Jason Zinoman: “It’s particularly amazing that this gifted dissembler has received such goodwill at a time when there is such anxiety about fake news and Internet disinformation. … That Evan Hansen is not just a kind of hero but one whose story will stay with a generation of young theatergoers forever is testament to the power of skillfully crafted art to reframe, manipulate, and even obscure moral concerns.”
Tag: 06.06.17
Harper Lee Estate Approves Graphic Novel Version Of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’
“The Lee estate approached the publisher with the idea of a graphic novel. It is just the latest in a series of projects using Lee’s groundbreaking book since her death in February 2016.”
Organizers Of Ghost Ship Artist Space Charged With Manslaughter
“Alameda County prosecutors capped a six-month investigation into the deadly blaze on Monday when they charged [Derick] Almena and [Max] Harris with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter, saying their management of the Ghost Ship was not simply negligent, but criminal.”
Sergei Vikharev, Russia’s Master Reconstructor Of Petipa’s Original Ballets, Dies Suddenly At 55
Ismene Brown: “Sergei Vikharev was the passionate pioneer of a brave new movement to install period sensibilities in an art form that had long become the plaything of its performers and coaches rather than its creators.”
New York’s Big Summer Solstice Music Festival Makes Last-Minute Emergency Plea For Funds
Due to the unexpected cancellation of a grant, “Make Music New York, the non-profit behind an expansive one-day music festival that takes over the city on the first day of summer, has issued a plea for emergency financial aid before its forthcoming edition on June 21.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 06.06.17
Riverside Art Museum
In conversations with staff members of the Riverside Art Museum, I learned that their initial work in fostering relationships with Riverside’s Latino communities had resulted in donations to purchase art. But the “hot off the press” revelation came … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2017-06-06
Lost and Found
Long ago, I heard a lovely definition of creativity: “Finding what has been lost and making it new.” I’ve never been able to track down the source of that definition, but it’s stuck with me. … read more
AJBlog: Infinite Curves Published 2017-06-06
Diller Thriller: MoMA’s Mega-Makover, An Irreverent Photo Essay
Having been briefed by another journalist about the current status of the project, we finally got to learn about this work-in-progress from the principals themselves: … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2017-06-06
Pianist Vijay Iyer and the Ojai Music Festival
This year sees an unlikely but, I suspect, fortuitous paring: Pianist Vijay Iyer — one of the most inventive figures in jazz today — is curating the Ojai Music Festival, a friendly, mellow outdoor … read more
AJBlog: CultureCrash Published 2017-06-06
The Problem With Experts (And Why We Need Them)
“Democracy cannot function when every citizen is an expert. Yes, it is unbridled ego for experts to believe they can run a democracy while ignoring its voters; it is also, however, ignorant narcissism for laypeople to believe that they can maintain a large and advanced nation without listening to the voices of those more educated and experienced than themselves.”
Will A Hard Brexit Damage UK Museums?
The outgoing director of the Tate, Nicholas Serota, the director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, and the new director of the V&A, Tristram Hunt, a former Labour Party shadow minister, are all concerned that these institutions will find it harder to retain and recruit expert staff from across Europe, potentially damaging their world-class status.