“Hytner’s first season is full of bold thinking. The news that in the biggest of the NT’s three auditoria, the Olivier, two thirds of the ticket prices will be slashed to £10 for six months couldn’t be more welcome. It should attract new audiences, and also let people who already attend do so more often. The theatre will be stripped back to basics, and offer “accessible”, no-frills productions in this epic ampitheatre space.”
Tag: 01.24.03
The Theatre Fanatic Sisters
The Dalton Sisters are dedicated theatre-goers. They go over and over to the same shows, and even cut back on lunch so they can afford tickets. “Their favourite show by far is ‘Les Miserables’. The Dalton sisters have seen Les Mis more than 500 times. They’ve travelled overseas and interstate to see it, paying $60,000 for the pleasure, watch every performance intently, know all the lines, and notice if they’re delivered differently. Joanne still cries at every session.” A fascinated documentary-maker has made a film of their obsession…
Opera In Your Living Room
“Ask the man on the street to define opera and you’re likely to get adjectives like grand, foreign, expensive. Ask a New York opera patron about opera beyond the Metropolitan and City Operas, and you might get a mention of the Amato Opera, the stalwart 107-seat theater on the Bowery that’s been putting on tiny productions of classic operas since 1948. But none of these quite covers the broad spectrum of indie opera companies that produce fully staged opera around New York City in living rooms, church basements and city parks.”
Frankfurt Fair To Stay In Frankfurt
The Frankfurt Bookfair is staying in Frankfurt. The fair had threatened to move to Munich because Frankfurt hotels had inflated their prices. Last week, representatives of the book fair, the city of Frankfurt, its hotel and gastronomy industry, the German publishing association and the operator of the Frankfurt fair came to an agreement.”
Australia Music Sales Down
Sales of CDs in Australia were down 5.5 percent last year. The Australian Record Industry Association “blamed several factors, including online and offline piracy, increased interest in DVDs and computer games, and tough economic conditions. The newest threat was backyard piracy, in which thousands of CDs were manufactured on home computers.”