“The Russian government’s annual St Petersburg International Cultural Forum (16-18 November) set off a new round of debate about the state of artistic freedom in Russia, with officials saying it is flourishing and a model for the world and the liberal intelligentsia saying it is under attack.”
Blog
Why Charles Manson Has Loomed Large In Pop Culture
“Perhaps Charles Manson also remains a source of such horror and continued fascination because he was the ultimate symbol of insanity. With eyes that either projected total blankness or the agitated evil of a demon awakened, Manson looked like what most people stereotypically think of when they imagine a crazy person. In what may be the craziest time that many Americans have lived through, it makes twisted sense, then, that the most recognizable American psycho is still so omnipresent in our culture.”
Ten Ways To Tell If Your ‘Nutcracker’ Is Traditional (And They’re Not Necessarily The Ways You Think)
As Alastair Macaulay points out, changes to the original Tchaikovsky/Petipa scenario have been made ever since the ballet’s 1892 premiere. “Many people crave a traditional Nutcracker, often the one they grew up with. But frequently it turns out that their notion of Nutcracker tradition goes back only to the mid-20th century. … So here are 10 Nutcracker checkpoints to help you work out where your Nutcracker is or isn’t true to the ballet’s heart and (a different thing) its tradition.”
The Show Went On: Rajiv Joseph On How Houston Kept His New Play On Track Through And After Hurricane Harvey
The playwright was one week into rehearsals for Describe the Night this past August when the storm flooded Houston and did $15 million worth of damage to the Alley Theater. He wondered if it was even appropriate for the show to continue – hell, he wondered if his vocation as a playwright was of any use to the world at all – yet, as he writes in this essay, both he himself and the Houston community had deeper resources than he had known.
A Year After Strike, Pittsburgh Symphony Is On The Mend
Says board of directors vice chairman Tony Bucci, “Last year, right, wrong, agree, disagree, ugly or nice, we confronted our problems.”
Santa Fe New Mexican Critic Craig A. Smith, 63, Dead In Apparent Suicide
“He began writing both feature stories and critical reviews [on opera, classical music, and theater] for Pasatiempo [magazine] in 1990 and continued to contribute to both Pasatiempo and The New Mexican after he left the staff around 2010 until the time of his death.” He was also the author of a 2015 biography of Santa Fe Opera founder John Crosby.
Stolen John Lennon Diaries Recovered In Berlin
“German police recovered around 100 items that belonged to late Beatles star John Lennon that were stolen from his widow in New York, including three diaries, two pairs of his signature metal-rimmed glasses, a cigarette case and a handwritten music score.”
‘Call Me By Your Name’, ‘Get Out’, ‘Lady Bird’, ‘Good Time’, ‘The Rider’ Lead Independent Spirit Awards Nominations
Not only are these prizes for indie movies with budgets under $20 million honors in their own right, but for the last four years, the winner of the Best Feature prize went on to win the Best Picture Oscar the following night.
Christo And Smithsonian Sued For Copyright Infringement Over ‘Running Fence’ Images
“The photographer Gianfranco Gorgoni … says he was not properly credited or paid when his photographs of the land art project in California were used in a 2007 exhibition and book, and is seeking recognition for his work.”
Two Groups Of Female-Led Investors Look At Buying Weinstein Co. And Making It A Feminist Concern
“Throwing a lifeline to an entertainment company that has become a symbol of the systemic mistreatment of women in Hollywood would seem like the last thing that feminists like Gloria Allred and Ana Oliveira, chief executive of the New York Women’s Foundation, would be interested in doing. But each is involved with a group holding separate acquisition talks with the embattled Weinstein Company – with the aim of benefiting sexual misconduct victims.”