So Michael Moore is a relentless promoter of his movies. And Dick Clarke had a book he was trying to sell. Why does that diminish what they’re selling? “Most people who create things — films, TV shows, books — naturally hope to have their creations experienced by as many people as possible. Second, the essence of capitalism is to come up with goods or services that one can sell and, by selling, generate a profit. Since when did the desire to be rewarded for one’s work become a grubby, back-alley enterprise for which one must be publicly scolded?”
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Tutoring For Advantage
“Years ago, with a very few exceptions, tutoring was for students who were floundering or failing. Today it is a booming industry, fueled by parental angst over the college admissions process, that helps not only children who are struggling, but also gilds the lily, moving “B+” students to “A” students, giving extra support to students enrolled in honors and Advanced Placement courses and propelling children with high test scores into the very top percentiles.”
Little Movies And Their Stealth Marketing
“Increasingly, more independent movies are adopting models of grass-roots marketing. Unable to compete with the multimillion-dollar advertising budgets of studio blockbusters, small movies are instead targeting localized niche audiences as a way to gain traction. That platform allows a film to open small and then potentially build momentum through word of mouth, just as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” did two years ago by initially making a splash in the Greek-American community. That movie went on to become the most profitable romantic comedy in history.”
Durham Debates Giant Clear Channel Theatre
The Durham (NC) City Council is considering a plan for “a 4,000-seat theater adjacent to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the American Tobacco complex renovation. Supporters of the proposed American Center for Performing Arts say the region needs a theater of this size, and that it would serve as a permanent home to the American Dance Festival, which has long outgrown crowded Duke University stages.” But media giant Clear Channel Communications would manage the theatre, and a coalition of other arts groups is coming together to oppose the plan.
What Does Muti Have Against Philadelphia?
This week, the Philadelphia Orchestra played Vienna’s famed Musikverein, and by coincidence, the ensemble’s old music director, Riccardo Muti, just happened to be staying at a hotel right across the street from the concert hall. Yet strangely, Muti didn’t attend either of the Philadelphians’ concerts, and other than a quick dinner with a violinist and a hastily scheduled meeting with orchestra president Joe Kluger, no one in the orchestra even caught a glimpse of him. In fact, since leaving Philadelphia in 1992, Muti has declined multiple invitations to return to the podium there. Orchestra officials insist that the maestro has a standing invitation.
Trying Anything To Get ‘Em In The Seats
Call it selling out an art form, giving the people what they want, or simply adapting to a changing world. But whatever you call the new strategy being employed by the Columbus, Ohio-based BalletMet, which includes joint appearances with the Ohio State marching band and dances choreographed to the music of techno icon Moby, the company insists that the steps are necessary for them to stay solvent in a world that seems increasingly resistant to traditional dance.
Why The Tonys Are Guaranteed To Suck
The fact that the Tony Awards exist to memorialize the best productions of the year of around a dozen New York theaters and absolutely no one else has always limited the appeal of the ceremony. But this year, the Broadway-only restriction could also prove embarrassing, after a season in which nearly every new production on the Great White Way was a disappointment, and the most innovative and engaging theatrical events in New York were occurring off-Broadway.
Do The Tonys Even Matter?
“Of the many odd aspects of the Tony Awards, one of the oddest is that the prizes rarely have any effect on a show’s box office. Of course, this is related to another Tony quirk: many of the nominated shows have closed by the time the awards come around (this year, two of the four nominees for best play are already gone). But even winners that are still being performed may not benefit much from their prizes.”
What Are They Paying For, Anyway?
Another art sales record was broken this month when a Picasso sold for over $100 million. But do such absurd sale prices actually tell us anything about the quality of art? “Such news always engenders in hearers the notion that something about the art has to justify the price in the way that the number of carats determines the value of diamonds. But it’s much more complicated than that, as the appeal of art objects depends on many factors apart from aesthetics.”
Hoping For A Building That Lets Its Contents Shine
Italian architect Renzo Piano will shortly be bringing his subtle, understated style to Chicago, as designer of the Art Institute of Chicago’s planned expansion. Critic Blair Kamen has visited Piano’s latest triumph – Dallas’s $70 million Nasher Sculpture Center – and says that, if the Nasher is any indication, Chicago can look forward to a classic building which actually seeks to serve the art it houses, rather than overwhelm it.