“In a bold move against iTunes’ Digital Rights Management, called Fairplay, the Norwegian Consumer Council has deemed it illegal in Norway, with France and Germany possibly following suit.”
Tag: 01.25.07
Doctor Delayed
“The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has announced that the world premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic Symphony, scheduled for this coming March, has been postponed for a season, because Adams won’t be able to finish the adaptation from his recent opera in time for the premiere.
Figuring Out Midsize Dance
Memphis Ballet has won a grant to study the plight of mid-size dance companies. “In the last year, four ballet companies in medium-sized cities have closed: Ballet International of Indianapolis, Ohio Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and Ballet Pacifica of Riverside (California). Dance companies nationwide are shortening their seasons, canceling productions, and downsizing in an effort to remain viable.”
Taking A Chance On Theatre
Théâtre du Soleil collective was started in 1964. “The Cartoucherie quickly made its own myths. People came from miles away and had to be fed. The actors had no dressing rooms so made up in public. [Founder Ariane] Mnouchkine herself took tickets at the door. Now the theatre’s food is famous in its own right, an integral part of a theatregoer’s day or evening there, and the company has swollen to 70 members spanning 22 nationalities. It tours widely, films its major productions and holds Unesco’s Picasso medal for its outstanding contribution to culture.”
Laughs Of A Different Sort
LA’s comedy scene is being reinvented. “Seemingly every week brings a new night of performances in restaurants, bars and theater spaces, and with none of the rules and restrictions of the major clubs, competing for stage time has been replaced by a sense of community. As a result, the worlds of sketch, improv and stand-up are mingling like never before.”
10-Year-Old Sues For Control Of Movie
A 10-year-old actor in Hollywood is suing the financier of a movie made by the kid. Why? It’s about “creative control”, and natch there’s big-time legal talent behind the suit…
Does Scotland’s National Theatre Need A Home?
The National Theatre of Scotland is only finishing its first year. Question: should the company get its own theatre? “What they’ve got going there is too good to be nomadic for ever. That’s not how the theatre’s ever been. The NTS is not good because it’s peripatetic, it’s good because it’s a golden age for Scottish writing, there are some brilliant directors and it’s being run extraordinarily well. It should remain flexible and it should go around a lot, but they should be given the security of a place they can call their own.”
Rembrandt Sold In NY For $25.8 Million
It went to an anonymous bidder at Sotheby’s New York. “The price approaches but does not surpass the artist’s previous auction record of $28.7 million, set at Christie’s London in 2000. Only two parties vied for the work, painted in 1661. Proceeds will benefit the seller, the U.S.-based Shippy Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization.”
Rijksmuseum Trying To Buy Rembrandt
“One of Britain’s greatest privately-owned Rembrandts is likely to be sold to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The museum is negotiating to acquire Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet from Penrhyn Castle, for a price of around £40m. This is more than double any Rembrandt sold at auction.”
And Now: A Novel Inspired By Judith Regan
The publisher was responsible for the OJ book. ” ‘Because She Can’, by former Regan employee Bridie Clark, not only builds upon the tumultuous legend of Regan, fired last month amid reports of anti-Semitic remarks, but adds to what has been a surprisingly small genre. While Hollywood and the magazine world have been endlessly parodied, in such books and movies as The Player and The Devil Wears Prada, there are few takeoffs on the book world.”