The hottest thing in London theatre? It’s nothing in the West End. “In five revolutionary years showbusiness has faced the fact that many of its biggest commercial names are stars of children’s TV shows.” The new ‘arena shows’ for the pre-school generation are drawing thousands. “Such shows, based on Thomas the Tank Engine, The Tweenies, Bob the Builder and Andy Pandy, draw in thousands of families who would not normally consider themselves theatre-goers. More than one million parents and children have now paid up to £20 a head to see the shows. A new ‘super-show’ of the CBeebies hit, Balamory, is expected to be seen by more than 55,000.”
Tag: 12.19.04
Phantom – What Becomes A Hit (And Why?)
Phantom of the Opera has played for what seems like forever. What’s the attraction? “It’s the same as any big hit. All you have to do is tell the audience something they want to hear. The enduring Broadway masterpieces affirm something that matters profoundly to the audience. Do you want to believe that everyone is entitled to their 15 minutes of fame? You’ll love A Chorus Line. Is it important to feel confident that your culture will endure despite political upheaval? Fiddler On The Roof is just the show for you. So what does The Phantom Of The Opera tell us? It’s such a big hit because it sends out two reassuring messages. No matter how inadequate you feel, it’s possible that the person you’ve dreamed about can be yours, if just for a moment. And the second message?..”
Streetside Stores Rally To Compete Against E-Tailers
The idea that people will buy all their music, movies and books online is just wrong. Look at how savvy bookstores, record stores and video rental companies are changing the customer experience. “It’s the customer – that would be you – who designs the shopping experience now. The notion that all books and discs will soon be bought online, or that independent stores must be crushed between e-tailers and chains, ignores how inseparable ‘shopping’ is from ‘lifestyle’.”
Religious Lobbyists Say American TV Is Anti-Religion
The Parents Television Council (aka the FCC spammers) issues a new report saying (surprise, surprise) that American TV networks are anti-religious. “At a time when nervous media outlets are taking the national temperature and deciding a particular conservative strain of religion is in, there’s the possibility the Parents Television Council study may be taken seriously. That would be an unthinking response.”
Getting Spacey At The Old Vic
So how is Kevin Spacey’s reign at London’s Old Vic going? “Spacey, 45, is in need of a hit with the critics. His tenure got off to a wobbly start when a production he directed, Cloaca, by Dutch playwright Maria Goos, received a critical mauling, although advance ticket sales were impressive. Months earlier a major presentation in which Spacey announced his plans for the Old Vic, one of the nation’s most historic theatres, was overshadowed by tabloid probing about a strange incident in a nearby park” where Spacey said he was mugged.
What You Want? A Surgeon Who Plays Video Games
A doctor says that playing video games improves the accuracy and success of surgeons. “Surgeons who play video games three hours a week have 37 percent fewer errors and accomplish tasks 27 percent faster, he says, basing his observation on results of tests using the video game Super Monkey Ball.”
Who Cares About Critics?
Barry Koltnow doesn’t have a high opinion of movie critics (he is one himself). And he wonders why people put so much stock in what they write. “Why do you believe anything a movie critic tells you? Just because they see movies all the time doesn’t make them an expert on what you want to see.”
Where Are The Stars?
Stars headlining Broadway productions sometimes don’t make it to the performance. And the problem seems to be getting worse. “Anecdotal evidence does seem to suggest that regular absenteeism has become a more persistent, probably permanent feature of the Broadway landscape. And it may be a symptom – perhaps, too, a cause – of a much larger, more dispiriting phenomenon, the gradual extinction of the musical-theater star.”
The Prejudice You Don’t Know You Have
A Harvard psychologist argues that people’s prejudice can be measured even when they’re not conciously aware of it. “Implicit prejudice, she argues, can affect our decisions and behaviors without our even knowing it, undermining our conscious ideas and best intentions about equality and justice. Social psychologists are divided on just what the Implicit Association Test measures, arguing that different response times may just reflect an awareness of cultural stereotypes and social inequality.”
Is Denver Getting Its Own Joyce Theatre?
Colorado Ballet is building a new home. But it’s looking for much more than a place to stage what it already does. “The ballet plans to use this new theater for experimental, small-scale works that might be financially risky in larger, costlier venues. It hopes to expand its lineup from five productions in 2005-06 to as many seven in future seasons. At the same time, the ballet will make the facility available to other arts groups at minimal cost.”