In 2007, there were 16,237 video-rental stores in the country, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, down from 23,036 in 1997.
Tag: 09.30.10
Jumping On The Piano Competition Circuit
“The power of competitions to launch a career appears less certain than ever. Instead, their role seems to be shifting from launch pad to career proper, offering performance and earning opportunities to pianists of all ages. The sight of established soloists entering competitions may become common as increasing numbers of contests push up or do away with their age limits
What Becomes A Monument (Messing With St. Louis’ Iconic Arch
“Can skating and eco-education hope to reverse the effects of long-term economic forces and decades of wrong-headed urban renewal? I say yes, with caveats. Punching through the physical barriers around the arch could assemble a waterfront with enough cultural critical mass to spur investment and invite the four million annual visitors to linger.”
Newfie Siblings Headline Writers’ Prize Shortlist
“A brother-sister act from Newfoundland stole the limelight at the announcement of this year’s finalists for the $25,000 [Cdn] Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, with both Michael and Kathleen Winter earning spots on the five-book shortlist.”
Adelaide Symphony Musicians Campaign for Pay Raise During Concert
“At what was intended to be a celebration of some of the most romantic compositions of the 19th century, musicians will now vent their displeasure with management. The 70-strong ensemble will hand pamphlets to the audience and replace their usual white dinner shirts with T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘Great Cities Have Great Orchestras’.”
Melding Ballet and Theatre to Tell Margot Fonteyn’s Life Story
“[I]nstead of just a danced version of Fonteyn’s life, [Queensland Ballet] is creating a production where dance and theatre cannot be separated.” The creators of Fonteyn Remembered “developed a structure for the production that would use actors and dancers together, with music accompanying both.”
Fedflix: Finding the Goodies in Uncle Sam’s Video Archives
The mastermind of Public.Resources.org has started a program to catalogue and digitize the vast amount of footage produced by the federal government. (Lots of space and nature footage, for instance.) “Fedflix has garnered more traffic than all 13 Smithsonian YouTube channels combined.”
Why Times Square Was the Best Place to Watch the Met’s Rheingold
“In fact, it was the first time in ages that I’ve enjoyed any live performance without being annoyed by the people around me … In the expectation-free pandemonium of Times Square, I could simply tune out or laugh off any distractions and focus on the production’s wonderful sounds and images.”
Is Drag Doomed?
“Still, how much longer can [professional drag queens] continue without a fresh batch of bona fide female stars to draw inspiration from? Since the 1960s, such role models have been scarce. … There is no Julia Roberts mask, or Sandra Bullock or Anne Hathaway or Jennifer Aniston ‘look’ that a drag queen could glom on to. … For a male drag queen to impersonate Madonna was beside the point.” (To say nothing of Lady Gaga.)
I’ll Bet You A Million Giraffes
“A Norwegian man who made a bet with his friend that he could get a million giraffe pictures before the end of this year has already passed his target with months to go.”