It feels like a moment of transition for New Yok City Ballet, writes Robert Gottlieb. “Senior dancers past their prime are moving inexorably toward retirement—some gracefully, some with obvious reluctance. There are stirrings in the ranks of the ballet masters and mistresses which may gradually lead to needed changes in casting and coaching. Andrea Quinn, the stimulating resident music director, is leaving (her successor hasn’t been announced). One can feel an effort being made to bring back to life certain Balanchine ballets that have been in dire decline… And the results of the Diamond Project itself, although over-publicized and underwhelming, were more positive than those of any of its five predecessors.”
Tag: 06.29.06
Is The CBC Tone Deaf?
The CBC is planning to pre-empt its flagship national network news show one day a week in the fall to make room for an American “reality” show. “What’s so revealing about this whole affair is that it shows just how out of touch the CBC is with, er, reality. It’s like the people who run the CBC live in some sort of alternate universe, where the normal rules that govern television programming don’t apply.”
Tsunami Mini-series Draws Ire
A BBC mini-series about the Asian tsunami has angered victims for the disaster. “Thai survivors and relief workers say they were most angered that the crew chose to re-enact the disaster – complete with dead bodies and overturned cars – on the main road through Khao Lak that was devastated by the giant waves. Others were upset the crew chose to put up flyers throughout the tsunami-hit region, saying victims were needed as extras.”
Philly’s Kimmel Surprises With Surplus
After struggling with its finances, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center has managed not only to balance its budget but post a surplus of $1.2 million. “While a surplus would be good news by any standard, Kimmel leaders acknowledge that this year’s numbers benefited from two unusual circumstances: a long summer run of The Lion King, the industry’s coveted cash cow; and income from an out-of-court settlement after the Kimmel sued its own architect, Rafael Vinoly Architects.”
How The Web Is Helping Actors
“As it has for professionals in all fields, the Internet has become an invaluable resource for performers to land jobs and make connections seemingly overnight. The proliferation and popularity of inexpensive Web-only series and “mobisodes” (content created for mobile devices) has been a boon to nonunion actors. The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have also recognized the importance of online media, making negotiations for residuals from content rebroadcast on the Web and mobile phones a priority.”
Fighting For Women Artists – Have The Guerrilla Girls Helped?
Since the 80s, the Guerrilla Girls have been protesting the lack of representation of women artists. “They say it’s amazing how little has changed: in 2005, they conducted some fresh research into European collections, and found that, even where museums owned significant amounts of work by female artists, it was all in the basement. To coincide with last September’s Venice Biennale, they released the following statistics: of 1,238 artworks exhibited by the major Venice spaces, fewer than 40 are by women.”
Your Virtual Library For The Home Collection
Tim Spalding created a website where “members can create library-quality catalogs of the books they own and display their collection to fellow online bookshelf browsers. He launched LibraryThing.com in August as a way to bring the organizational joys of the librarian to a wider array of book nerds. Ten months later, his concept has blossomed into a vibrant community with 47,670 registered members – some paying – and a user-created catalog that includes more than 3.6 million volumes. In theory, that makes LibraryThing the 58th largest library in the U.S.”
Andrew Carnegie, America’s Prototypical Philanthropist
“Fond of saying that ‘the man who dies rich dies disgraced’, Carnegie was the first great rags-to-riches American philanthropist – bluff, optimistic, intuitive and, as he got older and richer, increasingly sanctimonious. Born in 1835, he was the son of a jobbing weaver from Dunfermline who was reduced to poverty when hand-looms were supplanted by steam-powered ones. His mother, a proud and cultured woman, resorted to selling groceries and mending shoes to keep the family clothed and fed.”
A South Bank Master Plan Falls Short?
London’s South Bank Center is reopening next year after a 110 million pound makeover. What will go inside? A plan has been announced “intended as a radical blueprint for a new era of cultural activity in Britain’s most prestigious and heavily funded arts centre. The heavily-trailed ‘vision’ incorporates closer collaboration between four resident orchestras at the Royal Festival Hall – the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.”
Klimts For Another $140 Million?
“Four Gustav Klimt paintings, including three landscapes and a portrait, ‘Adele Bloch-Bauer II,’ may be sold this year for $140 million or more, said art dealers – and auctioneers who have been competing for the job.”