“In his over five decades in entertainment, Taylor would make over 2,000 guest star appearances on shows like The Monkees, The Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, Hollywood Squares and The Gong Show. He also hosted the beauty pageant spoof The $1.98 Beauty Show.” – Yahoo! (AP)
Blog
What Royal Shakespeare Company’s Decision Not To Take Oil Company Money Means
“The RSC’s move will make it much harder for other arts institutions such as the Royal Opera House, the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery to keep taking money from oil companies on the grounds that it helps widen access. It may signal the start of the arts world distancing itself from oil companies.” – The Stage
Anthony Gormley Plans Giant Brexit Sculptures On Brittany Coast
On the eve of Britain’s potential departure from Europe, Gormley is planning a new and dramatic intervention on the beaches of northern France. He wants to erect a group of seven huge sculptures, made from iron slabs, on the coast of Brittany. They will look towards Britain, the lost island of Europe. – The Observer (UK)
Does Putting Students Into Reading Levels Discourage Reading?
“Quantifiable measurements give students, teachers and administrators the confidence and assurance of “progress”: There is a sense of comfort in advancing from one designated level to the next. But reading is not a science. When we place significant value on quantifiable measures, we also might be pushing readers away from an intrinsic love of reading — and ignoring the great complexity of literature that is simply immeasurable.” – Washington Post
For The First Time In 136 Years, Met Opera Begins Sunday Matinees
As part of three-year labor contracts agreed to in the summer of 2018, the Met has the right to present up to 17 Sunday matinees this season and 27 in 2020-21. Any Sunday show will be followed by a Monday off for both performances and orchestra rehearsals. And Tuesday-morning rehearsals will have limits. – Yahoo! (AP)
Netflix Goes Around Theatre Chains, Rents Broadway Theatre For Scorsese Movie Run
Stymied by the big theater chains, the streamer has booked Broadway’s Belasco Theatre for its November 1 opening of Martin Scorsese’s epic “The Irishman” for one of several New York theatrical dates. – IndieWire
Readying For New Controversies Around Nobel Literature Prize
The revamped panel at the Swedish Academy who will hand out the Nobel Literature prizes Thursday for both 2018 and 2019 would relish arguments about the winners, rather than intrigue about the #MeToo scandal that forced the institution to suspend the prize last year. – Yahoo! (AP)
The Glastonbury Festival Isn’t Until Next June. But Tickets Sell Out In 34 Minutes
A record number of people had registered to be eligible for the sale, which started at 9am on Sunday and was finished in little over 30 minutes. A record 2.4 million people signed up to have a chance of securing a ticket. – The Guardian
Arts Education For All? (Depends On How You Define It)
The problem is that the offering all across the country is premised on the wealth of schools or school districts and there is a fundamental, inherent inequity to that reality. – Barry’s Blog
Remembering Jessye Norman
Alex Ross: “The grand-diva façade concealed a restless, exploratory spirit. In later years, Norman became increasingly adventurous in her choice of repertory.” The New Yorker