Broadway, of course, and a cappella Broadway at that: “The culture’s awareness and understanding of a cappella, and all the things a cappella can do, has changed. It’s not just a bunch of old guys singing ‘Blue skies smilin’ at me!'”
Tag: 11.08.16
Those Who Say Illness Makes You A Better Person – Are They Full Of Shinola, Or Do They Have A Point?
“Bookshops are already filled with memoirs, diaries, accounts and letters by, for and about the ill. We seem to be living through a veritable ‘golden age of pathography’, as the historian Thomas Lacqueur observed recently. … But Lacqueur notes that asking deep questions isn’t the same as being able to answer them, or even being able to write well.”
What Made Kafka Kafka? Insomnia
“Here’s a Kafkaesque approach to the creative process: staying up so late that, as you doze at the writing desk, insights slip out of your unconscious. This was, according to a new paper in Lancet Neurology, precisely what Franz Kafka himself employed.”
Uncertainty Can Be A Tool Of Persuasion
“In fact, persuasion research reveals that in some situations people can make their own message more persuasive by explicitly noting that they are unsure about what they’re saying!” Especially if the person saying it is an expert.
At Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Collection Grows As Curatorial Staff Shrinks
“The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi’s second, collection-based exhibition is due to open next March … The announcement comes amid speculation over the momentum of the much-delayed [museum] project, which was launched ten years ago, prompted by the recent departure of two key members [out of five] of its curatorial team.
Is The Cult Film On The Way To Going Extinct?
“In today’s fragmented, ever-churning pop culture ecosystem, the long tail of home video that once gave oddball movies a shot at a glorious cult afterlife has shortened to the point of vanishing. With even big-budget commercial films often struggling to break through the endless clutter of content, the challenge for smaller, quirkier fare is that much harder.”
Broadway’s First A Cappella Musical Is Coming, And Here’s A Chat With The Woman Who Co-Wrote It (And ‘Frozen’)
Kristen Anderson-Lopez on In Transit: “When we started this a lot of people didn’t know what a cappella was. For advertising in the Off-Broadway version, we called it ‘vocal orchestration,’ because a cappella was this weird Latin term that the marketing team was afraid would alienate people. Now our tagline is ‘Broadway’s first a cappella musical.’ The culture’s awareness and understanding of a cappella, and all the things a cappella can do, has changed. It’s not just a bunch of old guys singing ‘Blue skies smilin’ at me!'”
The Dearly Departed, Digitally Remastered So You Can Be With Them Forever
It’s possible. We capture enough of our loved ones digitally that recreating a version of them is within reach. “A digital bereavement company has captured and analysed torrents of data about your husband to create a digital likeness. His voice, his gait, his idiosyncrasies and mannerisms, the undulations of his laugh – all are replicated with near-perfect similitude. Spending time with your digitally reborn spouse has become a part of your daily routine.”
50,000 Chinese Break Record For Simultaneous Coordinated Dancing
Did you even know there was a Guinness record for such a thing? “A video of the Sunday event shows a total 50,085 people performing a dance routine at the same time in cities including Shanghai, Xi’an, Zhengzhou, Chongqing and Shenzhen.”
China Passes New Law: Movies Must ‘Serve The People And Socialism’
“It forbids content that stirs up opposition to the law or constitution, harms national unity, sovereignty or territorial integrity, exposes national secrets, harms Chinese security, dignity, honour or interests, or spreads terrorism or extremism. Also banned are subjects that ‘defame the people’s excellent cultural traditions’, incite ethnic hatred or discrimination, or destroy ethnic unity.”