The Kirov Ballet has meticulously restored “Sleeping Beauty” to as near to the original as possible. “In an age when the old ballets are mugged, de-natured, crippled, how wonderful to see a company which believes that the past, albeit another country, is worth visiting and respecting rather than guying and abusing.” – Financial Times
Every two years the Canadian Dance Festival gathers up the best in Canadian dance and puts it on display in once place. – Toronto Globe and Mail
Are DVD’s a threat to the movie industry because of piracy? The movie industry has certainly said so. But Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association of America wouldn’t say anything against them during a deposition in a DVD piracy case. During his testimony, Valenti said “I don’t know” 62 times, “I don’t recall” 29 times, and “I’m not aware” 16 times, according to a transcript of the deposition. – Wired 06/14/00
Australia’s public broadcaster needs to improve its ratings, says the ABC’s new managing director. But the highest rated shows are imports. “We’re all for building audience for Australian content, but the fact is we haven’t got the money to do it,” say the critics. – The Age (Melbourne) 06/14/00
A list, as chosen by American Film Institute voters. “Annie Hall”? Really? – Dallas Morning News 06/14/00
Bill Moyers tells the PBS annual meeting: “What we do is good. It’s just not enough. We need to respond more to the needs of America as a democratic society, not just a consumer market. We need more hard-hitting public affairs programming on controversial issues. We’re good, but we’re bland.” – Los Angeles Times 06/14/00
“If theatre began the 20th century as the dominant art form and the major source of entertainment for most people, it begins the 21st in a much less happy position. Some claim that the new digital technologies will sound the death knell for theatre. This seems as absurd as the idea that the replacement of candlelight with gaslight would destroy all the magic of the stage. After all, old technologies were once new technologies. There was a time when the stage revolve was considered a thing of wonder.” – The Guardian
Like anywhere, New York has a shortage of rehearsal space. So the raves are pouring in for a new $29.6 million rehearsal center on 42nd Street that hasn’t even opened yet. “It’s the first building built specifically for a range of art forms, and for both nonprofit and commercial uses.” – New York Times
Herbert von Karajan made and sold more records than any other conductor in history, he changed the way people listened to music, and changed the public’s expectations of a concert. But he was also a problematic figure – autocratic and politically suspect. A new biography attempts to wade through a sea of charged conceptions about the man. – Boston Globe
