More and more countries are making claims on artifacts held in foreign museums. “Museums are concerned that if they acquiesce to one request, everyone with a claim will do the same and they will lose their incentive to be the museum they are. As a result, many shy away from it completely in order to protect their entire collections.”
Tag: 07.27.04
The SF Show That Closed Before It Opened
It’s the quickest opening and closing of a commercial theatre show in San Francisco history. The press was invited to “V”, a Vegas-style variety show in a 275-seat theater at Pier 39, renovated for $1 million. But before the show even opened to the public the next day, publicists were calling critics to say the show has been “postponed” indefinitely dued toi disagreements among the show’s backers…
When Stanley Crouch Slugged Dale Peck
Jazz critic Stanley Crouch may “use his perch at the Daily News to inveigh against gangsta rap with all deliberate fury and alarm, but his habit of violent exchanges with writers and editors puts him a notch above Snoop on the ne’er-do-well scale. In most cases gangsta rap is just talk—Biggie and Tupac are the exceptions. But while Crouch has yet to peel caps, the gangsta ethos is realer for him than it is for your average gun-talker.”
An Equitable Deal? Of Actors, The Union And Road Shows
The recent agreement between Broadway producers and the actors union promises a truce in disputes over non-union touring shows. But don’t expect the issue to completely go away. “As long as customers are willing to pay the same amount to see a non-Equity tour as a fully unionized one, producers will continue to see nonunion tours as a way to ensure profits – and Equity will continue to fight them.”
9/11 Report Is Bestseller
America’s 9/11 commission report has become an instant bestseller. “At least 50 million hits have been recorded on the Web site of the Sept. 11 commission. Meanwhile, another 200,000 copies of the book version of the commission’s report on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have been ordered, bringing the total in print to 800,000.”
Cambodia For Sale
Cambodia’s heritage is being plundered and sold off on the black market. “Sales of such ordinary antiquities are booming at markets across the kingdom, robbing it of a rich history archaeologists are only just beginning to study after decades of conflict ended here in 1998, experts warn.”
Bayreuth, Salzburg Festivals Greeted With Boos
“A storm of boos greeted the opening operas at both the Salzburg and the Bayreuth Festivals last weekend. High ticket prices — as much as 360 euros ($437) — in Salzburg and stratospheric expectations in Bayreuth didn’t help. When all was said and done, when singers and conductors had been politely applauded, the direction teams marched onto stage and the audiences responded with the verbal equivalent of the rotten tomato.”
Miami PAC – Off The Rails (The Saga Continues)
“Fighting to finish construction on Miami’s Performing Arts Center, only half-built, 20 months late and $67.7 million over budget, Miami-Dade County will seek county commission approval to hire a new project management firm at up to $150 an hour for five of its executives and more than $100 an hour for five more — for $2.3 million by year’s end.”
Big Chill – FCC Rulings Scare Broadcasters
The FCC crackdown on content commissioners believe might be offensive is having an effect on broadcasters. “We’ve got to err on the side of restraint because we can’t make any one of our stations liable for legal action, for FCC fines. That would be irresponsible.”
Dallas – Looking For The Mainstream
Dallas theatres seem to be making a rush to produce “mainstream” theatre. “The premise seems to be that a lot of theatrical material has ventured away from the concerns of average folks. The trouble is, there’s not a lot of consensus about where the mainstream is. What seems like the broad channel to some might be a stagnant eddy to others.”