Tag: 04.07.03

Are NPR Underwriting Spots Too Commercial?

Are public radio underwriting spots sounding too much like commercials? Many local public radio stations have been complaining about spots carried on National Public Radio. “In the past several months, stations have blasted the network for accepting a Microsoft spot that urged listeners to ‘learn more about…’ and one for Saab heralding a ‘. . . dynamic new look’.”

Paul Taylor/Mark Morris Explained

Joan Acocella looks at two modern masters. Paul Taylor is seventy-two, “and he has made more than a hundred dances, but one dance keeps reappearing. It goes like this: The dancers are a kind of community (we’re not sure what kind), and they perform maneuvers that they are very earnest about, and which look like rituals. This is somewhat comic—they think they’ve found an explanation of life. It is somewhat tragic, too, for the same reason. Mark Morris, on the other hand, is more abstract. “It has always been something of a mystery how Morris, who is a very sophisticated artist, and largely an abstractionist, became such a favorite with the public. One reason is that he’s often funny. Another is that he’s clear.”

Seeking Solace At The Museum

In New York, record crowds are turning out at blockbuster art exhibits, but not for the usual reasons. “The popularity of shows here ranging from Da Vinci to Manet – an unusual confluence of big-name artists even for New York – is partly a commentary on New Yorkers’ magnetic attraction to anything with buzz. But in a city beset by budget cuts, rising homelessness, and a steady stream of war news, it’s also about something more. To the crowds waiting in lines that spill out onto the streets here, these timeless masters offer timely beauty and insight to a world desperately in need of it.”

Back On Stage, But Still In Crisis

The Houston Symphony is performing again, following a bitter 24-day strike, but the organization’s financial woes are far from resolved. “Executive director Ann Kennedy came on stage Saturday to welcome back the audience and to laud the musicians, who then received a strong standing ovation from the crowd (which, due to the perennial problem of no-shows, filled only about two-thirds of the auditorium). With music director Hans Graf on the podium, the musicians then demonstrated through superb playing exactly what is still at stake in the financially desperate organization.”

All Avril, All The Time At Junos

The Juno Awards, Canada’s answer to the Grammys, turned into a near-sweep Sunday night as teen rock sensation Avril Lavigne took home several awards, including Artist of the Year. Lavigne was up against stiff competition, including mainstays Celine Dion and Shania Twain, and many observers saw her dominance as a significant shift in the direction of the Canadian music industry.

Boston Aims For The Middle

The lack of mid-sized (300-to-500 seat) venues has long been a problem for theater troupes and other performers in Boston. But now, a new economic redevelopment plan promises to fill the gap with a wealth of renovations and restorations in the city’s Midtown district. Still, a number of significant hurdles remain to be cleared before the projects can be completed.

SARS Hits European FilmFest

Despite the fact that Severe Acute Repiratory Syndrome (SARS) has yet to sigificantly impact Europe, fear of the outbreak is wreaking havoc with Italy’s Far East Cinema Festival, which screens films and features filmmakers from throughout Asia. Organizers insist that there is no danger to the Italian populace, but there is a distinct possibility of government intervention in the festival’s guest list. “22 actors, directors and producers from Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai may be uninvited because of the concerns of local people about the spread of SARS.”

Thieves Steal Pompeii Frescoes

Thieves stole two frescoes from the ancient city of Pompeii over the weekend. “Selling such rare art on the open market would be almost impossible so the theft may have been commissioned. ‘This is 1st-century Roman art from Pompeii. It is not something you can find in the window of an antique dealer’.”