Says the chief executive of the theatre in the town of Malvern in Worcestershire, “The panto is crucial for the theatre, as we are unsubsidised, but also for the local economy, to which the theatre is a huge contributor” — up to £21 million a year, researchers estimate. – The Guardian
Category: AUDIENCE
France Won’t Expand Program To Give Youth €500 To Spend On Culture
“On Monday night, the French senate put a proposed increase in funding for Culture Pass, an app that gives 18-year-olds access to a €500 ($607) credit to spend on cultural experiences, on the chopping block — and the senate moved to put the money elsewhere.” – Artnet
Shocker: Warner Studios Says It Will Release All Its 2021 Movies At Once Streaming And In Theatres
In a surprising break from industry standards, Warner Bros.’ entire 2021 slate — a list of films that includes “The Matrix 4,” Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” remake, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical adaptation of “In the Heights,” Sopranos prequel “The Many Saints of Newark,” and “The Suicide Squad” — will debut both on HBO Max and in theaters on their respective release dates. – Variety
A COVID-Safe Drive-In Theatre For Stage Plays Will Open Next Spring
The DriveINSIDE theatre, which is approved for operating even under Britain’s Tier 3 pandemic restrictions, will have a four-week run in Manchester in March before touring the rest of the UK. Cars will be directed to a designated parking spot, the equivalent of an assigned seat, and passenger-viewers will be able to sit outside on the driver’s side. – Manchester Evening News
A Better Way To Give Concerts?
Stephen Hough: “One issue I wrote about that seems to have struck a chord with readers was the idea of removing the interval and having shorter concerts, lasting around 60-80 minutes, perhaps at different starting times, and even repeating them on the same night. Since the pandemic struck this shrunken format has quickly become the norm, a neat solution to comply with new health and safety requirements … and I’ve loved it.” – The Guardian
TikTok Users Are Creating The Ratatouille Musical Disney Never Did
But these aren’t just any TikTokkers. “Thousands of TikTok users, including many with Broadway credits, have paid homage to the 2007 Disney Pixar film, about a rat who dreams of becoming a French chef, by creating their own songs, dances, makeup looks, set designs, puppets and Playbill programs.” And Disney is apparently paying attention as well, according to its Tweets and its own TikTok contributions. – The New York Times
In 2020, The Performing Arts Livestream Winter Holidays
Members of Live Arts Maryland might be practicing outdoors, as far apart as possible, with earmuffs and scarves on, but on the day of their performance, “individual performers in A Celebration of Christmas will sing carols from their homes and will be joined, online, by an orchestra ensemble in a YouTube livestream.” – Baltimore Sun
Theatres Are Saving A Christmas Carol
Did … did it need saving? Well, perhaps the theatres do; it’s been such a large money maker for theatres in the U.S. for, well, many years. Now, as the holiday season kicks into high gear, theatres “are using every contagion-reduction strategy they have honed during the coronavirus pandemic: outdoor stagings, drive-in productions, street theater, streaming video, radio plays and even a do-it-yourself kit sent by mail.” – The New York Times
Christmas Panto In The Pandemic
It seems you can’t keep England’s antic, anarchic holiday tradition down, even as disease stalks the land. Chris Wiegand talks to producers who are putting their pantos on film and in car parks. – The Guardian
How The Houston Symphony Returned To The Stage For Live Performances
To be honest, part of the reason this could even be tried was that the governor of Texas didn’t institute a wide lockdown. That said, the symphony, which resumed weekly live concerts in July, consulted researchers from Rice to figure out where “microparticles” from musicians go within the symphony hall, and to institute better ventilation and filtration systems. (But the concerts have a livestreaming option for audience members who are not persuaded.) – Houston Chronicle