Ivan Vasiliev is only 17 but he’s already being hailed as the world’s next superstar dancer. “He has the makings of the dazzling male figurehead, the natural Spartacus that Moscow has been short of for two decades. The baby of the company is not remotely intimidated by this.”
Tag: 07.14.07
Books Rule
“I’ve done the math and here’s the bottom line. If you want consistent artistic bang for your buck, skip the movies, forget the theatre and turn off your TV set. Instead, read a book. More specifically, read a novel. More specifically still, read the kind of novel that publishers call ‘trade fiction.'”
Still A Place For The Local Record Store
Record stores drawing their last, gasping breath? Not in Toronto, where some scrappy indies are hanging on despite some high-profile collapses. The key, according to some store owners, is learning to cater to underserved niches, rather than trying to service the broader music market in an age when music of all kinds can be purchased hassle-free online.
The Potter Miracle
Everyone in the publishing biz wants desperately to find the next Harry Potter. But what if there just isn’t another one to be found? The reality may be that the Cult of Harry is one of those unexplainable, once-in-a-lifetime phenomena that we need to enjoy while it’s here.
Twin Cities Tops In Entertainment Spending
A new government survey assesses American spending habits, and names Minneapolis/St. Paul as the metro area in which residents spend the most per capita on entertainment, including arts, music, movies, restaurants, and general “going out” expenses. “Compared with 10 years ago, our spending on what economists class as luxuries, including eating out and alcohol, is zooming.”
Talks Begin For New Stagehands’ Contract
“Broadway’s most anticipated summer drama opened Friday, as producers and stagehands began contract talks. Their goal: Avert a strike like the one by musicians four years ago that cost the city $10 million in lost revenue and wages and shut down shows for four days. The stagehands’ contract expires July 29.”
We Are All Superman
America’s obsession with superheroes and their comic book adventures is seen by some as a reliable reflection of the country’s social history. From Captain America battling Hitler to Spider Man battling his own demons, superheroes represent our national hopes and fears, and their profiles have evolved to encompass decades of changing societal mores.
A Museum That’s Only Skin Deep
Akron, Ohio has a glitzy new museum with an architecturally stunning facade any big city would be proud of. “Unfortunately, that spirit stops at the gallery doors. After the initial euphoria of taking in the big public spaces, the galleries feel surprisingly drab. You’re left with the deflating impression that the client and the architect experienced a failure of nerve at the moment that mattered most.”
Where The Journey Of A Lifetime Began
A new museum in Hamburg, Germany, is devoted to memorializing the journeys of the millions of emigrating Europeans who left for America from the city’s port. “The exhibits cover every stage of immigrants’ journeys — from the conditions that led them to flee their homelands to arrival on Ellis Island and beyond. Though Mr. Birkner said the museum was not aimed at any particular audience, the colorful and unorthodox presentation styles, which sometimes border on kitsch, should appeal to younger museumgoers.”
UK Movie Attendance Falls Again
“The number of people going to the cinema in the UK fell for the second consecutive year in 2006, despite an increase in the number of films shown. Admissions dropped by 5%, from 164.7m in 2005 to 156.6m in 2006.”