Washington DC classical music station WTEA is changing formats, dropping most of its music and airing news and public affairs. “By an overwhelming majority, the board approved a resolution to focus on news and public-affairs programming. A new lineup, with round-the-clock news, analysis and interview programs, will debut Feb. 28. Only the weekly broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera and “Traditions With Mary Cliff,” a folk music program, will remain for music lovers.
Tag: 02.11.05
Vegas Gets The Theatre Bug (And Builds Big)
Fantastic new-generation theatres in Las Vegas eclipse anything Broadway can produce. “Freed of the constraints of space that are a struggle in jam-packed Manhattan, and armed with shocking amounts of money from wealthy casino conglomerates, show producers can dream far bigger and bolder than in New York. The theater at a Vegas resort is a piece of a much larger business model in which the patrons are also diners, shoppers, hotel guests, and casino players, making it worthwhile for Caesars Palace to plunge $95 million into a showroom for pop star Céline Dion, even though the hotel shares the ticket revenue with Dion and her production company.”
Broadway Courts Kids
Broadway producers worried about developing a next generation of theatre fans are concentrating on more programs for kids. “Family fare has taken off on Broadway (think “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast”), and a survey from the League of American Theaters and Producers shows that the number of kids filling seats is up slightly. In the 2003-2004 season, the league reports that nearly 1.3 million kids under 18 attended shows, the second highest turnout in more than 20 years (the highest was in 2000-01 season).”
Thoroughly Modern Fiddles
More top violinists are playing modern instruments. “The great violinists from 1800 onwards always went back to the instruments by Stradivarius or Guarneri. For the 19th-century makers, there was never the thrill of building for the best violinists, so they didn’t have the incentive. They were more like repairmen. They would build instruments, but they would build for the lesser player. There were quite a few good Italian instruments, but some of them have really died and are not playable any more. Now all of a sudden there is a demand. And so we go to the makers and say, sorry, we need a great instrument. We don’t need something in between.”
Moog: The Art Of Designing Instruments
Robert Moog has been designing instruments for 50 years. His most famous instrument, of course, is the Moog synthesizer. “Oh, gosh, it freaked people out. One of the many things you could do was imitate vocal sounds – make it go ‘Weeoooooww’. That really upset. The reaction was a bit like that of primitive cultures believing cameras could catch your soul.”
The ENO’s Quest For A New Conductor
The English National Orchestra has had a rough few years. Now it’s looking for a new conductor – but it’ll be a tough job walking through the door. “There’s a chance that a new chief conductor with a really solid knowledge of opera repertory and casting, and a commitment to the company’s principles, could just turn the place around. The ENO orchestra is sounding much stronger now than it has been for a while.”