Architect Frank Gehry has agreed to do a pro-bono redesign project for the Pasadena Playhouse. “Gehry, designer of downtown’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, the interior of Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, will undertake both projects pro bono due to his longtime friendship with Carol Burnett.”
Tag: 02.19.07
Dan Gioia’s NEA
“Though no one claims that Gioia has single-handedly reversed that course, he has had a profound effect on the NEA, converting the once-beleaguered federal program into the nation’s main engine for integrating arts and education. It’s a remarkable turnaround for an agency whose mere name was once enough to get Newt Gingrich and other social conservatives foaming at the mouth.”
Does MTV Still Matter?
“As a brand, MTV has been beyond durable, managing to reinvent itself continuously and in doing so presenting a fast-moving target that left many would-be rivals in its wake. But finding the edge was simpler before competition for its core demographic started coming from all fronts, from video games and social-networking Web sites to amateur clips on YouTube.”
Sondheim Sunday Sweeps Oliviers
“In a David and Goliath battle, Sunday in the Park with George beat blockbuster rivals Evita, The Sound of Music and Cabaret to be named the outstanding musical production of the year  a year that was the biggest for musicals in the West End that anyone could remember.”
A Baltimore Theatre Struggles After Cancellations
Baltimore’s Lyric Opera House, one of the city’s “premier theatrical venues, has fallen dark for several weeks this season as four of its five national touring shows have been canceled. The no-shows, which include Elton John’s Aida, have left patrons with useless tickets and the building’s management scrambling to recoup losses.”
And Then There Was One – Sirius To Buy XM
One American satellite radio provider buys the other. “Under the agreement announced by the two companies on Monday, XM shareholders would receive 4.6 Sirius shares for each XM share held, or a 21.7 percent premium to XM’s closing share price of $13.98 on Friday. Sirius would be paying about $4.6 billion in stock for XM based on shares outstanding.”
New Software Snoop IDs Copyrighted Material
“The new technological weapon is content-recognition software, which makes it possible to identify copyrighted material, even, for example, from blurry video clips. The technology could address what the entertainment industry sees as one of its biggest problems — songs and videos being posted on the Web without permission.”
Britain’s Incredible Disappearing Art
“Increasingly, many of the best works are in the hands of private collectors, who do not always make their treasures accessible to the public. The New Statesman has tracked down some of the most important artworks nestling in the private residences and offices of collectors, aristocrats and City businesses, where only the most privileged can see them. This trend is on the rise; with public galleries increasingly priced out of the art market, more and more work will disappear from public view.”