“[He] produced thousands of objects over a 60-year career, from pen holders and toys to chairs and vases. Each of those items drew inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement, in the simplicity of their form, and from his own uncompromising belief in communism.” – The Guardian
Author: Matthew Westphal
When Bernstein, Sondheim, And Robbins Tried To Adapt Brecht
It was a decade after West Side Story, and Jerome Robbins got the idea to make one of Bertolt Brecht’s didactic plays into a musical. Though Sondheim in particular required some convincing, it eventually became a promising project, with John Guare writing the book and Zero Mostel engaged to star. Finally, the piece was set to premiere on Broadway in 1968, and then 1969, as A Pray by Blecht. (The title was Lenny’s.) Never happened, of course. Jesse Green recounts the story of how it came together and then fell apart. – The New York Times
Book Festival Bosses Talk About How They Turned Their Events Digital On Almost No Lead Time
“Here, the directors of five festivals — Sara Ortiz of the Believer Festival, Lissette Mendez of the Miami Book Fair, Amanda Bullock of the Portland Book Festival, Steph Opitz of The Loft’s Wordplay, and Conor Moran of the Wisconsin Book Festival — discuss how their teams made it work.” – Literary Hub
Approved And Then Dropped By San Francisco, Design Of Maya Angelou Monument Is Approved Again
“Last year, an opaque selection process opened a rift between public officials and local artists when the city suddenly rejected [Maya] Thomas’s winning design. The reversal attempts to heal divisions. On Monday, the San Francisco Arts Commission unanimously voted to approve a previous recommendation made by a 2019 review panel for Ms. Thomas to design the luminary’s sculpture.” – The New York Times
Pandemic Could Permanently Change How Movie Box Office Figures Are Reported
Revealing a movie’s grosses is not something studios are obligated to do, and for decades, they didn’t. So why, in the late 1980s, did Hollywood start? Because it made for buzz within the industry and beyond to (some of) the audience; sometimes, worldwide headlines were made. But now that lockdowns have led to the release of even major blockbuster titles online, “studios get to rethink whether they want to continue sharing grosses on a 24/7 basis with rivals, analysts and the media.” – The Hollywood Reporter
Classical Concerts Under COVID: Where Things Stand In Asia, Australia/New Zealand, And the Americas
With governments in China, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore mostly able to impose safety measures without too much pushback, case numbers are down and concert numbers are up, though usually with reduced audience. New Zealand is almost back to normal and Australia is getting there, with even a Ring cycle planned for Brisbane this month. Alas, reports David Karlin, “the contrast between Asia and the Americas could not be more stark,” though tentative returns to concert life are happening in Canada, Colombia, and Chile. – Bachtrack
San Francisco Symphony Musicians Accept 30% Salary Reduction
“The announcement on Monday, Nov. 2, by the Symphony management cited a cumulative revenue loss of $40 million by the end of the 2020-21 season as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. All of the orchestra’s live performances through the end of the calendar year have been canceled.” – San Francisco Chronicle
Australia Will Spend Millions To Buy Back Indigenous Artifacts From Foreign Museums And Collectors
“The Australian government has pledged A$10.1 million (about $7.2 million) in additional funds over four years toward the return Indigenous cultural heritage objects held in collections overseas.” – ARTnews
Virus And Lockdown Will Clear Out ‘A Bit Of Dead Wood’ From The Arts, Says Artist
Grayson Perry: “I think every part of life has probably got a bit of fat that needs trimming, a bit of dead wood. It’s awful that the culture sector has been decimated, but I think some things needed to go. … Too often, the audience for culture is just the people making it — theatres with whole audiences of actors, or exhibitions only put on to impress other curators.” Yes, many arts figures have criticized Perry for this, but some have defended him as well. – BBC
China Has Wrecked Two-Thirds Of Uyghur Mosques: Report
“Drawing on satellite imagery, data analysis and on-the-ground reporting, the think tank [Australian Strategic Policy Institute] estimated that, since 2017, 65% of the [Xinjiang] region’s mosques and 58% of its important Islamic sites — including shrines (mazars) and cemeteries — have been either destroyed or damaged.” – The Art Newspaper