“Roller derby, the tough as nails sport that emerged in the U.S. during the Depression of the 1930s,” became a mainstay of 1960s television, “and ultimately faded, is in the midst of an unlikely global resurgence that has seen it catch on everywhere from Dubai to Tasmania.”
Tag: 02.03.13
The First Wave Of Hurricane Sandy Documentaries
“It was a profoundly ill wind that blew onto the East Coast in late October … It was inevitable that filmmakers would seize on the story. The unearthly atmosphere of a blacked-out Lower Manhattan alone was enough to send would-be auteurs prowling the streets with cameras.”
The Minefield Of Trailers For Oscar Season
“The already mistrustful relationship between moviegoer and trailer becomes even more strained during awards season, when the contenders are by and large films that deal with topics audiences would rather skip. They leave studio marketing executives and the trailer editors they hire with sensitive decisions about what to omit and what to include.”
Massachusetts Considers Tax Credits For Broadway-Bound Shows
“The credit would grant up to $3 million to a production that plays in Massachusetts before opening in New York or to a touring show that starts here, reimbursing up to 35 percent of its state labor costs. AdvoÂcates of the proposal say the credits would create hundreds of jobs and drive millions of dollars of business into Massachusetts.”
Hollywood Connects (For Once) With The Political Zeitgeist
Frank Rich: “Whatever the explanation – and little in show business happens by design – the movie industry has reconnected with the country. It has produced no fewer than four movies that have provoked animated, often rancorous public debate: Zero Dark Thirty, Argo, Lincoln, and Django Unchained, a film that pushes so many hot buttons you can’t quite believe it was made.”
La Scala Removes One Of Milan’s Senior Critics From The Press List
After a series of paticularly harsh reviews, including one which accused conductor Daniel Harding of making Wagner so “soft” that one would think the composer was “homosexual”, the notoriously cranky Corriere della sera critic Paolo Isotta will no longer get comp tickets from the opera house.
Well, At Least One Country Is Tiring Of Really Stupid Television
Wetten, Dass …? is “a variety show with some 10 million viewers often referred to as the biggest television program in Europe. In more than three decades it has anchored itself in the German consciousness even as viewership has declined and criticism has risen, not just about the show but also about what it represents.”
Founder Of Michigan Opera Theatre Retires After 43 Years
“At 77, DiChiera, widely recognized as one of the visionary heroes of modern Detroit, is giving up his post as MOT’s general director, paving the way for his retirement and new executive and artistic leadership at MOT for the first time in the history of the company.”
How Do You Judge Theatre With Mentally-Challenged Actors?
On the stage of the Young Centre in Toronto these days, an actor with Down syndrome is confronting audience members with their own prejudice, demanding, “You think I’m retarded? Look at yourself!”
Reinventing Classical Music Radio In San Francisco
“In many ways we’re better than before. Nobody misses the commercials; the music is broader; we have strong relationships with the San Francisco Symphony and Opera – it’s a better radio station.”