Royal Bank of Canada will invest at least CAN$11m over the next decade in the Toronto International Film Festival, under the terms of a new agreement that will see RBC touted as TIFF’s “official bank.” “Previously, TIFF announced that it had raised $137-million in its $196-million capital campaign; yesterday, it noted, without comment, that the total raised now is $147-million.”
Tag: 05.23.08
Broadway Sniping Ramps Up
As the Tony Awards loom, controversy has broken out, with some for-profit producers complaining about the unfairness of having to compete with non-profit shows. (No coincidence that a non-profit production of South Pacific is considered a strong contender for Best Musical.) “Producers have long grumbled that the nonprofits get all sorts of breaks, including lower print-ad rates.”
Artistic Concern Or Competitive Dust-Up?
A well-loved bronze sculpture in downtown Cleveland has been getting some restoration work from a local nonprofit firm. But midway through the work, a competing restoration firm has publicly complained that the sculpture is being treated improperly, and colored in a way that the artist never intended.
Soderbergh’s Epic “Che” Premieres At Cannes
“After Steven Soderbergh’s 4-hour-and-28-minute epic film about the grueling guerrilla campaigns of the revolutionary hero and international male model Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara paused for an intermission, bedraggled columns of cinephiles stumbled from their seats into the lobby of Grand Theatre Lumiere, rubbing feeling back into their eyeballs. Ushers, acting as emergency medical corps, quickly administered fresh water and rations of Kit Kat candy bars.”
Now That’s Art Appreciation
A major (and massive) Jeff Koons sculpture that was sold for $1.1m less than a decade ago is going up for auction again, and could fetch more than $25m. The piece, owned by Howard and Cindy Rachofsky of Dallas, will hit the block at Christie’s in London at the end of June.
Wilfrid Mellers, 94
“Wilfrid Mellers, an English musicologist, composer, critic and teacher who published more than 20 books on subjects ranging from 17th-century English and French composers to the music of the Beatles and Bob Dylan, died on May 16 in Scrayingham, North Yorkshire. He was 94.”
Now Available: Your Lifetime Syllabus
“An odd book fell into my hands recently, a doorstopper with the irresistible title 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. That sounds like a challenge, with a subtle insult embedded in the premise. It suggests that you, the supposedly educated reader, might have read half the list at best… The book is British. Of course.”
Yeah, Because We Need More Of Those
Columnist Joel Stein is on a quest to become the world’s most insufferable old man, so it’s only natural that he would seek to learn how to become a proper classical music snob. To achieve his goal, he seeks out a bass player in the LA Phil, and gets a few tips on how to morph into the sort of jerk who glares at people applauding between movements.
California Shakespeare’s Chinn Moving East
Baltimore-based Center Stage has tapped California Shakespeare Theater managing director Debbie Chinn for its own directorship. “She will be running a company roughly double the size of her current organization.” Chinn will take over in Baltimore in September.
The Illusion Of Andre
Violinist Andre Rieu has made millions from his televised concerts featuring him smiling and swaying and sawing through Strauss waltzes with panache. But is he actually a good musician? “He rarely plays anything that is technically beyond the reach of a talented 10-year-old, so it’s hard to say exactly how good a violinist he is… But you don’t have to be in the music business for long to realise that talent and success don’t always go together.”