People are asking why The Producers is closing early in Toronto. Why did the show flop? “Should a show really be considered a flop when it runs for 33 weeks in this town, delighting 400,000 people and pulling in an average of $1 million a week at the box office? Think of this as a tale of great expectations. The New York producers of The Producers were sure they could enjoy a run of more than a year in Toronto, and they did their financial planning based on that assumption. That begins to explain how The Producers could lose money in Toronto.”
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R-Cards – Acknowledging Reality, Or Abdicating Responsibility?
Some American theatre chains are issuing “R-Cards” that allow minors to get in to R-rated movies. “But critics are denouncing the R-card as both a maneuver around the movie rating system — which was set up to help parents sort out which movies were appropriate for their children — and an abdication of parental responsibilities.”
Mixed-Up Artists
In Toronto, like in many cities, artists communicate with other artists in their own fields, but seldom interact with artists in other artforms. A couple of Toronto art entrepreneurs have begun a program to mix things up. “But it’s almost anti-art world, anti-industry. I don’t like to use the term, because it sounds negative, but we look outside of what’s already established and allow other people access that they would otherwise not have, due to a lack of connections. A lot of these artists would have no idea where to start, getting themselves out there, promoting themselves. And that’s where we come in.”
NYCB – Eifman’s Apalling Homage
“For reasons too discouraging to explore, the New York City Ballet commissioned a work from Boris Eifman for its year-long Balanchine centennial celebration, now winding down. And Eifman came up with Musagète (Leader of the Muses), a 50-minute extravaganza that—despite its appalling notions of choreography, biography, and their possible relationship—claims to be a homage to the master. This is an event that could only have occurred over Balanchine’s dead body.”
Musical Theatre Works Folds
“Musical Theatre Works, the not-for-profit company devoted to creating and developing new musicals, is out of money and will shutter immediately, the Manhattan company announced June 25.”
Why Orchestras Are Stuck In The Past
“A little more than a decade ago, recording, radio and television contracts were bringing in about $700,000 annually in revenues. Today that figure hovers below $150,000. And if the orchestra wants to record an important new work that it has commissioned from a famous contemporary composer, it must pass the hat.”
The Tech-Savvy Orchestra
New devices such as the Concert Companion – which displays text describing what’s going on in the music as a concert plays – add a new dimension to the symphony experience. The question is what its adds, wonders William Littler.
Information Ought To Be Free (It’s In Our Best Interests)
“The high subscription cost of prestigious peer-reviewed journals has been a running sore point with scholars, whose tenure and prominence depend on publishing in them. But since the Public Library of Science, which was started by a group of prominent scientists, began publishing last year, this new model has been gaining attention and currency within academia. More than money and success is at stake. Free and widespread distribution of new research has the potential to redefine the way scientific and intellectual developments are recorded, circulated and preserved for years to come.”
Lollapalooza – Too Old To Live
Lollapalooza had a established name. And a pretty good lineup for this summer’s season. So why did the traveling music lineup kick the bucket? “The bristling embodiment of a generational zeitgeist, it wasn’t. Quality programming aside, Lollapalooza 2004 had the disturbing aura of an ‘oldies’ package tour.”
Melamid At The Temple Of Art
Alex Melamid is at it again. In his latest project designed to make his audience question artworld assumptions, he propses that art is the new religion. “In his current Art Ministry project, Mr. Melamid uses religion as a lens through which to examine the ingrained pieties and genius worship of museum culture. ‘The whole idea of art is based on belief. You cannot explain it, you cannot understand it. Just try reading art criticism — all you can do is have faith’.”