Sean McFate: “For a man in my profession, there’s much to love. Like war, things usually go horribly wrong in opera. For instance, take Verdi’s La forza del destino.” But it’s more than that: “Opera is my lodestone in the darkness. Its beauty offsets war’s ugliness, and without such balance, we slip into numbness and eventual insanity, robbed of our humanity.” — Quartz
Blog
Gay Magic-Realist Novel Banned By The Nazis Appears In English For First Time
“At the Edge of Night, by Friedo Lampe, was first published in 1933. … The [Nazi] regime objected to the novel’s inclusion of homoerotic content, and its depiction of an interracial liaison between a black man and a German woman. The book was placed on their list of ‘damaging and undesirable writings’.” Yet it was praised by no less than Hermann Hesse in 1933, and it has gained admirers since the uncensored version was published in Germany in 1999. — The Guardian
How The World’s Biggest Financial Scandal Ensnared The Art World (And Leonardo Di Caprio)
Nate Freeman recaps the story of financier Jho Low and 1MDB, the enormous Malaysian government investment fund whose billions were diverted into the personal accounts of former prime minister Najib Razak and his family and friends — and from there into extremely high-priced art. — Artsy
Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center Had A Plan To Finance Renovation Of Its Newest Theater. That Plan Has Fallen Apart
The Merriam Theater, which the Kimmel acquired in 2016, was the city’s most uncomfortable, problematic major venue, and the plan for fixing it involved partnering with a developer who’d build a skyscraper above it. But, after doing due diligence, no developer has agreed to do it. — The Philadelphia Inquirer
Broadway ‘Mockingbird’ Shoots Down British ‘Mockingbird’
“A British touring production of [the old Christopher Sergel adaptation of] To Kill a Mockingbird, which was to start next month, has been canceled after Scott Rudin’s company Atticus — the firm behind the Broadway hit [adapted by Aaron Sorkin] — threatened legal action … saying it held worldwide rights for professional stagings of the book.” — The New York Times
Oscars Hosting, Super Bowl Halftime, White House Dinner — Why Have Big-Name Entertainers Started Turning Down The Biggest Gigs?
Kevin hart blew his chance at the Oscars, and nobody wants to replace him; Rihanna and Cardi B both passed on the Super Bowl; the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has become so fraught that they’ve asked a historian to MC. These jobs have always been dangerous (look at the blowback if you say the wrong thing), but the opportunity used to be worth the risk. Here’s why that’s no longer the case. — The Guardian
Russell Baker, New York Times ‘Observer’ Columnist, Dead At 93
“Mr. Baker, along with the syndicated columnist Art Buchwald, was one of the best-known newspaper humorists of his time, and The Washington Post ranked his best-selling autobiography, Growing Up, with the most enduring recollections of American boyhood — those of James Thurber, H. L. Mencken and Mark Twain.” — The New York Times
Barnes Foundation Aims To Raise $100 Million For Endowment (And It’s Already Well On The Way)
“With its centennial year approaching in 2022, the Barnes Foundation is on a path to raise $100 million by that celebratory anniversary, its leaders said Tuesday. The campaign has quietly bubbled along for more than a year, bringing in its first donation in December 2017, and has raised $35.3 million so far in pledges and gifts.” — The Philadelphia Inquirer
Why The Sydney Opera House Has Put Dogs On Staff
No, they aren’t audience engagement personnel, at least not in the usual sense. The Opera House has a couple of very popular places to eat outdoors, and the place is right on the harbor — so there are plenty of brazen seagulls ready to steal your food. Management has finally hit on the right way to keep the greedy fowl at bay. — Time Out Sydney
Alicia Alonso, At Age 98, Finally Turns Over The Reins Of The National Ballet Of Cuba
“[The company has named] the beloved hometown prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés … deputy artistic director, which means she will immediately assume the daily responsibilities of running the company. Alonso will retain the title of general director, but in practice, Valdés will be the one making all the artistic decisions.” — Dance Magazine