As Tom Stoppard’s trilogy, “The Coast of Utopia,” sends Broadway audiences skittering for the bookshelves, Lyn Gardner asks, “But how far should you have to read up in advance in order to enjoy a show? After all, you don’t have to have a degree in nuclear physics to enjoy either Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen or Greg McLaren’s How to Build a Time Machine….”
Tag: 01.29.07
Study: Ottawa Arts Investment Pays Off
A new report says the city of Ottawa needs to invest more in its arts. The report says arts festivals bring in $13 for every dollar invested by the government. “Ottawa ranked last in provincial arts funding at $2.56 per capita, second last in Canada Council for the Arts funding at $3.95 per capita, and second in Canadian Heritage funding at $2.27 per capita.”
NYC: It’s Competitive Out There
New York City is moving to competitive funding for the arts. Arts groups will now have to compete against one another for money. “Rationalizing the system is something we’ve been looking to do for a long time. It was time to move to a different basis of funding that allows us to reward excellence and give all organizations access according to reasonable principles.”
Te Kanawa Declines To Perform With Underwear
“Dame Kiri Te Kanawa pulled out of a series of concerts with Australian crooner John Farnham after learning that fans sometimes threw underwear at the pop star, according to testimony in court Monday.” She’s being sued by the promoter of an aborted tour after pulling out.
Jazz – Defy The Data
“Is it possible that, in some way that has not yet been measured, jazz is richer than the data implies? More and more albums are self-produced, sold on the Internet or slip under the radar when they are sold in person at concerts and festivals. Then again, the same can be said about rock records.”
Juilliard Expansion Closer
Juilliard is more than two-thirds of the way toward raising $300 million to expand. “The 101-year-old school wants to complete its largest fund- raising drive by the end of 2009, Juilliard President Joseph Polisi said in an interview. The money, in gifts and pledges, will endow educational programs and fund expansion of the school’s 39-year-old Lincoln Center building.”
Get Rich On YouTube?
YouTube is working on a plan to let video uploaders share ad revenue based on how many viwers watch their video. “Since the takeover by Google, YouTube has also negotiated a string of deals with large media groups, which also involve some revenue sharing.”
La Fenice Gets Inbal As Leader
Venice’s La Fenice opera house has named Eliahu Inbal to be its music director. “Inbal, 71 and a charismatic figure in the international music scene, previously served in that capacity from 1984 to 1987. This time, the appointment appears to be temporary, Inbal having signed only a two-year contract, as opposed to the usual four.”
Dreamworks’ Unsettling New Home
“A year after David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg sold the studio for $1.6 billion to Viacom’s Paramount Pictures, simmering tensions, backbiting and internal power plays between the co-founders and the new owner suggest a case of sellers’ remorse.”
Choreographer Crawls Back From Costly Flop (16 Years Later)
David Bintley has had a rough decade and a half. “Almost 16 years ago he choreographed one of the costliest flops in the Royal Ballet’s history, and ever since then he’s been plotting the moment when the world would give him the chance to try again.”