“This joyful staging is the first by Theater 55, a new Twin Cities company that celebrates elders as artists. And it requires more than an average suspension of disbelief. The 26-member cast singing about the Age of Aquarius is distinct for its abundance of unapologetic wrinkles, dad bods and artificial joints. … And that, they might tell you, is the point.” — The New York Times
Blog
NBC Calls Off ‘Hair Live!’
The real-time telecast of the classic counterculture musical had been scheduled for May 19. In a statement, NBC executives emphasized that “live musicals are a part of this network’s DNA and we are committed to continuing that tradition with the right show at the right time. Since these shows are such enormous undertakings, we need titles that have a wide appeal” — meaning that they’re safe for the kids. — Deadline
Is This Leonardo Da Vinci’s Only Surviving Sculpture?
A small terracotta statue, titled The Virgin with the Laughing Child and housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, has been attributed to various Italian Renaissance artists, most recently Antonio Rossellino. Now art historian Francesco Caglioti says that “there are a thousand details, which dispel any doubts regarding the attribution [to Leonardo].” — The Art Newspaper
The Opéra-Bastille, The House That Gets No Respect
When it opened (not quite finished) in Paris in 1989, this joke made the rounds: “What is the difference between the Bastille Opera and the Titanic? The Titanic had an orchestra.” It was over budget (of course), the acoustics didn’t work, it was put in an awkward location, and it was (and still is) considered the ugliest opera house in Europe. As the behemoth hits its 30th anniversary, Joshua Barone pays a visit — and, while he acknowledges its flaws, he points out some successes as well. — The New York Times
National Museum Of Scotland Completes Massive 15-Year, £80 Million Makeover
“Revamped galleries devoted to Ancient Egypt, East Asia and ceramics are the last of 29 spaces to open, bringing to an end an £80m masterplan to turn the outmoded main building into a 21st-century museum, united with the 1998 building next door. The 15-year process has carved out 50% more public space and revealed more than 6,500 objects that had spent decades languishing in storage.” — The Art Newspaper
Lagos, Nigeria Is Finally Arriving As Africa’s New Art Destination
“This enormous city — with no official census, population estimates range from 13 million to 21 million — is dynamic by disposition. … Lagosians — who are proud of their ‘hustle,’ a mix of effort, imagination, and brash optimism — will turn any challenge into enterprise. Commerce, music, fashion, have long thrived amid the chaos. And now, with its solid collector base and thickening web of galleries and alternative spaces, the art ‘ecosystem’ — the word everyone uses — is achieving critical mass.” — The New York Times
The Symphony Orchestra Of India (And Why There’s Only One)
Western classical music, and orchestral music in particular, has caught on in a huge way in East Asia, but it has only ever had the most tenuous of holds in the Indian subcontinent (which has a long and still-vibrant classical tradition of its own). Writer Simon Broughton looks at the history of attempts to establish orchestral music in India — culminating in the Symphony Orchestra of India, founded in Mumbai in 2006 and about to make a tour of the UK. — Gramophone
Birmingham Reduces Its Latest Round Of Arts Funding Cuts By Half
Last October, the city government announced its third round of cuts in cultural spending in the past four years. Those cuts amounted to just over £1 million, a third of the already reduced budget. After complaints and a petition, the council’s latest budget plans show a cut of only £500,000. — The Stage
Global Pop Music 2.0 – A New Kind Of Star
There’s been a fundamental change to the idea that English is pop’s lingua franca. This development has been accompanied by a remarkable shift in the pop-star system itself. While bilingual artists surge into charts and playlists, joining the American rappers who have profoundly reshaped popular music in the last 20 years (the five most listened-to tracks on Spotify in 2018 were by US hip-hop acts), it’s a different story for the stars who emerged during the era we might call Pop 1.0. “The massive pop stars of yesteryear – Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake – are fading from the public consciousness. – The Guardian
More And More, Scientists Are Leaving Academia For Private Industry
A recent study following the careers of over 100,000 scientists for over 50 years found that half of university-hired scientists leave the academic life after just five years. That’s a huge increase over prior years: According to the study, which was published in the Proceedings in the National Academy of Sciences, academic scientists in the 1960s stayed in the ivory tower for an average of 35 years. – Pacific Standard