“What may seem disarmingly simple is actually incredibly complex. The dame is definitely a man in a dress, and one who needs to combine a character with strong maternal instinct, a mouth that’s full of broad innuendo and ensure that the joke is always on them. The great dames also form the bridge between the audience and the action on stage. … A great frock and wig can only take you so far.”
Blog
Where Is St. Nick Buried? Turkey Makes The Claim
“Since claims emerged of a newly discovered chamber beneath the church, an archaeological debate has raised questions on the ultimate resting place of his remains. Theologians say the most logical possibility is that his body was smuggled to Italy in the 11th century. But Turkish officials believe his remains may lie beneath the Byzantine church.”
Four Hidden Biases That Shape (And Distort) Natural History Museums
“They are places for people, made by people. We might like to consider them logical places, centred on facts, but they can’t tell all the facts – there isn’t room. … Museums are a product of their own history, and that of the societies they are embedded in. They are not apolitical, and they are not entirely scientific. As such, they don’t really represent reality.”
How Museums Are Trying To Diversify
“Museums aren’t just working to cultivate new audiences because inclusiveness is a moral imperative — there’s also a strong business case for widening their nets. In an era of Snapchat videos and Instagram art, American cultural institutions are also trying to figure out how to cultivate the next generation of museum goers. 23 percent of the U.S. population is under the age of 18, according to census data — a generation that’s not particularly white, and not particularly wealthy. By 2020, more than half of all American children will be members of a minority population.”
How Weird Al Yankovic Stayed Relevant For Four Decades And Outlasted Most Of His Parody Targets
“In terms of longevity, Al falls somewhere between The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live, though rather than an ever-cycling comedic ensemble, Al’s just one bespectacled, poodle-haired accordionist with an adenoidal voice who’s never done illegal drugs in his life and kept the same band and manager for the duration of his career.” Andy Beta looks at how he did it.
The Most Remarkable Art-History Discoveries Of 2017
“In 2017, we gained new insight on the early years of Leonardo da Vinci and the final ones of Andy Warhol; amateur archaeologists were rewarded with major finds; and several masterpieces were discovered, simply hiding in plain sight. From newly mapped Venezuelan petroglyphs to a long-lost Magritte, these are 10 of the most notable art-historical discoveries of the year.”
Why Hoover’s FBI Investigated ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ For Communist Influences
“An unnamed FBI agent who watched the film as part of a larger FBI program aimed at detecting and neutralizing Commie influences in Hollywood … uncovered that ‘those responsible for making It’s a Wonderful Life had employed two common tricks used by Communists to inject propaganda into the film.'”
The High-Pressure, High-Drama World Of Kids’ Competitive Dance
“The children who enter these competitions train up to 30 hours per week, primarily on weekends and after school. Because children must compete in many styles – hip-hop, ballet, jazz and others – versatility is essential, and training can be rigorous to the point of extremity.” Says one judge, “It was never like this when I was a kid. These kids are like gladiators.”
The Top 10 Library Stories Of 2017
From net neutrality to ebooks to copyright questions to The Resistance to perennial issues of funding, here are the leading developments of the year for libraries.
Charles Dutoit ‘Released’ As Royal Philharmonic’s Artistic Director ‘For The Immediate Future’; Six Other Orchestras Cut Him Off
“The orchestra has released a statement saying that it, along with Dutoit, ‘have jointly agreed to release him from his forthcoming concert obligations with the orchestra for the immediate future,’ adding that it is ‘committed to the highest standards of ethical behaviour’. … He has been sacked from other positions at the San Francisco Symphony, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, while orchestras in New York, Chicago and Cleveland have all cancelled appearances from him.”