“For an absurdly long time, the British loathed Spain. Memories of the Armada, coupled with fears about the stern and terrifying Catholicism of the Spanish Inquisition, ensured that Grand Tour aristocrats preferred to visit Italy. But after the Napoleonic army invaded Spain in the early 19th century, attitudes swiftly changed. … At the same time British artists and collectors [alike] discovered, with a sense of wonder, that Spain had produced some of the most outstanding western painters.”
Tag: 07.24.09
Architectural Bookseller May Close — But Is It Inevitable?
The owners of the Prairie Avenue Bookshop, Chicago’s great architectural bookstore, “have discussed a sale with book dealers and even the Chicago Architecture Foundation,” hoping the store won’t have to close Sept. 1 after all. “But nothing has jelled. Which raises a broader question: Can architectural book stores succeed in this digital age?”
British Ballet’s Sex Symbol
That would be Adam Cooper, who left a thriving career at the Royal Ballet to play a leather-clad stranger and a ferocious male swan in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – then went on to co-found the popular/populist Ballet Boyz, appear as grown Billy in Billy Elliott, and be a high-art heartthrob. About that sex symbol nusiness, he says, “It’s an act, isn’t it?”
Russians Argue That The West Is Out To Destroy Their Past
“President Dmitry Medvedev recently announced the setting up of a commission to counter the falsification of history. He said this was becoming increasingly ‘severe, evil, and aggressive’. … Many Russians agree with their president.” The most sensitive issue, it seems, is World War II.
A SoCal Theatre Festival, Felled By The Recession, Is Resurrected In A New Location
“The four-day California International Theatre Festival will run Aug. 20-23 at various locations throughout the city of Calabasas. The festival is being organized by actress Linda Purl, who last year directed the Rubicon International Theatre Festival in Ventura. When financial cutbacks forced the cancellation of the Ventura festival for 2009, Purl approached the city of Calabasas, which agreed to partly fund the new festival.”
Richard Rogers’s British Museum Extension Thrown Out By Local Council
The planning committee of the Borough of Camden’s governing council has rejected, by a five-to-four vote, the Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners scheme for a £130 million, five-story modernist glass extension to the British Museum. “The rejection came despite the plans enjoying the support of English Heritage and being recommended for approval by Camden’s own planning officers.”
Orange County Classical Orgs Hang On Through Recession
Following the November shutdown of Opera Pacific, the ‘other major classical music organizations in the area – including the Philharmonic Society, the Pacific Symphony, the Pacific Chorale and the Orange County Performing Arts Center, all non-profits – watched the wreckage burn and braced for the worst. … [Yet as] these groups end their most trying fiscal year ever, they remain standing and, if not quite without injury, ready for the next round.”
Australian Prosecutors Threaten To Confiscate Author’s Sales Proceeds
“An author whose bank account was frozen because he co-wrote a book with a former criminal is preparing for a legal battle that could have serious consequences for authors, journalists and media proprietors.”
Milwaukee Theatre Board Stands By Its Controversial Exec Director
“The Skylight Opera Theatre has retained Eric Dillner as managing director, despite mass defections from performers demanding his resignation in the wake of the firing of artistic director Bill Theisen.”
Salzburg Festival Festival – Ticket Sales Down
A week before the curtain was due to go up, corporate ticket sales were down 11 percent from last year and overall sales down five percent.