type — a fundraiser, a visionary, a seasoned manager and a respected scholar in the field. Increasingly, though, fiscal responsibility is a major part of the job.”
Blog
Maazel’s Gift
When conductor Lorin Maazel purchased a 550-acre farm in Virginia, his original intention was to have a place where he could escape the music world and live like a hermit. Instead, though, Maazel chose eventually to open his house “to local children in an expansive home-schooling project; to neighbors for chamber music concerts by the likes of stellar cellist Mstislav Rostropovich; and, lately, to music students and young professional singers, who have created a fully staged opera production.”
A Broadway Season That Didn’t Deliver
“The dispiriting quality of last Tuesday’s nominations for the Tony award — including double-digit nods for “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “The Color Purple” — are hardly cause for celebration. True, bulletins on the musical’s failing health have been posted with weary regularity since at least the 1960’s. But in the Broadway season that just ended officially, this once lively art seemed finally to have crossed the border that divides flesh from ectoplasm.”
What Happened To Hollywood Glamor?
“What does it mean to be glamorous anymore? What did it mean in the first place? Is Jessica Simpson glamorous when she’s playing Daisy Duke? Is she glamorous as herself, eating tuna out of the can? Or is she glamorous only when she’s posing for InStyle, in-styled within an inch of her life?”
Is Dance Done In Cleveland?
It’s a question worth pondering after the high profile failure of the city’s big touring dance program…
Chicago’s Grand Old Shubert Gets A Facelift
“For longtime Shubert attendees, the newly glorious auditorium will be a jaw–dropper. Over the years, the finer details had become obscured. Relighted and freshly and exquisitely painted in a rich, dark red-and-gold theatrical palette, the moldings, leafing and other decorative elements that had been present for 100 years now pop with astonishing new vivacity. ‘All of the incredible detail had been painted over in that beige and brown. Now people will finally be able to see it’.”
Think Small – Why Twin Cities Theatre Thrives
“A few years ago, we analyzed several comparable metropolitan areas that have solid theater reputations and realized that yes, we had the largest (by budget) regional theater in the country and the largest children’s theater and the most-successful dinner theater. But the analysis showed that the healthy current of small and midsize companies was the secret ingredient that pushed the Twin Cities ahead of like-sized metros and made us competitive with the big guys. These smaller troupes provide work for actors, designers, directors, writers, costumers and carpenters. For audiences, they enrich the ecosystem’s diversity.”
LA Suffers In The Movies…
Is there something odd or negative about the way Los Angeles is perceived by the rest of the world? If so, maybe it’s the way the city has been portrayed by the hometown movies industry…
ABT Prepares For Turnover
American Ballet Theatre is facing a slew of impending retirements, with several of the company’s biggest stars approaching the magic age of 40, at which most dancers have to at least contemplating ending their careers. How ABT absorbs the inevitable departures, and how it goes about rebuilding its ranks, will be the most important elements of the company’s long-term future as one of America’s most prestigious ballet troupes.
Because Teletubbies Didn’t Skew Young Enough?
Niche programming is one thing, but do newborns really need their own TV channel? Probably not, but they’re getting one, and those behind it are taking steps to insulate themselves against the inevitable backlash. “In almost every way, BabyFirstTV is an ideal match for its prospective demographic — at its best it is spirited, lively and full of simple wonder, and at its worst it is utterly innocuous.”