Tag: 01.27.05

So-So Sundance

So what’s the buzz on Sundance at the halfway point? Ho-hum. “This is not to say that the 21st incarnation of Robert Redford’s independent baby hasn’t had its moments — the biggest thus far being Craig Brewer’s gritty urban drama “Hustle & Flow” — but the first half of the festival has been marked more by tame audience reactions and subdued wheeling and dealing than buzz, with films drawing more shrugs than love.”

Tate Modern To Expand

The Tate Modern is only five years old, but already there are plans to expand it. “The gallery’s electricity sub-station is being upgraded freeing up more space behind the Turbine Hall. Tate Modern’s outside area will also be redesigned and a new learning and extra viewing space will be created inside. Plans will be submitted in the summer.”

UK Watchdog Warns Of Ticket Rip Offs

The UK’s Office of Fair Trading says that ticket resellers are often gouging customers with fees up to 600 percent of ticket face value. “Some reputable agents add 67 per cent to the face value of pop concert tickets bought on the internet while additional charges of 40 per cent are not uncommon, the report found. One in three people surveyed by the OFT during its seven-month investigation complained that booking fees for concerts, theatre and sports events had been higher than expected.”

Man Caught Trying To Steal Artifact In British Museum

A man was caught trying to pry open a display case in a Greek and Roman gallery at the British museum Wednesday. “He was foiled by a sharp-eyed attendant just before closing time yesterday afternoon, the museum said. The man ran off when he was approached by the attendant, but security guards later apprehended a suspect who was turned over to police.”

Elvis At The Opera

Elvis Costello on his opera about the life of Hans Christian Anderson: “The 50-year-old singer-songwriter has consistently expressed his unwillingness to be remembered for “a handful of songs I wrote 25 years ago. All the music comes out of the same head. It’s just using different methods to get at the solution to whatever motivated you to write it in the first place.”

New Fees Threaten Outdoor UK Performances

A new law before the British Parliament institutes new fees for outdoor performances. “Events attracting audiences of 5,000 people or more will be required to make a one-off payment of between £1,000 and £64,000 on top of their public entertainment licence, which will cost between £100 and £635. While organisers of large commercial programmes will be able to incorporate the extra costs into the price of their tickets, industry figures have warned that large-scale community and not for profit events will no longer be able to function when the additional charge is incorporated into their budgets.”

Cirque’s $200 Million Gamble

“Kà is the latest and most grandiose project from Cirque du Soleil. Indeed, it is probably the most grandiose piece of live theatre ever undertaken. The figures only hint at the ambition of the endeavour. Each show features 158 stage technicians and 75 performers. It cost $200 million to create and needs $1 million a week to keep running.” And what do you get for all that money?