The Walt Disney Company used to be the cultural barometer for everyday Americans, combining a cutting-edge marketing apparatus and wide-ranging distribution with legitimately creative product. So what the heck happened? The author of a new book about the company points out that “the creative flame at the heart of the place is flickering rather dimly at this point,” but there’s more to it than that. It’s not just Disney that has changed – the world that once embraced Disney has changed as well, and may no longer be receptive to the happy-go-lucky message of the world’s most famous mouse.
Tag: 07.17.05
Critical Conversation: The Modern Music Critic
Is there a fundamental difference in the ways music critics see their roles? Are European classical music critics different from American critics? Are there different expectations of London critics than New York critics? Between critics in the “second cities” of America and those of Europe? Consequently, is the level of public discussion about music different in North America than in Europe? This week, ArtsJournal hosts a discussion among 17 classical music critics from the UK, US, Canada and Australia. Who’s got the role of modern music critic figured out?
Are Our Best And Brightest Leaving?
“The Rise of the Creative Class gave hope to many in Massachusetts, which boasts the best-educated workforce in the nation and is on its way to becoming one of the most diverse and gay-friendly states in the country. But Florida’s new book, ‘The Flight of the Creative Class’ (HarperBusiness), is more likely to cause night sweats. It tells us that, in part because of new attitudes toward immigration since 9/11, we’re in danger of falling behind not only Austin but also Australia, and raises the possibility that, after a century or two of sending many of its hardest-working natives to Boston, Dublin may finally get its revenge.”
No Doubt, The Play’s A Hit
One of the biggest surprises on Broadway this season was the box office success of “Doubt.” “In the surprisingly brief space of four months, “Doubt,” by playwright and “Moonstruck” screenwriter John Patrick Shanley, is in the black, a condition that most Broadway productions never achieve. In mid-June, its producers announced the play had made back the $2 million spent to get it to Broadway. Now their talk is about how best to widen “Doubt’s” reach. Plans are already in the works for a national tour — another rarity for a non-musical. A London run, naturally, is being discussed, and there’s early buzz about a movie.”
When Do You Turn Children On To Art?
Have we become too protective introducing children to difficult art? “I do worry about exposing children to literature, films and theatre before they are ready – and I am particularly jumpy about violent films. But how do you decide when a child is ‘ready’ for a film? It is fascinatingly ambiguous. The extraordinary thing is that works of art – especially books – change according to age. A book read at 18, reread at 48, may seem entirely different. Age is part of what we bring to a work of art.”
Why PBS Takes So Much Abuse
After all the bluster and argument, is PBS still worth the money the government puts into it? After all, many have argued that niche cable channels do most of what PBS does without the need for public subsidy. Robert Lloyd disagrees, but points out that the very nature of PBS’s existence makes it an easy target: “Though often described by its critics as elitist — a combined Google search of the terms ‘PBS’ and ‘elitist’ gets 33,500 hits — quite the opposite is true: PBS is a generalist network. It tries, often to its peril, to provide something for everybody. (Which means there is something for everyone not to like.)”
Will DVD Sales Go The Way Of The Box Office?
Even as box office receipts continue to fall, Hollywood has been able to take some solace in the continuing strong sales of DVDs. But now, there are indications that even the DVD boom may be starting to fade…
Success Is Relative
“When it comes to the health of theater in Colorado, it all depends on whether you see the mask as half-comedy or half-tragedy. On the smiley side, Colorado theaters drew 1.7 million patrons and generated $54 million in ticket revenue in 2004… But then there’s the tragic frown: Nearly half of those who attended the theater anywhere in Colorado went to a show at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. That’s great news for the largest performing-arts center between Chicago and Los Angeles. It is not such good news for the nearly 100 other theater companies in Colorado fighting over the other half.”
Looking For A Summer Solution
Ticket sales for the Chicago Symphony’s summer season at Ravinia have been down for the better part of a decade now, and while the numbers certainly don’t indicate a crisis, they might point to a general malaise. “The apparent defection of a segment of Ravinia’s core audience over the last 15 years strikes at the artistic heart of America’s oldest music festival even as it tests the goodwill and durability that have marked the Chicago Symphony’s long relationship with Ravinia. Business partners during the summer who lead largely independent lives during the rest of the year, Ravinia and the CSO now find themselves in circumstances that call for something they haven’t much done before, cooperative problem-solving.”
Where Theatre Still Has Teeth
In the wake of the London bombings, the British arts press has been focusing on a West End play that would be controversial under any circumstances, a docudrama called “Talking To Terrorists.” The fact that such a production even exists speaks volumes about London’s attitude towards political theatre, and makes for a striking contrast with an increasingly prickly American public.