When the hall’s half empty…
Or, worse, if it has more empty seats than people, as appeared to be the case at the Budapest Festival Orchestra’s concert at the Kennedy Center on Monday. … But wait! … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-02-18
Interview: The Skinny on the Beats
Hilary Holladay: How would you size up the significance of the Beats as writers rather than as personalities? Jan Herman: Kerouac has had a huge influence on readers worldwide. I’m sure that more people have … read more
AJBlog: Straight|Up Published 2016-02-18
So you want to see a show?
Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-02-18
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Tag: 02.18.16
Can Meditation Change Your Brain? Science Weighs In
“There was more activity, or communication, among the portions of their brains that process stress-related reactions and other areas related to focus and calm.”
Global Phenom: Festivals That Light Up Cities Are Magnets For Tourists
“Many of these free light festivals include interactive displays that turn spectators into participants who can change colors or patterns by moving or playing a game. The events are also tourism magnets, attracting locals and out-of-towners alike to waterfronts, historic districts and other neighborhoods on dark winter nights and other periods when tourist activity may be low.”
What’s Happened To Italian Opera Singers? They’ve Gone MIA
The fierce new competition seems to have caught Italians by surprise. “There are good voices in Italy but many of them think a good voice is enough and don’t want to learn the other aspects such as acting.”
New York’s Next Big Battle Over What Deserves To Be A Landmark
“The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is about to decide the fate of 95 properties that have been languishing, some of them for decades, on its calendar.” Michael Kimmelman looks at the issues involved – and at some of the buildings he’d like to see saved.
Met To Present First Opera By A Woman In 113 Years – And It’ll Be Conducted By A Woman
The first and only time before now the Metropolitan Opera has produced an opera by a female composer was in 1903 (Ethel Smyth’s Der Wald).