Tag: 02.03.16

Soprano Collapses Onstage As She Finishes Her Death Aria; Audience Thinks It’s Planned, But It’s Not

Véronique Gens, 49, was singing Béatrice in a concert revival of Benjamin Godard’s 1889 opera Dante at the old Royal Opera in Versailles. As she reached her final phrase – “Where the angels gather human tears to change them into stars” – she lost control of her voice and collapsed, first into the arms of the mezzo and then to the floor, her head lolling on her chest. The mezzo signaled to stop the music and an ambulance was called. The cause was evidently a sudden loss of blood pressure. (in French; Google Translate version here)

Is This Why The Pinter Estate Clamped Down On The Wooster Group?

Samuel French chief Bruce Lazarus “maintains that the Pinter estate had not been prepared to grant any subsequent license [for The Room] because the British agent had lined up a ‘first-class’ production in the UK, which had an option for a U.S. transfer. Lazarus points out that French could have simply said no but said his company persuaded the U.K. agent to allow the L.A. production, with restrictions.”

Bob Elliott, 92, Half Of Comedy Duo Bob And Ray

“He and the late Ray Goulding were among the drollest and most inventive pop-culture satirists of their generation as writers, producers and actors. … A hallmark of Bob and Ray comedy was bone-dry delivery of the absurd. With masterly comic timing – Mr. Elliott with a nasal deadpan, Goulding with booming authority – Bob and Ray mocked the cliches and banalities of newscasts, politics, sports and advertising.”

Top Posts From AJBlogs 02.03.16

We Asked: What’s the Biggest Challenge Facing the Arts?
Last week we conducted our first ArtsJournal poll, asking: What’s the biggest challenge facing the arts? We had 3,191 votes, with the largest percentage – 37% – answering funding. Second at 24% was “relevance/changing tastes” … read more
AJBlog: Diacritical Published 2016-02-03

History boy
There are productions I’ve never seen that are burned onto my brain. As a teenage Shakespeare geek, I devoured books on stage history, describing landmark productions staged long before I was born. I read … read more
AJBlog: Performance Monkey Published 2016-02-03

Bob Elliott, R.I.P.
Bob Elliott, who died yesterday at the age of ninety-two, was the longer-lived member of Bob & Ray, a much-loved comedy team whose subtle, at times near-surrealistic routines were developed for radio and never sounded … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-02-03

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Report: Millepied Will Quit Paris Ballet

“Benjamin Millepied — who is married to Hollywood star Natalie Portman — took over France’s most prestigious ballet company little more than a year ago, bringing a dash of glamour to one of the capital’s most venerable institutions. He had been due to unveil his new season next week, but it was clear that all was not well after he lambasted the ballet’s hierarchical structure in a French television documentary.”