Broadway had a record year of revenue and attendance. Still, “Broadway continues to be a very high-risk investment and continues to be challenged by enormous cost pressures. Many shows have enjoyed strong grosses; many shows have not. Those grosses don’t invariably mean profits. Historically, one out of every five shows breaks even, and an even lower percentage make money. That trend continues. There’s no change in that.”
Tag: 01.05.05
An Unusual Rescue Plan For Tacoma Theatre
Tacoma Actors Guild, which suddenly shut down last month, has bought a little time. A suburban Seattle theatre will take over the theatre’s building for the next 2 1/2 years while TAG tries to regroup. Bellevue Civic Theatre, a semiprofessional compared to TAG’s fully professional status, will “hire actors and crew on a show-by-show basis. TAG’s staff might get occasional work, but will not be rehired.”
The New Art Buyers – Going Contemporary
The taste of art buyers is changing in London. Where formerly Old Masters and Impressionists were most highly coveted, now the young and wealthy are buying contemporary. “Most people buying contemporary art in London are still foreign, but the enthusiasm has proved contagious. A new breed of rich British collectors and investors now chase work by both established and emerging artists – things that their friends can admire – rather than a Regency dining room table and chairs.”
Now Montana: Because, Ya Know, Poets Don’t Need To Be Paid…
Montana becomes thelatest US state to want to name a poet laureate. “Under the bill, the Montana Arts Council would supply the governor with the names of three qualified Montana poets. The governor would then appoint a poet from the list to hold the honorary post for two years. The poet laureate would receive no compensation but would promote the arts throughout Montana.”
Critic At Large
Lee Siegel’s picked up another critic job – he’s signed on as books critic for The Nation. But he’s also holding on to his TV critic’s job at The New Republic. And he’s going to be twice-a-month art critic for Slate. “He’s doing something very brave,” New Republic literary editor Leon Wieseltier said, on the phone while traveling in Chicago. “He’s trying to earn a living as a freelance intellectual.”
Saving An Indie Underdog, With Help From Goliath
“The Boyd Theatre, Philadelphia’s last movie palace, is to be saved under a deal that will allow Clear Channel to stage concerts, musicals and Broadway-sized productions there, [the city’s mayor] is to announce today… Clear Channel emerged in the fall of 2003 as the angel that would help Goldenberg rescue the once-grand art-deco theater.”
Union Wants To Unionize Washington Ballet
“The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), which represents dancers and singers, has accused Washington Ballet of attempting to prevent its dancers from unionizing.”
You’ve Been Warned: Put Not Your Trust In Fiddles
Two recent violin speculation scandals (Isaac Stern’s estate and the New Jersey Axelrod sale) have Norman Lebrecht wondering if there might be lessons to be learned. Sure. It’s this: “put not your faith in fiddles. Musical instruments are made for playing, not for speculation. They inflict pain, as much as gain. Handle with care.”
Reviving Publishers Weekly
In an attempt to revive itself, Publishers Weekly hired a new top editor. “After decades of enjoying a near monopoly on coverage of the book publishing business, Publishers Weekly in recent years has often lagged in competition with Internet sites, e-mail newsletters and daily newspapers. The consolidation of the publishing business and the demise of many independent booksellers has eaten into the magazine’s pool of potential subscribers. Its paid circulation of 25,000 is down about 3,000 from the peak in recent years. Perhaps worst of all for a publication focused on a single industry, even subscribers are not certain about where the magazine is aiming.”
Iraq’s Heritage Still At Risk
Iraq’s cultural heritage continues to be at risk, though some progress has been made. “The challenges facing archaeological and other historic sites are even more complex, given their remote and dispersed locations. Most of these sites are not safe to visit and have no guardians. Looting, now often carried out by bands of armed professionals, has caused irreparable damage to many archaeological sites and has scattered objects not seen in centuries among smugglers and collectors around the world.”