She was the founding director of the Opera Company of Boston and the first woman to conduct at the Metropolitan Opera. In its glory years Ms. Caldwell’s company was a model of bold, imaginative programming, offering musically insightful productions with distinguished casts.”
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A Blend Of Modern And Aboriginal
Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre (an aboriginal company) collaborate on a piece. “The traditional Aboriginal element of dance and that kind of spirit that flows through the movement is what makes it so unique, and such an amazing hybrid of old and new…”
George Lucas On America’s Negative Cultural Influence:
“As long as there has been a talking Hollywood, Hollywood has had a huge impact on the rest of the world. There has been a conflict going on for thousands of years between the haves and the have-nots, and now we are in a position for the first time to show the have-nots what they do not have.”
An Early Critical Consensus On “Rings”?
The mega-production of Lord of the Rings opened in Toronto Thurday night. “The general feeling is that the spectacle overwhelms the story, and that the hybrid musical/non-musical doesn’t really work. It’s not that three-and-a-half hours is too long – some of us are used to sitting through Wagner. It’s that it isn’t enough time to tell the story. Even Peter Jackson needed nine hours of movie time.”
An Orchestra Of Laptops
The Princeton Laptop Orchestra, founded last fall, can, with “15 first-year students on Macs connected to custom omnidirectional speakers” emulate a full-fledged orchestra. “Or an electronica band. Or a jazz combo. It’s easy when the conductor keeps time via network clocks precise to 20 milliseconds.”
Foreign School Applications On Rise Again At US Schools
Reversing a two-year decline in applications, the “number of foreign students who applied to graduate programs in American universities during the current academic year increased by 11 percent” from last year.
Live And Synthetic
An actress in London’s West End is delivering her lines with synthetic vocal cords. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia’s Sister by Sarah Daniels stars disabled actress Amy Golden in the lead role using a communication aid with a synthesised voice to deliver her lines.”
UK Movies – Buy, Rip, Burn
UK movie fans will soon be able to buy and download movies online. “Fans will pay £19.99 for a DVD of their chosen film plus two digital copies to keep indefinitely – one for their home computer and one for a portable device. Universal said it could ‘completely revolutionise’ how people watch movies. However users will not be able to burn copies of the films to DVD themselves and the files will be compatible only with PCs and Windows software.”
TV Whenever You Want (Even When You Don’t)
For the first time, TV is available anywhere you have access to your cellphone. In fact, TV is about to be anywhere and everywhere, period…
Wills Wins Australia’s Biggest Art Prize
Marcus Wills wins this year’s Archibald Prize. “The Melbourne artist won the $35,000 prize for his portrait ‘The Paul Juraszek Monolith (after Marcus Gheeraerts)’, inspired by an etching by a Flemish engraver.”