Audiences are not buying tickets for a movie about Canada’s most famous serial killer. “Critical reaction has been almost uniformly negative toward the 104-minute feature, which was made in California in 2004 for an estimated $6-million (U.S.).”
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French Court Rejects “Original” Defense In Duchamp Urinal Case
A French court convicts a 77-year-old French man for attacking artist Marcel Duchamp’s famed porcelain urinal with a hammer, “rejecting the defendant’s contention that he had increased the value of the art work by making it an ‘original’.”
Orlando: A Performing Arts Center To Blend In
Architect Barton Myers has been chosen to design a new performing arts center for the city of Orlando, Florida. “Myers — a Los Angeles-based architect who has designed performing-arts centers in Newark, N.J.; Portland, Ore.; and Cerritos, Calif. — is known as an architect who avoids designing flashy structures that stand out from the landscape, such as Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Instead, Myers wants his work to fit in with — and add to — the cityscape around it.”
Louisville Orchestra Contemplates Bankruptcy
The orchestra may not finish out its season. “The orchestra projects a $500,000 deficit for this fiscal year, no longer has any lines of credit and is not paying many of its bills. The orchestra’s board planned a $3.5 million fund drive this year, but said that depended on reaching a contract deal by Dec. 31 with the 71 full-time players.”
Cleveland In Miami – A Brighter Future?
The Cleveland Orchestra has been struggling with its budget. Could extended residencies in Miami’s new performing arts center help to balance the books? “The orchestra sees the residency, which will include subscription concerts, educational programs and collaborations with Miami musical institutions, as a critical means of enhancing not only its reputation but also its bottom line.”
Ballet Florida Takes Up Residence In High School
Ballet Florida, the West Palm Beach-based dance company, “has been searching for ways to expand its reach beyond West Palm Beach, where it has 500 students in its academy. So it has taken up residence in a high school, with a company instructor teaching dance every day at the high school.
Broadway, Fully Booked
Two very successful Off-Broadway plays have been trolling for On-Broadway theatres to move to. But everything is booked…
The Podcast Factor
Are podcasts a threat to radio or a potential cash cow? “The BBC has been experimenting with podcasting since 2004 and says demand has grown. In May 2005 it made 20 programmes available for download and is extending the trial into this year “in order to gain a better understanding of listeners’ preferences.”
Study: Almost Half Of UK Workforce Fails Basic Reading, Maths
“There are about 12 million people in employment with literacy skills and 16 million with numeracy skills at level 1 or below – equivalent to the the levels of 11-year olds and younger, the committee found. The number of people underskilled in both aspects is unknown. The workforce comprises 30 million people, working full-time and part-time.”
New Leader For Royal Court New Playwrights
Dominic Cooke, 39, associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has been named to lead London’s Royal Court Theatre. Anthony Burton, the Royal Court’s chairman, said that Cooke had “dazzled the interview panel with his inspirational vision, innovative programming ideas and plans for change”.