Designing a government building is always a dicey proposition, but in Scotland, where the long march towards some measure of self-rule has been a particularly painful one, the new Parliament building seems to evoke much of that struggle. “As a composition, it is disjointed and rambling; much of its detailing is overly fussy… Yet the building, which Queen Elizabeth will formally open on Oct. 9, is mesmerizing nonetheless. Its sometimes tortured forms are able to convey, with remarkable emotional force, the sense of a first-rate creative mind struggling to come to terms with myriad ideas and practical challenges.”
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Names Matter, Even On Broadway
“The news that the Shubert Organization will rename two of its Broadway theaters after two of its executives – one living, one dead – is not likely to cause major confusion, or even consternation, among theatergoers… But the city’s and the country’s theater lovers can only be dismayed. For them – for us – the lexicon of Broadway, including the names of specific playhouses, conjures not just a street or a business but also a history, a cultural tradition and even an ideal. The word Broadway may now be used chiefly as a marketing tool for producers, but it still has historical resonance for many theatergoers.”
NPR Seeking More Krocs
As National Public Radio continues to make use of the $236 million bequest from philanthropist Joan Kroc, the network is pursuing more such gifts, using the reach of its affiliate stations to attract ultra-high-rolling donors. At the same time, NPR’s priorities regarding the money are becoming clear: news is where the money is, and news is primarily where the new money is going.
Public vs. Expert Opinion: Who Should Judge Public Art?
The massive sculpture that stands in front of Baltimore’s train station is, to put it mildly, unpopular. In fact, nearly 100 locals gathered at a public forum recently to demand the removal of Male/Female, sculpted by Maine resident Jonathan Borofsky. But the forum turned out to be mainly an opportunity for art experts to tell the unhappy citizenry that they’d “get used to” the piece, and to highlight other examples of public art that were initially reviled.
Well, That’ll Do Wonders For Their Credibility
The scholars who emerge every year or so to reassert that William Shakespeare didn’t write the plays attributed to him are not what you would call the popular kids in academic circles. But that’s never stopped the Shakespeare Fellowship Foundation from calling attention to itself, with its efforts focused mainly on the logical-sounding notion that an uneducated glovemakers’ son simply would not have had a wide enough world experience to write such worldly plays. But at its annual convention this month, the SFF has waded hip-deep into a new controversy, claiming that the man they believe to have written the Shakespeare plays was also the lover of Queen Elizabeth I.
LA Phil Boosts Endowment
Less than a year ago, the endowment of the Los Angeles Philharmonic was barely as large as its annual operating budget, and the lowest among major U.S. orchestras. But this week, the Phil announced that it has raised $75 million for its endowment, and plans to raise $25 million more over the next three years. The largest single gift in the endowment drive is from the Disney Foundation.
SF Symphony Chorus May Strike
The professional members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are threatening to strike next week’s performances if progress is not made in their ongoing contract negotiations. 30 of the chorus’s 180 members are paid, and those singers are members of the American Guild of Musical Artists. There is no word on whether the unionized musicians of the symphony itself would cross a potential picket line.
GoogleLit On The Way
Google is launching a new search engine which would allow anyone to search the content of books online, and observers are saying that the move “could help touch off an important shift in the balance of power between companies that produce books and those that sell them.” The service works by searching the scanned pages of books provided to Google by publishers, and offering links to online sites where the books could be purchased. Publishers are giddy over the concept, which could allow them to eventually sell books directly to consumers, but the whole enterprise may be yet more bad news for traditional booksellers.
Who’s Afraid of Edward Albee? The Box Office, Apparently.
Edward Albee apparently isn’t the box office draw he once was, according to the producers who have abruptly canceled the playwright’s new off-Broadway production before it began. Albee is reportedly more than a little bit annoyed with the decision, reportedly asking, “Since when is anyone supposed to make money on an Edward Albee play?”
Random Acts Of Publishing Pay Off
The shortlist for Canada’s Giller Prize is out, and the field is dominated by Random House of Canada authors. Four of six nominated authors write for Random House, with only one small-press book making the cut. The Giller comes with a CAN$25,000 cash award, and the winner will be announced November 11.