Elvis Presley hits the UK singles charts at No. 1 – again. “The king’s latest triumph – if that is the word for a CD that managed to top the chart with just 30,000 sales – is also the 1,000th No 1 since the UK chart began in 1952. Low sales or not, the music industry is rolling out a series of promotions to tie in with the milestone.”
Blog
Redeveloping Manhattan (A Missed Opportunity?)
A 40-block area on Manhattan’s west side is a major opportunity for redevelopment, writes Nicolai Ouroussoff. But “despite the tinkering, the city is left with a vague, crudely executed master plan whose main selling point is that it gives developers the freedom to articulate their own visions. Even with a few interesting flourishes, it essentially relies on developer-driven planning formulas. What’s missing is a voice that could give the plan a cohesive and vibrant identity.”
Get Your Picasso At Costco
A Florida art dealer is offering a Picasso for sale through Costco. “Dealer Jim Tutwiler of Orlando, Fla., says collectors can find bargains when they buy from Costco because its markup is just one-tenth that of traditional galleries. He’s been selling art through Costco for the past decade.”
Broadway’s Record Week
Broadway scored a record week at the box office in the last week of 2004. “During the week between December 27 and January 2, the 31 shows on the Great White Way took in a total of $22,069,502. That topped the previous record, set during December 23 to December 29, 2003, by $718,869.”
Thief Robs Theatre, Leaves Tsunami Relief Collections
A man burst into the box office of the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, Ireland and took the evening’s ticket receipts. But “on his way in and out of the theatre, he pointedly walked past the bucket of money in the foyer, donations which had been collected for the tsunami disaster fund before each matinee and evening performance.”
Charlotte Proposes Arts Building Plan
Members of Charlotte’s city government propose spending $130 million on new arts facilities. “Supporters of the plan — which was unveiled at Monday’s City Council meeting — say it would mark a dramatic shift in public funding for the arts, with an emphasis on building venues and a drastic reduction for the various arts groups in subsidies for operating expenses such as utilities, janitorial services and minor maintenance.”
Artistic Differences, And Behold, The Phoenix Rises
Members of New York’s venerable Jean Cocteau Repertory Company were dismayed when a new artistic director took the theatre in a direction they didn’t like. So they quit and built a new theatre company – the Phoenix. Its first run sold out to critical praise. But can the company sustain itself as a going concern?
Film Signals New German Attitudes
A German movie about Turkish immigrants has become a hit in Germany. “As the first ethnic film to be both a box-office and critical success in Germany, it signals new acceptance of multiculturalism. On screen, at least, Germans are now ready to meet immigrants they have long walked past on the street.”
New Kids Book Award Named For Dr. Seuss
“The American Library Association has created a new award for children’s books, to be named after the late Dr. Seuss. The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for outstanding children’s literature will begin next year, the Association for Library Service to Children announced Friday.”
When In Doubt, Blame The Oldsters
The baby boom generation is stifling Australian theatre, according to the younger directors and writers struggling to worm their way into the business, and one prominent playwright is calling for nothing less than a revolution. “We have lost the notion of a ‘whole’ Australian theatre, one in which each component part has a vital yet interdependent function… This has been the most serious casualty of Anglo-New Wave disaffection. We have lost a sense of overarching identity in our theatre. And we need to get it back.”