“We’re really thrilled that there’s a strong minister and that there were [two] pages in the budget devoted to the arts, which is a first in my history,” said Kevin Garland, general director of the National Ballet of Canada. But two potential recipients that were snubbed continue to feature prominently in most reactions, namely the Canada Council for the Arts and initiatives concerning Canada’s cultural presence abroad.
Tag: 01.28.09
Just How Bad Brandeis’ Financial Situation Is
The university, which made the decision to sell its art collection, has “a projected deficit of $79 million over the next six years, a tapped-out reserve fund, a shrunken endowment and “quite a number” of big donors hit hard by the Madoff scandal? Faced with the prospect of closing 40 percent of the university’s buildings, reducing staff by an additional 30 percent, or firing 200 of its 360 faculty members…”
Cleveland Music Critic Amends Lawsuit Against Newspaper
Classical music critic Donald Rosenberg is suing The Plain Dealer after he was taken off the Cleveland Orchestra beat. “The amended complaint eliminates claims that the newspaper defamed him, breached public policy and broke promises he had relied on. Instead, his only remaining claim is that his reassignment to cover arts and entertainment, as well as dance performances, was an act of age discrimination.”
Cleveland Music Critic Amends Lawsuit Against Newspaper
Classical music critic Donald Rosenberg is suing The Plain Dealer after he was taken off the Cleveland Orchestra beat. “The amended complaint eliminates claims that the newspaper defamed him, breached public policy and broke promises he had relied on. Instead, his only remaining claim is that his reassignment to cover arts and entertainment, as well as dance performances, was an act of age discrimination.”
John Irving Remembers John Updike
“There were writers who simply couldn’t have made a living for themselves if the writing hadn’t worked out; that meant Vonnegut, and that meant me. But Updike always gave me the impression that he could have/would have been successful at anything. He was smart; not all writers are intellectuals. I’m not. He was, but he was good-humored about it; he never flaunted it.”
Mr. Meat Loaf, Would You Read Me A Bedtime Story?
“Rock singer Meat Loaf is to appear with a drumming puppy in a new cartoon aimed at helping children to read. … In the first episode, on 2 March, the Bat Out of Hell singer will read The Lamb Who Came for Dinner.”
Hi, This Is Bart Simpson Calling On Behalf Of Scientology
Producers of “The Simpsons” “have denied any involvement with a Scientology-promoting voice mail recorded by Nancy Cartwright, who has provided the voice of Bart Simpson for 20 years…. The message begins with her saying, ‘Yo, what’s happenin’ man, this is Bart Simpson. Haha. Just kidding, don’t hang up, this is Nancy Cartwright.'”
Radio Signal A Little Weak? Well, About That Lightning …
“There’s a reason L.A. classical music fans may have had trouble listening to KUSC-FM (91.5) this week. Lightning struck both the station’s transmission line and antenna in the San Gabriel Valley on Sunday afternoon, eventually causing the station to operate with a temporary antenna at a reduced power of 2,000 watts….”
As Theatre Critics Disappear, How ‘Bout Peer Review?
“Sometimes getting praise from a critic is like having a proctologist tell you you’ve got a nice ass – -sooner or later, there’s still some pain to come.” That’s Center Theatre Group’s Michael Ritchie in a conversation with other LA theatre heads about the need for criticism. (Why are we not linking directly to the show on LA’s KPCC, where the conversation took place? Because Mac users seem to be out of luck if they want to listen in.)
House Stimulus Bill Includes $50 Million For NEA
“The House approved $50 million in recovery funds for the National Endowment for the Arts on Wednesday as part of the economic stimulus bill. The legislation, called the American Recovery and Reinvestment bill, was not included in the Senate’s version.”