Virginia arts organizations have been frustrated in recent years trying to get the state legislature to allocate money for the arts. “Thanks to a surplus now hovering around $1.2 billion and an economy that is humming along, lawmakers are once again sounding more agreeable to arts funding. However, some restrictions still apply.”
Tag: 02.03.05
Charitable Deduction – One Show’s Circuitous Road To Broadway
Almost three years ago plans were announced to mount a revival of the musical Sweet Charity. Between then and now, the stars are in, the stars are out. The director leaves, then comes back, songs are dropped, then they’re added. And now comes the out-of-town try-outs… Whew, you’d think redoing a show that’s already been a success would be easier…
Farewell To Arms – Weinraub’s Hollywood Farewell Causes Furor
“Rarely has one article caused such a commotion on both coasts as journalist Bernie Weinraub’s goodbye to the Hollywood beat in The New York Times on Sunday. It was as if narrator Nick Carraway were given space in The Paper of Record to write honestly about the swell set, only this time he surprises us by revealing that he longed for the green light of status and money as much as Jay Gatsby did.”
Cameron: A Culture Without Challenge?
Are there lessons for the arts to be learned from last November’s American elections? Ben Cameron says yes: The “through-line of the arts right now is really a byproduct of things revealed in the last election we did not understand. What we’re hearing is audiences are less willing to tolerate ideas and viewpoints other than their own — there’s an intolerance I can’t remember seeing in a long time in the arts. Plays making unflattering references to subjects, or dealing with topics that are uncomfortable for people — well, they just start climbing over each other to get out of the theatre.”
Satellite Radio Transcends Radio
“It may blow your mind to think that over four million people are now paying $10 or $13 a month just to listen to the radio. Truth is, though, that what they’re getting isn’t very much like radio at all. They’re getting 65 music channels, free of commercials and endless teenybopper-top-10 repetition, and 40 to 50 talk channels. Because they don’t have to appeal to a mainstream audience to attract advertisers, the expert-fanatic channel hosts can “narrowcast” tightly targeted musical styles (like pop, acoustic, hip-hop, country, movie soundtracks, classical) and nichey talk topics (like comedy, sports, advice, old-time radio dramas, audio books, religion and children).”
Comic Books – No More Kids?
Comic books have been a big success in the adult market in recent years. “But the new wave has had its costs, chief among them being the near vacuum that’s been left in what was once a thriving market for well-crafted kids’ comics. If you need proof, just take a stroll through your local 7-Eleven. You’d be hard pressed to find any evidence of kids’ comics or the iconic racks they used to call home.”
Previn Wins Gould
Andre Previn has won the $50,000 Glenn Gould Prize. “Awarded once every three years, the international prize is open to individuals from any country and in a range of fields, including musical creation or performance, film, radio, musical theatre and writing. Past recipients include Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer, jazz icon Oscar Peterson, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violist Yehudi Menuhin and conductor Pierre Boulez.”
Remote Autograph? We Don’t Want It!
Margaret Atwood is working on a device that would allow her to sign autographs remotely and cut down on traveling. But autograph collectors reject the idea. “We quite understand the idea behind Margaret Atwood’s invention because, as she says in interviews, she is an old-age pensioner [who doesn’t want to face the rigours of book tours], but the intriguing thing we found is that it’s not so much the signature that fans care about, it’s meeting the author in person, that’s the real thrill,”
Report: Textbook Price Increases Outpace Inflation
A new study says textbook publishers have hiked the prices of their books at a rate much higher than inflation. “Textbook prices have increased at four times the average rate of inflation in their category, finished goods, over the past 10 years, according to figures from the Producer Price Index maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The wholesale price of textbooks increased 62 percent over that decade while the average price for all finished goods increased by just 14 percent. Prices for general books increased 19 percent in the same period.”
UK Facing Theatre Funding Crisis (Some Theatres Will Have To Close)
National funding for theatre in the UK is going down in the next couple of years. But funding from local governments will also decline too, warns the chair of the National Association of Local Government Arts Officers. “This is devastating for the arts. There will certainly be closures [of companies]. This is a slow, downward spiral at a period when there is so much that is positive.”