“The preview of Two Thousand Years, Leigh’s first foray into theatre for 12 years, was enthusiastically received at the National Theatre on Saturday night. With all 16,000 tickets for the entire 20-week run of the mystery play sold out, queues formed at 6am for 30 extra tickets. The play zipped across the political terrain of Israel, Iraq, withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and even the floods in New Orleans, as Leigh, 62, perhaps proved why the first performance was suddenly postponed last Thursday: it was clear the author of Abigail’s Party and Secrets & Lies was still writing it.”
Blog
Fallen Idol – The Fake Talent Shows
Why are bad talent shows such hot business on TV? “Who’s to blame for those gladiatorial talent shows if not the millions of people who ring in to register their votes? Light entertainment is now a slave to the users of mobile phones, which allows you to understand why phone companies are falling over themselves to sponsor these shows and raise their profits. It’s a fake new democracy: people get to vote for their favourite bad singer and feel they’re involved in creating an entertainment phenomenon, while raising their own personal connection to the processes of fame.”
Mason – Remaking The Royal Ballet
Three years ago Monica Mason took over an ailing Royal Ballet in London. “Since taking on the top job, she has made many improvements. She has calmed an unsettled company, helped an exciting and talented set of dancers to dance better, and made judicious and interesting choices in the repertoire she has revived.”
A “Sound of Music” Museum?
The city of Salzburg is considering building a museum for “The Sound of Music.” “Discussions are under way to create a centre about the Von Trapp family, whose story was told in the 1965 Hollywood classic about a family singing troupe that flees the Nazis. Around 300,000 people visit Salzburg each year simply because of the movie.”
Cultureshock – New Orleans Culture On The Run
“Last year, the city hosted more than 10 million visitors, many to sample that cuisine and music scene, and was on track this year to eclipse those figures. The city also was having success with tax incentives to film companies, making it possible for the filming of “All the King’s Men,” “The Skeleton Key” and parts of “The Dukes of Hazzard” and other films. Now, the bedrock and lifeblood of the city and the culture that it spawned have been threatened by flood waters and disease and a forced exodus.”
Cleveland’s European Reception
The Cleveland Orchestra finishes up a tour of Europe. For one of the world’s most-acclaimed orchestra, the reviews were a mixed bag, with much attention focused on the skill of conductor Franz Welser-MÖst. Herewith a collection of critical excerpts…
CBC Lockout Podcasts – Not Ready For Prime Time
While the CBC labour dispute is on, some employees of CBC radio are podcasting. Is this a decent substitute for those missing Canada’s public broadcaster? Murray Whyte samples the shows and reports that so far podcasting is a poor substitute…
Why Hollywood Reads
Hollywood loves books. Always has. “Hollywood is essentially a story maw; it gobbles up narrative from any source — comic books have been big of late, ’70s TV shows have become a staple, before that magazine articles, plays, myths, legends, songs even, all had their run as big source material. But the book, the novel particularly, has been a font of movies for seemingly ever.”
Is The Human Brain Still Evolving?
Yes, says a team of scientists who have found a mutation in genes found in the brain. “This distinctive mutation is now in the brains of about 70% of humans, and half of this group carry completely identical versions of the gene. The data suggests the mutation arose recently and spread quickly through the human species due to a selection pressure, rather than accumulating random changes through neutral genetic drift.”
Finding Memory Enhancement In a Cigarette
Smoking cigarettes helps you concentrate (or so believe many smokers). But “scientists have found that nicotine really does boost certain transmitters in the brain that can help people think better. Now, the pharmaceutical industry hopes to improve on the effect, minus the lung cancer.”