Christopher Wheeldon’s dream of a bi-national, transatlantic ballet company, while still intact for now, has been put in real jeopardy by the economic downturn. Tobi Tobias: “To judge by [his] latest piece, Wheeldon isn’t moving in a direction that makes his work seem worth sustaining a troupe largely dedicated to showcasing it.”
Tag: 11.04.09
Honolulu Symphony Fails To Make Payroll
“The chairman of the Honolulu Symphony’s board of directors [said] that as of last Friday, the symphony did not have enough money to make its payroll. … He refused to confirm whether the orchestra will file for bankruptcy or postpone part of its season. The symphony has already put off two concerts this weekend.”
Vancouver Opera Celebrates Its Golden Anniversary
It’s been an eventful 50 years for opera in the City of Rainshine: a legendary 1963 Norma with Sutherland and Horne; Sutherland’s husband, Richard Bonynge, as boss during the ’70s; a lively Britten-and-Janacek phase; and plenty of the argument, strife and money troubles that are endemic to the art form.
The Brainwave Sofa (We’re Not Kidding)
“The couch’s lumpy, bumpy shape is a three-dimensional version of a brain scan, specifically a three-second recording of designer Lucas Maassen’s alpha brain waves as he closed his eyes and thought of the word ‘comfort’.”
Susan Graham In Bed With Renée Fleming (With Her Ex-Boyfriend Watching)
“[With] Renée and me, there’s no barrier … We can do anything with each other and we don’t care. … One of the reviews said we seemed giddy in bed together, and we really were.” (She’s talking about playing Octavian to Fleming’s Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier at the Met; the ex-boyfriend is conductor Edo de Waart.)
Did A New York Times Ad Deal Doom Neil Simon Plays?
“The Times offered the producers of ‘Brighton Beach’ several weeks worth of splashy ads in the paper and on its Web site at steep discounts, production sources say.” But there was a catch. “‘Brighton Beach’ couldn’t advertise anywhere else until after opening night.”
Foundation Giving To Fall More Than 10%, Farther In 2010
“Despite the reduced resources however, more than three-quarters of the survey respondents said the field of philanthropy would become stronger and more strategic as a result of having weathered the financial crisis.”
First-Run Films In Your Living Room? Hollywood Says Yes.
In a move that “sets up an immediate conflict” with film exhibitors, “[t]he Motion Picture Assn. of America is seeking government approval of technology that would allow Hollywood studios to deliver firstrun movies directly into American households on their televisions, perhaps even while a film is still in theaters.”
Salmonella Silences I Musici Di Montréal
“The chamber orchestra … has cancelled a concert for the first time in the 25-year history of the organization after a majority of its 15 musicians contracted salmonella on a recent tour of China.”
The Dreaded Early Morning Lecture Class, Now On Commuter Trains
“Passengers on the 9:00 am train from the suburban community of Modiin to Tel Aviv put away their morning tabloids and iPods to listen to a talk from Professor Hanoch Gutfreund [of Hebrew University of Jerusalem] on ‘Einstein’s love letters.’ The lecture was the first of the university’s ‘scientists on the rails’ programme.”