Chicago Wicked To Close After Phenomenally Successful Run

The Chicago production of “Wicked” will close after its 1,500th performance next January. “By the time they fly away, the witches Glinda and Elphaba will have enacted their musical spells on more than 3 million people in Chicago over a 3 1/2-year run. And a production with start-up costs of about $10 million will likely have taken in a whopping $210 million at the Chicago box office.”

What Will CBC Cutbacks In Classical Music Mean?

“The far-reaching effect of these decisions could be huge. I’d like to think there will always be a Toronto Symphony and a Montreal Symphony – but will there always be a Regina Symphony or a Saskatoon Symphony if there’s an entire generation of young people who have never heard classical music? And outside big cities, there’s no access to classical music except on the CBC.”

Panic During Berlin Phil Fire

“Musicians were seen rushing in panic from the concert hall clutching instruments they had managed to save as clouds of smoke up to 30 metres high spread across the skyline. Some larger instruments such as pianos and timpani had to be left behind and orchestra members said they had ripped open musicians’ lockers in an attempt to remove as many instruments – some of them uninsurable – as possible.”

New Buzz About The Met

The Metropolitan Opera has been revived in the two seasons since Peter Gelb took over the house. Attendance is up, the movie theatre broadcasts have been a smashing success, and artistically, the company is faring well. Of course the budget has increased to $268 million, but…