Broadway theatre is a license to lose money. “Off Broadway meanwhile teemed with invention. Partly this has to do with economic reality; it simply costs less to put on a show Off Broadway, so the risks are smaller and the fund-raising is less onerous. But partly it’s also about sheer creative energy…”
Tag: 07.02.03
New York Restores Some Arts Cuts
New York has restored some of its planne arts budget cuts. “While the arts budget will be cut by more than $11 million, another $16.2 million in planned cuts was restored, leaving cultural institutions surprised and relieved. ‘It’s a significant restoration. It will prevent us from having to do things like charging New York City school groups, closing galleries and closing days’.”
Big Media, Bad Business
Tv media giants may be dominating the airwaves, but they sure haven’t figured out how to find a winning formula for programming. “While it’s taken for granted that TV’s oligopoly wants to further consolidate its power, it’s equally clear that networks aren’t any more adept at tapping into the public zeitgeist when production stays all in the family. In fact, the ratio of shows that stick around at least four seasons — generally the cutoff to be deemed a hit, ensuring there will be enough episodes to run in perpetuity — has consistently stayed around one in six since the early 1990s. Although a hit can pay for a lot of flops, that percentage wouldn’t exactly qualify for the hall of fame, or even the Dodgers’ batting order.”
Iraq Museum’s One-Day Show
“The Iraq Museum plans to hold a one-day exhibition Thursday — its first since the outbreak of war more than three months ago. The show is designed to ease the minds of those who worried that the museum’s collections had been devastated by a frenzied, two-day looting spree in mid-April while American troops were fighting to secure the city.”
King Of The Air-Guitar (No Kidding)
Okay, so these guys don’t make a sound, but they do have attitude. “The U.S. Air Guitar Championships were held Saturday at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip, and by the end of the night, a national air god emerged. Finally, the United States will be sending a representative to the (eighth annual) World Air Guitar Championships, held in Finland…”