“The comics world delivered a symbolic one-two punch when the Man of Steel and, just three days later, the Caped Crusader fetched record-setting million-dollar prices at comic-book sales. Suddenly, by tripling the record sale price, comics as a collectible were being mentioned in the same breath as gemstones and paintings.”
Tag: 02.28.10
Dallas Opera’s Limited Season
‘This whole season represents a mere 86 years of opera’s 400-plus-year history – opera, you might say, from J to M. The newest work, Boris, was completed in 1873, when Ulysses S. Grant was in the White House, the Jesse James gang robbed its first train and Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for trying to vote.’
Secrets Of A Small Opera Company’s Success
“At a time when major professional opera companies are singing their swan song — trimming seasons or closing altogether — Center Stage Opera, a small company based in the San Fernando Valley, soldiers on, presenting quality productions.”
Judith Jamison Talks About The Alvin Ailey Legacy
“I am a continuation of what Alvin started. And what I wanted to do was broaden it — make it bigger, and certainly not have anyone forget who this man was, what he has done for the world of dance — what a great swath of intelligence and beauty, and a different way of looking at movement, and sharing the stage. He just made a big pathway for all of us to pursue our individual and collective goals.”
Tracking The Ideas On TV Shows
“TV Tropes is a wiki — a site anyone in the world can contribute to and edit, like Wikipedia. Since its founding in 2004, more than 42,000 people have volunteered to be “tropers” like Barbara — a mixture of fans, writers, educators and amateur academics smitten by pop culture and accessing their inner Joseph Campbell. The site now gets more than 2 million unique visitors a month.”
Philadelphia Orchestra Musicians Make Contract Concessions
“Faced with nearly 40-percent-empty houses and the threat of bankruptcy, musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra have agreed to a freeze on minimum salaries for next season, early negotiations for a new contract, and a hiring freeze with certain qualifications.”
Has Titian Purchase Damaged UK’s Ability To “Save” Other Art?
Some of the world’s most important paintings may be lost to the nation because there are no funds available to keep them here following the purchase of two works by Titian for £100m.
Is Traditional Late Night TV Dead?
“Do we really need a Tonight Show at all? Is anyone even interested any more in the ancient pre-bed television ritual of celebrity preening, endless anecdotes and shameless plugs, regardless of who happens to be sitting behind the desk?”
A Spanish Alternative To The “Bilbao Effect”
“As government officials across Spain have succumbed to the so-called Bilbao effect — investing hundreds of millions of euros in shiny new arts centers in hopes that urban revitalization would quickly follow — Murcia has taken another road. Instead of putting all its cultural eggs in one high-priced basket, the local government is betting on a decentralized plan to spread cultural riches throughout the province.”
Hollywood Girds For New Labor Negotiations
“Union leaders and company chiefs have been quietly consulting members, reviewing data and thinking deeply about what went wrong the last time labor and management opened a major round of talks, nearly three years ago. They are looking ahead to a collision that could cripple the film industry in the first half of 2011.”