“In no other country is the idea of their ownership by the public, their status as a part of civic life, their role as the places we go to examine ourselves and the world, so strong. It is the deep-rooted idea that our national museums and our arts are the property of the people that has led to the widespread embracing of One and Other. Woe betide the government that attempts to introduce arts spending cuts.”
Tag: 07.08.09
Summer Stock Theatre That Isn’t, Really…
Martha’s Vineyard theatre Vineyard Playhouse is “a year-round professional stage that gives new, serious meaning to the idea of community theater. The Vineyard being the Vineyard, its community includes Tony- and Oscar-winning artists and as-yet-undiscovered talents, and the 120-seat black-box playhouse has emerged as a bustling gathering place for all of them to work.”
Just Like Lamb: Royal New Zealand Ballet Sees Itself As ‘An Export Commodity’
The troupe’s recent two-week tour of China “received a rapturous response from press and audiences alike” and, thanks to performance fees, per diems and sponsorship, broke even completely. Says company general manager Amanda Skoog: “Touring to China is a lot less stressful than touring around New Zealand, where we take full financial risk.”
Alan Cumming Brings His Vaudeville Act To London
“Olivier and Tony Award-winning actor Alan Cumming is bringing his one-man show I Bought a Blue Car Today to the West End’s Vaudeville Theatre this September. Cumming, who has already taken the show to the Lincoln Center in New York and the Sydney Opera House, will perform in London for eight performances only from September 1-6.”
New Director At Paris’s Quai Branly
“The Musée du quai Branly (Quai Branly Museum), which showcases indigenous art from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, has named Karim Mouttalib as its new general director. … [He had] served as an adjunct delegated general director at the museum since early 2008.”
Abu Dhabi To Launch Its Own International Art Fair
“The art world has one more event to add to its fall calendar: This November will see the inaugural edition of Abu Dhabi Art, a new festival to take place annually in the United Arab Emirates’ capital city.”
Man Sues, And Wins, Over Musical’s Lack Of Live Music
“Last week, Manchester County Court was the scene of an extraordinary victory. A man called Adrian Bradbury had taken his family to see a professional staging of The Wizard of Oz at the Lowry Theatre” and “felt that if you had paid to see what was billed as a ‘magical family musical’ you were entitled to expect live musicians. So he sued under the Trade Descriptions Act. And, astonishingly, he won.”
The Life Of Palin, In Libretto
“Why should Governor Palin concern herself with the travails of Mary Poppins or Roxie Hart, when her own life is so rich in material? So I present a two-act treatment for a new musical based on her extraordinary rise. Entitled simply Palin! the Musical, I will be faxing it to her advisers as soon as Alaskan office hours begin.”
Screening Broadway In 3-D: A Key To Audience Expansion?
“Fugobi Broadway 3-D, which hopes to bring no fewer than five musicals to global audiences within the next year and a half, was formed to address what [entrepreneur Dale Smith] calls a crisis in the current Broadway model. While there were a record number of musicals in New York this season, he says, fewer people saw these shows, many of which took years and millions of dollars to develop, than watch an average episode of television.”
Frenzy Of 3-D Hype Fails To Bring Box-Office Bonanza
“As more movies play in digital 3-D, there’s evidence that audiences are becoming less interested in the ballyhooed format that many in Hollywood have predicted will stem the long-term erosion of theater attendance. … There’s certainly no sure evidence that films are consistently doing better as a result of 3-D.”