Ticket sales at Toronto theatres are soft, and producers are worried that the summer tourist season will be a disappointment. “Although theatres everywhere are reporting a dramatic shift in the buying habits of consumers — instead of booking seats two or three months in advance, they now order weeks or even days ahead of time … Continue reading “Toronto Theatre Doldrums”
The Lord of the Rings movies have meant an economic boom for New Zealand. “The Tolkien fanatics have kept coming with pockets full of cash, desperate to see the place where the trilogy’s hero, Frodo Baggins, began his daring journey to vanquish the forces of evil by destroying the One Ring. Much of the payoff … Continue reading “Rings Power NZ Economy”
Why is Opera Australia retrenching? And why is opera in Melbourne such a tough go? “We know that our performances need to be 40 per cent underwritten in Melbourne for us to break even, but in Sydney it only needs to be 28 per cent funded. We sell 25 per cent to tourists in Sydney … Continue reading “Why Opera Australia Is Pulling Back”
Thursday October 31 FRIDA – WHERE’S THE ART? There’s plenty to like about the new Frida Kahlo biopic. But also some serious wrongs. First, where’s her art? Then, “the film unintentionally demeans Kahlo by depicting her as a charming naif, rather than a savvy professional. OK, so she often wore folkloric Tehuana clothes and mimicked … Continue reading “Media: October 2002”
Monday September 30 GIACOMETTIS SOLD: A controversial auction of Giacometti sculptures was stopped prematurely Saturday night in Paris, after 24 of the 36 pieces were sold for $5.8 million. A Paris court had agreed to a sale of work up to that amount after the “executor of Annette Giacometti’s [the sculptor’s wife] will had persuaded … Continue reading “Visual: September 2002”
Monday September 30 ACTORS TO ABANDON SCOTLAND? While England has pledged another £25 million for theatre next year, Scotland is freezing its expenditures on theatre. Critics claim theatre talent will drift south. “Actors have suffered very low wages, but any rise will significantly add to costs. This could only mean a reduction in the amount … Continue reading “Theatre: September 2002”
Friday August 30 WHILE DREAMS OF GOOG DANCED IN THEIR HEADS: Evidently oblivious to the Guggenheim’s sagging financial fortunes, the City of Edinburgh is trying to lure the museum into building a branch there. Representatives from Gehry & Associates have already been to town to assess site feasibility “It would add something to a rich … Continue reading “Visual: August 2002”
Thursday August 29 MILLER TAKES ON THE CRITICS: Arthur Miller isn’t fazed by the bad reviews his angry new play Resurrection Blues has received. “Most of my plays have been rejected to start with. The Crucible was destroyed first time out. It was the same with All My Sons. Every other critic condemned it. Why? … Continue reading “Theatre: August 2002”
Friday August 30 KIDS’ PLAY: “For the past seven years, pop has ruled the singles chart so convincingly that record companies appear to have abandoned trying to sell singles to adults altogether.” The sweet spot in the market is the tweenies – pre-teens who are changing the way music is sold. “They prefer singles to … Continue reading “Music: August 2002”
Friday June 28 WRONG NUMBER: Few things get audiences (or performers) more ticked off than cell phones ringing during performances. Now Japanese scientists have come up with a possible solution. “They have developed a wood that is filled with magnetic particles which can block phone signals and could be used to make theatre doors and … Continue reading “Issues: June 2002”
