“As the financial markets melt down and anger at Wall Street excesses rise, Broadway stages seem to mirror the mood. This fall, a collection of prescient and searing dramas examines the sins of men (and women) behaving badly and takes a closer look at their self-serving, scheming, damaged souls.”
Author: sbergman
Billy Breakdown
The Broadway production of “Billy Eliot” has been marred this month by a series of technical glitches that one critic says were closer to disasters. “At a performance last weekend, the set broke down five times. The fifth time, the audience started booing… The gremlins struck again Tuesday, when a hydraulic valve broke, forcing the cancellation of the performance.”
Pittsburgh In The Black Again
The Pittsburgh Symphony has balanced its budget for the second year in a row, although it fell short of living up to a covenant which would allow it to “unlock” $17m of additional funds donated by a supporter. Annual fundraising was up $900,000 over the previous year, an $80m capital campaign is underway, and subscriptions rose as well.
Broadway’s Latest Game Of Chicken
What happens when two prominent and highly anticipated Broadway shows schedule their openings for the same night? One moves the date, of course: dueling openings aren’t good for anyone. But apparently, no one’s told this to the producers of the new musical “9 to 5” and the revival of “Waiting For Godot,” which are currently on an opening night collision course.
Bush On Broadway
Comedian Will Ferrell, known among other things for his signature portrayals of President Bush on Saturday Night Live, will take his mimicry to Broadway next year with a one-man show entitled, “You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush.”
Harvard Museum To Receive $245m In Art, Cash
“As museums grapple with the potential effects of the economic crisis, the Harvard Art Museum has received a windfall from Emily Rauh Pulitzer, a former curator who earned a graduate degree at Harvard, that includes artworks worth nearly $200 million and a cash gift of $45 million.”
Preserving Berlin’s Living Symbol Of Division
“For decades the Berlin Wall was the physical symbol of the Cold War “Iron Curtain” between East and West. But since it was breached in 1989, one remaining part of the wall has taken on a new role, as a 1.3km art gallery. Age and graffiti have taken their toll on the art, however, and a 2.2m euro project is now under way to restore it.”
Study: Babies Clued In To Emotion In Music
“Babies as young as five months old can distinguish between upbeat and gloomy music, providing more evidence that the brain’s ability to detect emotion develops early, researchers report… Scientists already knew that babies can distinguish between elements of music like pitch and tempo, Flom said, but until now, no one had studied if they could also notice the difference between types of emotion.”
Tough Times Even Tougher In Detroit
How hard is it to deal with the economic crisis when your local economy was never any too great to begin with? Just ask Detroit’s arts organizations… “At Michigan Opera Theatre, the worsening economic climate has shaved nearly $1 million off projections for this year’s ticket sales and contributions. Likewise, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is predicting [major] losses this year. And just months before the Detroit Institute of Arts unveils a Norman Rockwell show… the museum has yet to find a corporate sponsor to help underwrite the exhibition.”
TBT Still Needs $600K To Keep Season Afloat
“As the Texas Ballet Theater makes its much anticipated 2008-09 season debut at Bass Performance Hall tonight, the financially troubled company will take Fort Worth’s most famous stage still seeking an estimated $600,000 in donations to help it reach its goal of $2 million, the amount it says it needs to bring financial stability for the rest of the year.”