“‘When will Hollywood stop cashing in on the poverty here?’ says Rishabh Bal, a bank employee. ‘There is no reason to be happy about the Indian connection. It has become a trend in the west to show Indian slums and a Westerner trying to help the poor here,’ says Nitin Bhatia, a software professional.”
Tag: 04.29.12
Detroit Symphony Auditions A Concertmaster
“The appointment of a new concertmaster is always a landmark in the life of an orchestra, but for the DSO the stakes are even higher. A standout hire would signal an artistic and psychological turning point in the drive to rebuild the ranks after last season’s tumultuous strike.”
Egypt’s All-Blind-Female Chamber Orchestra
The Cairo-based Al Nour Wal Amal Blind Girls Chamber Orchestra … is composed of sightless women from all walks of life who study the notes in Braille and learn the musical pieces by heart. … The women, who play both Western and Oriental classical music, are also singers and the orchestra doubles as a choir.”
When Opera-Singing Spouses Share The Stage
Stephen Costello: “Because [wife Ailyn Pérez] sees me wake up in the morning – bad breath, bad hair and all – we have a comfort level with each other that we don’t have with other people.” On the other hand … Anna Netrebko: “No, on the stage we are colleagues, nothing else. We have nothing to do with the couple thing.”
Prequels To Familiar Stories Finding Niche On Broadway
“Disappearing Broadway investments prove, especially this season, that there is still no formula for commercial success in the entertainment business, but the wicked track record of the prequel is really starting to stand out. Clearly, there is something extraordinarily potent about revealing, or positing, to an audience how we got to the starting point of some beloved and familiar story.”
Home Entertainment Spending Percentages Way Up – But Will Rental Stores Survive?
With streaming up almost 550 percent in the first quarter of 2012 and people still buying packaged DVDs, the industry is smiling – but bricks and mortar stores are dying.
Fifty Shades of Grey Author Hits Town, And Adults Queue Up Like Mad
As the author of the “mommy porn” bestselling books starts her book tour, adults act like kids at a Harry Potter book release. “‘This is a literary phenomenon,’ said Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, the independent bookstore where E L James was signing copies. ‘E L struck a nerve, and her storytelling speaks to so many people.'”
The Job: Making Goodwill Cool (Time To Call In Some Architects)
“There’s a lot of talk right now about values-driven design and what it can do to make the world a better place. Most of those conversations center on the green building trend; architects are leading the eco-revolution, creating smart homes and advanced public spaces that are energy-efficient and Earth-friendly. But conscientious design doesn’t have to be high-tech like that. In fact, many of the most worthy projects are positively pre-tech, recycling old materials and ideas into something fresh. They can take us higher as well.”
This Is Samuel Jackson’s World, And How It Got That Way
“Samuel L. Jackson works. It’s all but impossible to turn on a TV set any night of the week without happening on one of his movies (and sometimes two or three). Hence his anointment by Guinness World Records as ‘the highest-grossing film actor’ of all time.”
Risking Death To Write Poetry In Afghanistan
“Meena’s father pulled her out of school four years ago after gunmen kidnapped one of her classmates. Now she stays home, cooks, cleans and teaches herself to write poetry in secret. Poems are the only form of education to which she has access. She doesn’t meet outsiders face to face.”