A reporter and photographer travel to Orlando to see 44-year-old Michael Job acting his role at a Biblical theme park called The Holy Land Experience. — National Geographic
Blog
Memories Of One Of ‘The Old Gang’ At Judson Dance Theater
Aileen Passloff, now 87 and still working as a choreographer, talks to Gia Kourlas about the 1950s and ’60s, when a new generation was transforming what dance could be; her studies with a Diaghilev alumna; and climbing up a fire escape in heels and sneaking into City Center. — The New York Times
In Defense Of Opera In English Translation
Mark Wigglesworth, former music director of English National Opera, makes the case: “If opera is drama first and foremost, why is the question of the language it’s sung in so hotly debated? Shouldn’t the same rules as drama apply? I don’t hear complaints about Ibsen or Chekhov being compromised by translations. … Both Verdi and Wagner were energetically supportive of translations. If we could ask them about surtitles, I suspect they wouldn’t understand the question.” — Bachtrack
Leonardo’s ‘Salvator Mundi’ Is Missing — And It’s Mixed Up With The Saudi Crown Prince And The Mueller Investigation
The world’s most expensive artwork was supposed to have been on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi four months ago, and it’s been more than 100 days since anyone (other than some Saudi royals) has known where it is. What’s more, special prosecutor Robert Mueller is investigating both the buyer of Salvator Mundi (Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman) and its seller (Trump-connected oligarch Dmitri Rybolovlev, who made a $300 million profit on the sale). Reporter Zev Shalev connects the dots. — Narativ
This One Nifty Chart Shows The Danger Facing Netflix
The problem: “most viewership on Netflix gravitates toward audience favorites that first aired on other networks, which Netflix itself doesn’t own” — which means it could lose the right to stream them. — Vox
Art Dealer/Tax Fraudster Mary Boone Tries The Officer Krupke Defense
“New York art dealer Mary Boone pleaded guilty in September to filing false tax returns. Now, as she awaits sentencing — which could be up to six years in jail — her lawyers have filed a massive memo calling for leniency from the judge, citing a history of childhood trauma that has left Boone to battle mental illness and addiction.” (Gee, Officer Krupke …) — Artnet
The Story Of ‘Spider-Man’, France’s Most Spectacular Art Thief
“Long before the burglar Vjeran Tomic became the talk of Paris, he honed his skills in Père Lachaise, the city’s largest cemetery … Tomic and his friends turned the cemetery into a parkour playground, leaping from the roof of one mausoleum to the next, daring one another to take ever-bolder risks.” — The New Yorker
UK Launches Campaign To Expand Music Therapy For Dementia Patients
Research has shown that musical activities have a variety of positive effects for dementia patients, but, despite encouragement from the NHS, financially strapped facilities often put music low on their list of priorities. A new campaign called Music for Dementia 2020 aims to change that. — The Guardian
It’s Official: Met Museum Had Record 7.36M Visitors In 2018
The 5% increase over last year seems to indicate that the museum’s adoption of a mandatory $25 admission charge for out-of-state visitors didn’t discourage attendance. Even revenue from New York state residents, who may pay whatever they wish, is up by around 15%. — Crain’s New York Business
New York’s Beloved Drama Book Shop Was About To Close , So Lin-Manuel Miranda Bought It
The store, known for its wide selection of play scripts and books on theater, had announced that it was going to close after one rent hike too many for its 84-year-old owner. So Miranda, who says he wrote much of In the Heights in the Drama Book Shop basement, got three of his Hamilton producing partners to join with him to buy the business. — NPR