Says Kazuo Ishiguro, author of the original novel, “Steven Sondheim’s A Little Night Music shows you can set an unlikely story to music. … This is a small scale thing and I might feel more cautious about it if the film version hadn’t been such serious, faithful adaptation. … There is comedy in the book and a musical could bring that out more.”
Tag: 05.28.09
Let’s Play: Getting Serious Adults To Run (Gently) Amok
“I was so committed to learning how to play and to get over my near-terminal seriousness that I actually took a course: ‘Play for Grown-ups.’ The teacher, a professional recreator, had us hanging from monkey bars and flirting with eternity on a jungle gym from the first night.”
Opera Shouldn’t Have To Be For Grown-Ups Only
“[O]pera is practically written for teenagers: it’s all about big wild uncontrollable emotions expressed in very loud voices, and speaks directly to the teen experience. Half of opera’s heroines, after all, are young teenagers with rather naive and overblown views of love and life.”
Decaying City Turns To The Arts For Salvation (This Time, In Central Russia, It’s Working)
“In a region once known best for producing rockets, petrochemicals and salt – and for incarcerating dissidents in Gulag prison camps – [the city of] Perm is banking on contemporary art, architecture and theater to overcome its weighty past. … The Russian media are already calling it ‘Bilbao on the Kama’.”
In Duluth, Joint Pain Leads To A New Festival
“A shoulder injury sidelined Samuel Martin from playing his violin last fall. […] The result of Martin’s time off – the Three Bridges International Chamber Music Festival – will be held at various locations in Duluth June 7-18.”
Kindle Starting To Win Over Even The Hardcore Book Lovers
“If the Kindle isn’t the future, exactly, it’s a precursor. What it tells you, even if you are an unreconstructed book lover, is that the future will not be as hard to get used to as you imagined. Books are heavy, the Kindle reminds you, and they take up a lot of room.”
How The Proms Became A Powerhouse
“Their chief appeal is a reputation (est. 1895) for being ridiculously cheap. You can queue for standing room at 5 pounds or get in for less than half as much on a variety of season tickets. No other attraction, not even oldies’ afternoon at your local fleapit, offers nearly as much entertainment for so little money, and that’s without the inbuilt suggestion that the Proms are the best place in town to meet a single person of similar interests.”
Suit Over Warhol Authentication Goes Forward
“The complaint alleges that the Warhol Foundation’s ongoing catalogue raisonné project and Authentication Board have for two decades fraudulently rejected legitimate works to artificially limit supply and thereby increase the value of Warhol works held by the foundation.”
Defending The Museum – Why Should We Give Things Back?
“Cultural institutions have been on the defensive for decades, poorly firefighting accusations of didacticism, elitism, colonisation and looting, with ill-thought through mumbling and evasion. Now more than ever, museums need to stand up for themselves. For instance, several North American museums were recently rocked by claims from countries including Italy that objects in their collections were acquired illicitly.”
From A Khmer Temple To A Top-Tier Ballet Company
“While visiting Cambodia in 2000, American arts patron Anne H. Bass witnessed a rising star. Then 15 years old, Sokvannara ‘Sy’ Sar performed a dance at Cambodia’s famous Preah Kahn temple and caught Bass’ eye. Nine years later, Sar is a member of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company, and Bass has documented his journey every step of the way.”