Chicago is a great theatre town; no one questions that. But to assume that the designation of “great theatre town” also indicates a surplus of well-paid actors would be a mistake. The fact is that, with very few exceptions, stage actors face a brutally tough existence, especially in major cities with a high cost of living.
Author: sbergman
Money Behind ART’s Dismissal Of Woodruff
Robert Woodruff’s departure as artistic director of Boston’s American Repertory Theatre will mark the end of an era when it occurs this summer. But as recently as last fall, Woodruff was certain he would be returning to ART, and the company’s board had no reason to think otherwise. But in the end, the decision came down to money: there was a strong sense on the board that Woodruff’s uncompromising stance on artistic matters was fiscally untenable, and he was told that his contract would not be renewed.
Serialism’s Last Hurrah?
For most American fans of concert music,serialism is dead, and not particularly missed. The dense tone rows of composers who embraced Arnold Schoenberg’s vision of the future of music never caught on with a public devoted to melody, and in recent years, minimalism and neo-Romanticism have become far more common in the concert hall. But ever since James Levine took over the Boston Symphony, serialism has been having something of a mini-Renaissance in the Northeast.
For Whom The Ears Ring
“In 2005 Till Fellner, an Austrian pianist then rising quickly, canceled an appearance in the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center because of illness. A cold? The flu? A sprained finger? This time the matter was not so simple. Mr. Fellner had developed tinnitus, an ear affliction that rendered him extremely uncomfortable.” His recovery from the career-threatening illness was relatively swift, but his experience points up the continual danger of hearing loss faced by professional musicians.
It’s Gehry’s L.A.; We’re Just Living In It
Frank Gehry’s contribution to the planned revitalization of downtown Los Angeles is going well beyond his much-heralded Disney Concert Hall, as the starchitect unveils plans for a retail and entertainment complex across from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. But “can the bottom-line world of mainstream development produce something of architectural value at enormous scale? Or is Mr. Gehry simply there to provide a veneer of cultural pretension?”
Does Gergiev Have The Time For London?
Valery Gergiev’s tenure as chief conductor of the London Symphony has officially begun, but no one seems to be expecting the maestro to devote a full measure of time to his new band. “Will his reputation for haste and lateness, not to mention workaholic indisposition, see bass player Michael Francis constantly stepping in to lead rehearsals, even concerts, as in Russia last year and at the BBC’s recent Gubaidulina weekend? Will Gergiev really steward the LSO’s continuing evolution, as is surely his job description, or merely drop in from time to time to give us the odd Slavic thrill?”
Utah May Divert Arts Tax Revenue
The Utah Legislature is considering a plan which would redirect revenues collected from the state’s restaurant tax away from the dedicated cultural support for which the tax was originally intended. “Presently, legislators are discussing the possible use of these funds for transportation. [But] the fact is that the original need for and purpose of the restaurant tax have not changed.”
MO Governor Looks Past Lawsuit To Fund Arts
“Missouri arts advocates let out a collective sign of relief last week when Gov. Matt Blunt included money for the arts in his annual budget recommendation… Arts advocates had been concerned that the governor might not recommend any money for the arts because of anger over a lawsuit filed by the Kansas City Symphony against the state.”
Looking For New Revenue In Louisville
Louisville’s Fund for the Arts, which supports nearly all the major arts organizations in the city, is hoping that its annual fund drive will set a record, topping the $8 million mark. More than a hope, actually, the goal is a virtual necessity for a cultural scene starved for cash. “As long as you are in a cycle of crisis, you can’t spend a lot of time doing your business better, and you certainly aren’t spending a lot of time making your art better.”
Marketing American Democracy
It’s hard to imagine now, with the U.S. bogged down in Iraq and resented in countries around the world, but there was a time not so many decades ago that America actually succeeded in exporting its own values. In the post-World War II years, a series of propaganda films and economic incentives sought to convince Europe that democracy was the best path for everyone, and the plan worked. Today, “Washington is awash in people muttering about the urgent need for better public diplomacy, but the current administration’s attempts to reinvent it have met, mostly, with distress and sometimes mockery.”