Is The West End Pricing Itself Out Of Fun?

“Whereas 18 months ago £37.50 – £45 was pretty much the range for a top price seat for a West End show, £55 or more is now the going rate. The difference really hurts if you’re buying more than one ticket. As West End prices rise to a point where a ticket becomes a real luxury item, only affordable as a special treat, why does the experience often feel so stressful?”

Classical Music – The Year That Was

“There were openings (a good half-dozen new or renovated performance venues) and closings (Tower Records), arrivals (Peter Gelb at the Metropolitan Opera, Kent Nagano in Montreal and Munich, James Conlon in Los Angeles) and departures announced (Eschenbach from Philadelphia, Gatti from Bologna). And, of course, there was lots and lots of Mozart.”

Hollywwod Has An Up 2006 At The Box Office

2005’s box office was down, but 2006 came roaring back. “Hits like Pirates of the Caribbean helped total sales reach an estimated at $9.42 billion, compared with 2005’s $8.99 billion. Summer takings were particularly strong but the year ended relatively weakly. A rise in ticket prices is partially responsible for the increase but actual attendance figures rose by 3% on the previous year.”

Robert Spano At Mid-Career

The conductor reflects on his career and the future. “The thing of which I’m most proud is the American composers of my generation that we’ve been able to work with on an ongoing and regular basis,” he says. He singles out three in particular: Christopher Theofanidis, Jennifer Higdon, and Osvaldo Golijov. “It’s great to have an American composer of about 40 years old being mobbed in the lobby — and not because people are upset but because they loved it, which happens to Jennifer.”

Setting Plans For Getting Harry To His Readers

The UK’s Royal Post Office is already making plans for delivery of the next installment of the Harry Potter series. Some 500,000 copies will have to b delivered in a single day. “While the number represents only a fraction of the 80 million items the Royal Mail delivers daily, the security — and secrecy — surrounding the work mean the books have to spend as little time as possible on warehouse floors, complicating their distribution.”