Peter Marks: “It is every patron’s right, I suppose, to consume theater in any way they see fit, as long as it is not a nuisance to others. The steady mechanical breath of sleep can be an audible distraction at a quiet play, and yes, a throat clearing or a whispered word of correction is required if snoring commences. But the greater injustice, it seems to me, is the one unconscious theatergoers do to themselves. Buying a $100 seat is an inordinately expensive way to take a nap. Is every theater piece really that dull to some percentage of the crowd, I wonder, or are we just coming to public events ever more sleep-deprived? “
Tag: 05.10.18
Sharks Recognize Jazz, But Classical Confuses Them: Study
“Researchers at Sydney’s Macquarie University … trained juvenile Port Jackson sharks to swim over to where jazz was playing, to receive food. It has been thought that sharks have learned to associate the sound of a boat engine with food, because food is often thrown from tourist boats to attract sharks to cage-diving expeditions – the study shows that they can learn these associations quickly. The test was made more complex with the addition of classical music – this confused the sharks, who couldn’t differentiate between jazz and classical.”
How Justin Peck Brings The Everyday World Into Classical Ballet
“He has made movement based on the revving of a lawn mower, the popping of toast from a toaster, the tentative resting of a head on a shoulder. His style is hyperathletic – galloping solos that last for 10 straight minutes, high jumps reminiscent of basketball players’ reaching for the hoop – but it retains a roughness around its edges.”
Broadway ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ To Proceed After Harper Lee Estate And Producers Settle Lawsuits
“That settlement means that the play, with a new script by the prominent Hollywood screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, will be allowed to go forward.” In March, Lee executor Tonja Carter sued lead producer Scott Rudin, claiming Sorkin’s script violated their contract; in April, Rudin countersued for at least $10 million, saying that Carter’s suit could cause the play’s cancellation and the loss of investors’ money.
Fort Worth Symphony Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya To Step Down In 2020
Over what will have been 20 seasons, “Harth-Bedoya has dramatically transformed what had been a rather rough-hewn ensemble into a well-disciplined orchestra. He led the orchestra in performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Washington’s Kennedy Center and in 13 CD recordings.”
Junot Díaz Resigns As Chairman Of Pulitzer Prize Board
“The Pulitzer Prize board has opened an independent review of sexual misconduct allegations against the award-winning novelist Junot Díaz, who is stepping down as chairman, the board said on Thursday. ‘Mr. Díaz said he welcomed the review and would cooperate fully with it,’ the Pulitzer board said in a statement.”
James Levine’s Broadcasts Pulled From Met Opera’s Sirius XM Channel
In the wake of the conductor’s sexual abuse and harassment scandal, the Met has withheld from broadcast on the satellite and online radio network all of the recorded performances Levine conducted during his 40-year career at the company. Management said that Levine’s recordings “will be reintroduced to the programming at an appropriate time.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 05.10.18
The Times Are Changing
Kyle Abraham’s company, A.I.M., performs at the Joyce Theater. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2018-05-10
Review: Matthew Shipp Solo
Matthew Shipp, Zero, ESP
For years pianist Shipp has gone his own unconventional way. Critics have shunted him into the avant garde piano category. That’s not where he belongs. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2018-05-10
Michael Pakenham, R.I.P.
Thirty-one years ago, I was a senior editor at a monthly magazine in New York, stuck (if that’s the word) in a job that didn’t satisfy me and not sure what to do about it. … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2018-05-10
What’s The Novel For The Social Media Age? ‘Fahrenheit 451’
Ramin Bahrani (who may not be objective, as he has directed a film adaptation of the Bradbury book): “In the novel, he imagined a world where people are entertained day and night by staring at giant wall screens in their homes. They interact with their ‘friends’ through these screens, listening to them via ‘Seashells’ – Bradbury’s version of Apple’s wireless AirPods – inserted in their ears.”
Details Of Saudi Arabia’s $20 Billion Answer To Petra Revealed
“Al-Ula [province] is home to Al-Hijr, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2008, currently closed to tourists and visited only by a privileged few. Located in north-west Saudi Arabia, it consists of spectacular canyons and rock-carved tombs around Mada’in Salih, once known as Hegra. The oasis was a trading outpost of the Nabataean kingdom, 550km south of its capital, Petra, in modern-day Jordan. It includes remains of the Lihyanite culture and the Roman occupation. … The ten-year deal [to develop the area for international tourism] gives France an exclusive role in a project potentially worth tens of billions of euros in an area almost the size of Belgium.”