“For the Impressionists and the Japanese ukiyo-e artists, it was a force for beauty and contemplation. For the inhabitants of the Alps in the middle ages and after, it was associated with evil and witchcraft. … Until the 16th century, [European] artists showed little interest except where it had a religious context. Then came the shocking winter of 1564-5.”
Tag: 01.07.10
When A Play About Corporate Crime Becomes A Must-See
“Enron,” the hit play, transfers to the West End next week. “In London, it’s already taken more than £1 million in advance bookings — small beer compared with the £40 billion that the Enron energy corporation owed when it went bankrupt in December 2001, but pretty darn impressive for a play about number-crunching in Texas.”
Drug Co. Teams With Creative Coalition For Obesity Film
“Glaxo, the pharmaceutical giant behind Alli, an over-the-counter weight-loss product, has decided that a good way to educate Americans about obesity — and increase sales of Alli — is to finance a ‘hard-hitting’ documentary about eating. … [A]n Academy Award-winning director will be named on Jan. 25 at the Sundance Film Festival….”
Reemergence Of Dali Curtain Surprises One Who Used It
“‘I thought it was lost or destroyed,’ said [Nicolas] Petrov, founding director of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the man who transported the [stage] curtain from New York to Pittsburgh in a rented truck in 1976. Five years later,” after it was donated to the Carnegie Museum of Art, “he was told that nobody knew where it was.”
What’s The Truth To The Hype About The West End Boom?
“[W]hy should theatre be immune from the global recession? The curious truth is that no one in the industry really knows. … The problem is that, unlike on Broadway, individual shows in the West End don’t release weekly box office grosses, so it’s impossible to get a picture of what is happening.”
Netflix Consents To Delay On Warner Bros.’ New Releases
“Warner Bros. has struck a deal with Netflix Inc. whereby the fast-growing DVD subscription firm won’t offer the studio’s movies until 28 days after they go on sale. … It’s part of a strategy by several studios to create staggered releases of DVDs so that the most profitable transactions are available first and cheaper rental options take effect further down the road.”
Never Mind The Spin; Latest News From City Opera Is Bad
“The scheduling drama … suggests that City Opera remains in trouble,” continuing “to bleed money while downsizing its seasons. … Would anyone be surprised if, in the not-too-distant future, City Opera simply closed up shop entirely for the fall season and turned over even more valuable performance time to the ballet?”
Seiji Ozawa Diagnosed With Cancer
The 74-year-old Japanese conductor, who served for 29 years as music director of the Boston Symphony, “will cancel all performances for the next six months to concentrate on treatment.” He was already scheduled to step down this year as music director of the Vienna State Opera.
Pianist Kirill Gerstein Wins $300K Gilmore Artist Award
“Mr. Gerstein, 30, is the sixth member of an elite and eclectic group of pianists that includes Ingrid Fliter, Piotr Anderszewski and Leif Ove Andsnes.” The prize, intended to honor and draw attention to an extremely promising young talent, is “given every four years to an unsuspecting pianist.”
In A First, Cooper-Hewitt Names A Designer As Director
“Bill Moggridge, a founder of the design firm IDEO who is widely credited with designing the look of the first commercial laptop, … will be the first design practitioner to run the Cooper-Hewitt, bringing decades of experience as a businessman and industrial designer but none as a museum administrator.”