The Smithsonian has entered the commercial movie business. The institution’s experts are consulting on the latest Mel Gibson movie. – Washington Post 02/13/00
Tag: 02.13.00
VIOLENT REACTION
Two weeks ago, San Francisco Chronicle film reviewer Mike LaSalle wrote that it was time to do something about violence in movies. He suggested that any time a film showed a gun being fired, it should receive an NC-17 rating. Letters to the newspaper came flooding in, so the Chronicle is changing its reviewing policy. – San Francisco Chronicle 02/13/00
MISSING THE MEGAS
As the era of the mega-musicals on Broadway wanes, theatres around the country that count on the shows to fill their seasons face difficult times.- Hartford Courant
LES MIZERABLE
Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg are used to the success of the giant hits they have written in “Les Miserables” and “Miss Saigon.” The current failure of “Martin Guerre” and producer Cameron Mackintosh’s decision to cancel a Broadway run leaves the duo humbled. – Los Angeles Times
THE THEATRE PROBLEM?
Stephen Sondheim goes to London and sounds off about the current state of theater: “It’s quite discouraging to see that London is slowly becoming like Broadway,” he says. He bemoans the fact that Americans are drawn to productions whose values are based less on the words and the music than the length of the spectacle and the number of scenery changes. He is most frightened by the lack of serious plays on Broadway. In his opinion, audiences in London have broader tastes, attend more regularly and treat the theatre as enjoyment rather than a chore. The British hunger for challenging productions has helped to provide opportunities for new talent, from the West End to the fringe. – The Sunday Times (UK)