06.19.14 – Page 2 – ArtsJournal Wayback

Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, And Musicians Agree To Contract Extension – A Year Early

“The current contract was set to expire Aug. 31, 2015; the agreement” – which runs through August 2018 – “comes 14 months ahead of schedule. That undoubtedly will smooth the way for new Seattle Opera general director Aidan Lang, who takes the helm of the opera company this fall.”

The Kiss That Changed Video Games

At the 1999 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the booth marketing the new game The Sims was placed in convention Siberia and no one was paying any attention to it, including the company that was putting it out. “But, within hours, an unplanned, illicit kiss between two of the game’s background characters made The Sims the talk of the show.”

Why Italy’s Opera Houses Are In Crisis (And Why One Is Doing Rather Well)

“The final blow came last year when Italy’s government decided that only theaters with a balanced budget by the end of 2014 can access public money, exposing some opera houses to the risk of shutting down if they didn’t put their finances in order” – a notoriously difficult task in Italy. Yet one famous old theater has become quite entrepreneurial.

More And More, Choreographers Are Working In Art Museums (And Even At Art Basel)

“Art and dance have had a close relationship, from the Modernist flowerings of the Ballet Russes to the downtown scene in 1970s New York. … However, choreographers’ work is increasingly being incorporated into museum and gallery programmes, and as integral works rather than interruptions from a distinct artform.”

How A Dad Learned To Stop Dad-Dancing And Do It Right

“There was a time in my 20s when I would go clubbing without fail every week and it didn’t take much to lure me on to the dancefloor. … Today I am a middle-aged, married, mortgaged, fortysomething father. My opportunities for dancing have diminished, as has my confidence.” How Sarfraz Manzoor got his groove back.

‘Depressive Realism’ Is Real, It’s Depressive, And It’s Bad For You

Maria Konnikova recounts how researchers have found, over and over again, that people with depression have a clearer and more accurate picture of how much control they have in life than optimists do – and that optimists’ positive outlook, deluded though it be, wards off depression and tends to lead to better outcomes in life.

L.A.’s Top Arts Advocate Named Head Of City’s Cultural Affairs Dept.

As executive director of the Arts for L.A., Danielle Brazell’s job “included regularly prodding City Hall to spend more money and pay more attention to L.A.’s nonprofit arts scene.” Now she’ll be the one getting the prods.

Meet China’s Most Famous Canadian Comedian

Yes, the Great White North is such an incubator of comic talent that it exports funnymen even to the People’s Republic. Dashan (né Mark Henry Rowswell) has been making the Chinese laugh – yes, in fluent Mandarin – in bars, in theatres and on national television for 25 years. (audio interview plus video clips)

This Comedian’s Joke Campaign Actually Got Him Elected Mayor Of Reykjavík

Jon Gnarr ran on a platform promising free trips to Disneyland and more polar bears at the zoo; he even promised to break all his promises if elected. Then he was. (audio interview plus video clip)

Tag: 06.19.14