“Hairspray” is now “available in the language of Molière eight times a week. And in German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin… even English, for the hard of hearing.” That’s thanks to “the AirScript, a handheld electronic screen, about the size of a tiny clutch, that provides a rolling version of the show’s script in whichever language the user chooses.”
Tag: 12.20.09
Dance In The ’00s: Where’s The Shock Of The New?
“Throughout the first decade of the 21st century, impatient dancers, choreographers, critics and audience members all hoped that a new breed of innovators would appear to transform theatrical dance the way that Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev radically renewed and updated classical ballet in the first decade of the 20th. We’re still waiting.”
Panto Gets The Playwright’s Touch
“Three years ago, the theatre world was shocked to learn that Mark Ravenhill, the author of Shopping and F***ing, would put his name to a new version of Dick Whittington. … This Christmas, it’s the turn of an even more unlikely playwright”: Richard Bean.
As ’09 Ends, Philly Orchestra’s Director Search Keeps Going
“There are compelling musical reasons to name someone [as music director] soon. In some ways, the ensemble is rudderless. … But there are equally convincing arguments to wait, since the musicians have not been galvanized by any current contender.”
Egypt To Germany: Give Us Back Our Nefertiti Bust
“The diary of Ludwig Borchardt, who discovered the head in 1912, shows that he knew that the 3,400 year-old limestone bust was of Queen Nefertiti and instead listed it as a ‘painted plaster bust of a princess,'” according to the Cairo-based Supreme Council of Authority.
After Decades Of Fear, Dance Teacher Reveals She’s Jewish
“The 84-year-old woman,” born in Paris and brought to the U.S. as a war bride, “60 years ago founded the renowned City Ballet, teaching generations of Dallas children how to dance.” But her Texan husband said his family mustn’t ever know she was Jewish, so she kept it a secret.
The Unreality Of “Reality” TV
“Certainly, as a concept, reality programming offers the possibility, and rare actuality, of personal drama and cultural revelation. But from the nurse log of “American Idol” and “The Amazing Race” have sprouted all manner of shows in which the time-honored division between fame and notoriety has been unforgivably mangled, creating a pop culture smoothie in which there is not so much flavor as sensation.”
Ten Years That Shook The Music Industry
“After 10 years that shook the music world, I still don’t see a soulless and soundless landscape akin to that in the film The Road. I see signs of green. Industry watchers are quick to say it’s a great time to be a music fan, with more ways to hear more acts than ever.”
Artist Sues Paint Store For Its Paint
“In a lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court, Juan Carlos Macias alleges that an Evanston store sold him defective art supplies, including a professional-grade gloss, which caused at least 12of his paintings and artworks to deteriorate, fade and deform.”
Classical Music: The Year In Mishaps
It’s been quite a year for spectacular stage accidents…