“Completing the new Abbey Theatre remains a top government priority, despite the worsening economic climate, according to Irish arts minister Martin Cullen.” The project was approved in 2006, but since then not even the competition to design the theater has been launched.
Tag: 03.05.09
Mutilating Barbie (Or, You Always Hurt The One You Love)
“How did Barbie, history’s most popular doll, celebrating her 50th year as a beloved plaything for girls worldwide, become an object that females of all ages cut, burn, bend, spindle and mutilate? […] The types of mutilation are varied and creative, and range from removing the hair to decapitation, burning, breaking and even microwaving.”
Time Out Chicago Averts Disaster For Grimaud and Chicago Symphony
When a writer for the magazine spoke to pianist Hélène Grimaud, “she was shocked to learn her reason for coming to Chicago. ‘I’m playing [Beethoven’s] Fourth [Concerto], aren’t I? Am I not playing the Fourth?!?’ she asked. As he double-checked the CSO website, Manning assured her she was to play ‘Emperor,’ Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto… Hours later, Ukranian pianist Valentine Lisitsa was subbed in for Grimaud.”
Did Art Set The Scene For Our Social Downfall?
“Drama, the novel, even cinema have all kept a safer distance from the booming monster of modern capitalism than artists did. What I want to ask now is – why? What happened? How did art become the mirror of fraud? It is not a story that starts with Damien Hirst’s diamond skull but one that goes back to the very origins of the consumer society.”
Living With Mindfulness – In Someone Else
Judith Warner: “But in real-life encounters, I’ve come lately to wonder whether meaningful bonds are well forged by the extreme solipsism that mindfulness practice often turns out to be.”
Temperature Check – Armory Show Edition
“The Armory Show, which is on through Sunday, has always been closely watched for what it has to say about the health of the art market. Scrutiny will be particularly intense this year. And while sales tallies can’t be known for some days, observers may perceive advance indicators of distress.”
The Tender Mercies Of Horton Foote
Charles McNulty: “No matter how conniving, gossiping or suspicious those denizens of Harrison, Texas – the name he bestowed on his hometown of Wharton to protect the privacy of friends, family and neighbors – may have been, they were never insentient to the poetry of loneliness and loss, which were Foote’s twin themes and the ground that made him an American Chekhov.”
Covent Garden Says Visa Procedures Could Force Cancellation Of Performances
“Officials from the Royal Opera House told MPs that performances in Covent Garden might be cancelled because of problems getting border clearance for famous stars who are drafted in from overseas at short notice.”
Robin Williams Calls Off Tour, Schedules Heart Surgery
“Actor Robin Williams will undergo heart surgery for an aortic valve replacement, forcing him to cut short his stand-up comedy tour, his representative said on Thursday.” The 57-year-old, who first found fame as a comedian, had cancelled several performances of his Weapons of Self-Destruction show in Florida this week, complaining of shortness of breath.
The Beatles Can Reunite At Last – On Your Computer
“The Beatles will live anew in videogame glory beginning in September with the release of an exclusive Rock Band title that lets people pretend to be the legendary Fab Four.”