“Without Boundary” is “the most important exhibit MoMA has launched in at least a decade, and it’s the first exhibition of contemporary art from the Islamic world in a major American museum since 9/11.” But “the exhibition is a reminder of the difficulties that museums face when it comes to merging — or not — art and politics.”
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Dinner Theatre Lands World Premiere
A Minnesota dinner theatre lands the rights to produce the world premiere of “Easter Parade,” a stage version of the classic 1948 movie with music by Irving Berlin. “Though new musicals frequently begin life outside New York, it’s unusual for a theater — particularly a dinner theater in the suburbs — to earn the right to develop a high-profile title on its own. The Chanhassen production, scheduled to open in February, will be the template for amateur and professional productions. It could have a life on the road and has an outside shot at advancing to Broadway.”
Louise McBain Builds An Empire
Louise McBain has been on a tear, building an empire of art publications and inserting herself into New York society. “I am ambidextrous and dyslexic, with a lively creative spirit. As a child, I didn’t know which hand to use, or which side of my brain to use. It took me a long time to develop confidence in my creativity. I realized that thinking out of the box didn’t make me out of my mind.”
Elevator Music – Junk Food For Our Emotions
“Perhaps the use of muzak is in part a reflection of our preoccupation with gloss and spin – buff up the surface, attend to every external area of presentation and, with luck, anything goes underneath. But more than this, the use of muzak is pernicious because it is manipulative. Its effects, like those of the constant bombardment of sexual imagery, are insidious. We should be under no illusions: the power of music to manipulate our emotions is well known and widely exploited. And formulaic muzak stimulates only the very shallowest of our emotions, arousing or lulling our surface senses to order.”
Journalist Testifies Against Curator
British journalist Peter Watson has testified against former Getty curator Marion True, linking her to an Italian smuggler.
Rowling Wins Book-Of-The-Year
JK Rowling’s sixth Harry Potter book has won book of the year in the abritish Book Awards. “Rowling won the public vote ahead of autobiographies by the late John Peel, Sharon Osbourne, Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan, and Jamie Oliver’s Italy.”
Apple v. Apple (A Battle Over iTunes)
Back in 1991, Apple Computer and Apple (the recording company of the Beatles) carved up the world. Apple-the-computer company promised not to be in the recording business. Now Apple-the-record-label is suing Apple Computer over using the apple logo on iTunes…
Judge: Teachers Don’t Have Free Speech In Class
A judge rules that American teachers “do not have a right under the First Amendment to express their opinions with their students during the instructional period. The judge ruled that school officials are free to adopt regulations prohibiting classroom discussion of the war.”
Hollywood’s “Indie” Contradiction
A lawsuit against producers of “Brokeback Mountain points up “an uncomfortable contradiction in the specialty divisions owned by the major studios. That is, movies are budgeted as though they were in the independent world, often squeezing every nickel out of actors, directors and production staff, who cut their fees to near nothing for the privilege of making a picture they are passionate about. When it comes to releasing the film, however, the “arthouse” divisions can take advantage of the deep pockets of their studio parents, frequently spending tens of millions of dollars to promote a movie to glory or box office success in the award season. There is a trap in there somewhere…”
Of Thee I Sing – Musicals Bloom In West End
London is poised to be awash in musicals on an order no one can remember.