“The producers of Bounce, Stephen Sondheim’s first new musical in nine years, confirmed yesterday what many Sondheim fans had already suspected: the show, which received lukewarm reviews in two tryout runs, is not coming to Broadway anytime soon.”
Tag: 11.19.03
New TIFF Director Coming Soon
“A new co-director of the Toronto International Film Festival should be named by the first week of December and functioning in his or her new job a month later if the hiring process goes as planned, festival organizers said yesterday… Traditionally, the TIFF has promoted from within its own ranks. But this time it may go outside as the festival prepares to move, in 2006, into a dedicated, five-storey, multimillion-dollar facility in downtown Toronto and to position itself more firmly as the planet’s most important film fete.”
Money vs. Art: Guess Who Wins?
There may be two sides to every story, but Lisa Rochon sees the current dust-up over the new World Trade Center design as nothing more than art squaring off against pure American capitalist greed. “Pay attention to the American way. Appreciate it fully. A calamity like 9/11 cannot weaken the aspirations of Larry Silverstein, the private developer who wants to broadside Daniel Libeskind’s winning scheme in order to build his own version of unfettered capitalism. At this rate, he will triumph. And when he does, any doubt as to why the WTC was targeted in the first place will be, like the twin towers, obliterated.”
Taiwan Guggenheim Hits Funding Snag
The Taiwanese government putting together financing for a $400 million Guggenheim outpost on the island, has told the Guggenheim it can’t yet raise the money it had promised, and has asked for a six month extension of the deal. Thomas Krens said “he could not understand why the budgeting should be a snag. He wanted Taichung mayor Jason Hu to give him a timetable for the establishment of the Guggenheim museum in Taichung. No timetable is available, however. Hu is not certain if and when the Legislative Yuan would approve the special funding.”
Last Of The Surrealists Dies
Gordon Onslow Ford, the last of the 1930s Paris Surrealists, has died in California, where he had live the past 50 years. He was born in 1912, and joined the group that included Andre Breton, Max Ernst and Yves Tanguy in 1938 and worked with them until 1944.”
Literature Idol – Coming To A Book Fair Near You
The Pop Idol series has been a hit around the world. Now the idea is being transfered to literature. “Lit Idol has been organised by London Book Fair to uncover untapped talent in the world of fiction writing. The winner will secure a deal with a leading agent which would be almost certain to result in a contract.” Entrants submit work, which will be voted on over the internet. Finalists will be judged after readings at the London Book Fair.
Michael Kamen, 55
“Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated composer Michael Kamen has died at his London home at the age of 55. He collapsed after an apparent heart attack, according to his Los Angeles-based agent Jeff Sanderson.” Kamen was classically trained, but known chiefly for his crossover work, including a much-ballyhooed joint concert of the San Francisco Symphony and the rock band Metallica. He also collaborated on Pink Floyd’s classic 1979 album, The Wall.
Begging For Crumbs
Opera San Jose is just one of the thousands of California arts groups hit hard by recent budget cuts, which slashed the state’s per capita funding rate for the arts to the lowest of any state in the U.S. But the Silicon Valley-based opera company is scheduled to move into a new theater next year, and says it simply won’t be able to make ends meet without more money from the city. The group’s director “hopes the city will exempt the company from the new formula and instead give the opera a financial shot in the arm.” The city has promised to consider the request.
Good News/Bad News For Canadian Orchestras
Canadian orchestras are slowly recovering from a dismal few years in which several orchestras folded or filed for bankruptcy, and nearly every orchestra ran at least one serious operating deficit. A new report says that, nationwide, orchestras posted a $1 million surplus this year, but also points out that massive structural deficits remain, and are not being paid down at a fast enough rate. Ticket sales are down, as well, with 39% fewer tickets to classical events sold last year than in the 1996-97 season. Unlike their American counterparts, however, Canadian orchestras have managed to increase both public and private subsidies over the last several years.
Lost Van Gogh Apparently Found
“A Dutch museum says it has found a painting by Vincent Van Gogh which had been unrecognised for years after being given away by his mother. The Breda Museum said the painting was found during research on an exhibition about the artist. The piece, dubbed Houses In The Hague, was found in a collection owned by a ‘trustworthy collector’, it added. The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam said it was yet to confirm whether or not the painting was genuine.”