“Could a new Barnes thrive in a $100 million building with a $10 million annual budget, two figures floated in court? Yes, observers believe. There would be new revenue opportunities, and the Barnes would be more attractive to prestige-seeking but cautious donors. In the worst case, though, donations and attendance might drop off after an initial rush, and expenses could spiral.”
Tag: 01.04.04
The End Of Theory
“The golden age of cultural theory is long past,’ Terry Eagleton writes in his new book, ‘After Theory’ (Basic Books), to be published in the United States in January. In this age of terrorism, he says, cultural theory has become increasingly irrelevant, because theorists have failed to address the big questions of morality, metaphysics, love, religion, revolution, death and suffering.”
Hollywood Finds A Home In The UK
“This year looks set to be a bumper year for foreign film production in the UK. According to the Film Council, investment over the previous 12 months has topped £900m, beating the previous annus mirabilis of 2000. But a boom time for British-based film-making does not necessarily mean a boom time for British film. Many homegrown productions, forced out by the new arrivals, have begun migrating to cheaper locations in eastern Europe. Last year was the first time that the number of international co-productions shot in the UK (43) edged ahead of pureblood British movies (just 42). There are two reasons for this Hollywood influx.”
The Right “Materials”
“Phillip Pullman’s writing has been dubbed ‘Harry Potter for grown-ups’, and his Dark Materials trilogy was voted the nation’s third favourite book in the BBC’s Big Read poll.” Now his “Dark Materials,” a two-part, six-hour adaptation of the bestselling epic fantasy, has opened at London’s sold-out National Theatre after “early word-of-mouth praised it as ‘thrilling’, ‘momentous’ and ‘the ultimate children’s show’.”
Lion King Closes In Toronto
After 1,560 performances in Toronto, the Lion King closes. “During the 195 weeks of the run, the show will have played to 2.9 million theatregoers, all drawn by a winning combination: the potent allure of the Disney name and the spectacular physical production concocted by director Julie Taymor.”
Hackett Resigns Cleveland Play House
Peter Hackett, who has resigned as artistic director of the Cleveland Play House, was never ever the right choice for the job, writes Tony Brown. Hackett has “handed the Play House board a golden opportunity to reinvigorate a theater that is slowly choking to death on its own mediocrity. But does the board have the will and the guts to seize the opportunity and make the Play House a theater Cleveland can be proud of?”
St. Louis: Dry Spell For The Arts
In St. Louis, “many arts groups barely have survived the recent lean years. Only five years ago, a 100-page report commissioned by the civic group St. Louis 2004 found that St. Louis boasted a healthy and relatively well-funded arts scene. But that was when arts organizations were reaping the benefits of a flush economy. Since then, foundations have seen their portfolios shrink, and corporations that once generously contributed have moved or have been bought, and the government has collected fewer taxes to share.”
Here Comes Oscar Season (Let The Weirdness Begin)
“It’s an annual rite to comment on the increasing weirdness of the Academy Awards, which have seen a lot of upsets in recent years. Neither the Golden Globes nor the Director’s Guild are the reliable Oscar bellwethers of old. But this year seems even stranger than usual.”
Music As Cross-Dimensional Experience
At Joe’s Pub at Manhattan’s Public Theatre, the music lineup crosses an astonishing range of genres, geographies and sensibilities. And it draws audiences, too. “Audiences are much more adventurous than a lot of people give them credit for. People are listening to music from all over the world: from American pop, funk and techno to Asian and European hybrids of the same. This has been happening for 50 years, but lately it has accelerated.”
Punk Therapy
“Musicians from a few different punk-related genres are exploring therapy rock: the up-and-coming “emo” genre, which features hyperdramatic, almost mawkish rock delving deeply into personal upheaval; rap-metal, an aggressive hybrid that has lately turned more introspective; and pop-punk, a slick version of punk that’s deceptively up-tempo and not generally noted for its profundity.”