A contemporary of the mid-20th century’s “jostling alpha males,” Jackson “was the bard of the domestic nightmare…, of people who were trapped, excluded, usurped and pushed in a corner to wither away unnoticed. If there was anything Homeric about her … it was the serene pitilessness with which she dispensed their doom.”
Tag: 07.14.10
LA County Arts Grants Decline, But Less Than Expected
“[T]he $4.1 million in grants from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission is still down 6.8% from 2009-10. The Arts Commission had been facing an overall 10.6% reduction in its budget for 2010-11, in keeping with cuts that faced many county operations as officials tried to cope with revenue shortfalls in a poor economy.”
Next Up On White House Stage: Broadway Talents
“The Tony-winning performers are actor-singers Nathan Lane (two Tonys), Audra McDonald (four Tonys), Idina Menzel, Tonya Pinkins and Karen Olivo (one each, for ‘Wicked,’ ‘Jelly’s Last Jam’ and ‘West Side Story,’ respectively), and pianist Marvin Hamlisch, a Tony winner for his score to ‘A Chorus Line.'”
The Pope’s Astronomer Speaks
“Put briefly, I’m here thanks to Galileo. Because Galileo suffered, there was a need to do something to show that the church is not against science. It was in large part to change the image of the church – to show the world that it is not against science but encourages and promotes it – that Pope Leo XIII refounded the observatory in 1891.”
Placido Domingo Tries Out A Second Baritone Role
The superstar tenor, who turns 70 next January, appeared as Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra last season to wide (if not universal) praise. On August 2, he’ll sing another iconic Verdi baritone role, Rigoletto, in a concert performance in Beijing. In September, he’ll sing and act the part in a live telecast from Mantua, where the opera is set.
Pakistan Bans Bollywood Bin Laden Satire
“Pakistan has banned an Indian-made comedy film about Osama bin Laden for fear it could spark terrorist attacks, officials said Wednesday. The film, Tere Bin Laden, is about a Pakistani journalist desperate to get a visa to the U.S. who pretends to score an interview with the elusive al-Qaida chief after finding a look-alike.”
Why Does No ‘Authentic’ Swan Lake Exist?
“It starts in the unsuccessful first production of 1877, when Tchaikovsky’s new music was accompanied by a staging that inspired too little enthusiasm … It would be 15 years before the music finally got the staging it deserved, the iconic version in St. Petersburg created by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. But the oral tradition in ballet theatre was strong, and the images of Swan Lake coupled with its music were what people clung to, not to any idea of the inviolability of great choreography, which was considered soft material, to be remodelled at will. And so it changed and changed.”
You Really Can’t Hide Your Lyin’ Eyes
“Shifty eyes long have been thought to signify a person’s problem telling the truth. Now a group of University of Utah researchers … re using eye-tracking technology to pioneer a promising alternative to the polygraph for lie detection.”
Julie Andrews (As Maria Von Trapp) Was Right: ‘Do-Re-Mi’ Works On Kids
“Singing together appears to inspire spontaneous cooperative and helpful behavior among 4-year-olds. That’s the conclusion of new research that provides support for an intriguing theory regarding the evolutionary origins of music.”
How To Soften The Effect Of Arts Funding Cuts
“All building schemes must be pared to the bare minimum: one thing we don’t need at present is any new or bigger galleries, museums or theatres…. It is better to curtail the expansive empire-building of the Tate, British Museum and V & A than to squeeze lesser fry of the ability to keep up basic levels of operation.”