Russian ballerina Anastasia Volochkova, who was fired from the Bolshoi Theater (for supposedly being too big)and then rehired by court order, was barred from leaving the country for a performance Monday. Officials took her passport, and later said she was prohibted from leaving because of claims by construction companies that she owed them $76,000 for renovations on her apartment. She has disputed the claims.
Tag: 03.16.04
An Invented World (It’s Nice In Here)
“In an entertainment culture suffused with spectacle, the desire to be dazed, dazzled, carried away and left speechless has never seemed more compelling. In movie houses and theaters, rock concert arenas and horse-filled tents, visual amazement abounds and overwhelms. Language, lyrics, character and narrative make way for sensory superabundance. Buffeted by world events too menacing to fathom, we’ve become eager, wide- eyed witnesses, our faces longingly pressed to ever larger windows. We want to be enveloped and transported by intensity now, not merely diverted. Consider some of our current fixations.”
Ode To Spalding Gray
“Spalding opened the door for hundreds of artists to make live events out of their own experience; he gave permission for the theater of Tim Miller, Holly Hughes, Lisa Kron, Dael Orlandersmith, and so many others. It was a theater of identity—personal politics—a way to unearth stories that had not been told. Now we take the solo performance form as a fact, but Spalding was the original. The master. Sliding down his own slippery slope of a life, taking us with him.”
Saltz: Another Whitney Biennial… Ho-hum
Jerry Saltz visits the Whitney Biennial and comes away whistling ho-hum. “The art world is dying to like the 2004 Whitney Biennial. The opening was a lovefest. Previews in magazines and newspapers essentially implored, ‘Can’t we all just get along and love the biennial?’ Nearly all trotted out the cliché ‘the show everyone loves to hate.’ Disliking exhibitions is seen by some to be disloyal or obstructionist. This is traceable to the fact that in America today criticism and even civil disagreement are implicitly discouraged.”
Florida Orchestra Woes Continue
“Despite slashing musicians’ pay and bringing popular new music director Stefan Sanderling onboard, the Florida Orchestra’s financial woes continue. A promised endowment campaign has yet to be announced, and the strain is starting to drive some players to other orchestras.”
Foster Chosen For Smithsonian Project
The Smithsonian has announced that Norman Foster has been selected to design a huge glass canopy that will enclose the courtyard of the Old Patent Office Building in Washington DC. “The building, which is home to the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, is undergoing a top-to-bottom renovation.”
Shakespeare et al Online
Britain’s National Archive is busy putting thousands of historical documents online. “Shakespeare’s will reveals how he bequeathed his second-best bed to his wife, Anne Hathaway. Wills from Jane Austen, Sir Christopher Wren and Horatio Nelson – the latter’s with a personal diary – can also be viewed at DocumentsOnline. The documents span six centuries of British history from 1384 to 1858.”
iTunes: 50 Million Served
Apple has sold 50 million songs through its iTunes service, and is currently selling about 2.5 million songs a week. “Crossing 50 million songs is a major milestone for iTunes and the emerging digital music era,” said Apple boss Steve Jobs.
How Easy Listening Took Over The Top 10
Time was that the UK’s Top 10 charts bristled with pop energy of the latest thing. But look at them now – the list is dominated by easy-listening and soft jazz. “Of the few pop acts that remain in the Top 10, the mellow Zero 7 and newly-soulful Will Young sound distinctly adult. So how did every day come to sound like a dinner party?”
Digital Flames Do In Bollywood f/X Teams
Bollywood’s effects teams are a busy lot. “They blow up buildings and cars, create rain, storms, smog, smoke, fire, confetti and rig up explosions and organise stunts. But today the 500 or so movie effects artists are a despondent lot. With Bollywood cinema becoming slicker, special effects shops have sprung up all over Bombay, taking away a lot of their business.