Evidently, yes, it is a myth, even if it’s not 100% unfounded. Yes, there was some disapproval of the premiere from the upper balcony (which may have had more to do with social politics than with the work itself), but little more – and crucial evidence to that effect has been lying in plain sight the whole time since. The caused-riots-in-Paris!! bit seems to have come from an American effort to drum up excitement and sell tickets.
Tag: 08.21.18
Why Do Czechs Love Puppets So? Because Puppets Saved The Czech Language
It all goes back to the ugliness of the Thirty Years War and the rule of Emperor Ferdinand II, who, in addition to killing or throwing out all the Protestants, imposed the German language on the Czech Estates.
Christie’s To Auction First Art By Artificial Intelligence
A canvas print of art collective Obvious’ (and GAN’s) creation will be included in Christie’s late October auction of Prints and Multiples, the New York-based auction house reports. It remains to be seen how bidders will react to the AI work, but Obvious remains optimistic, citing an estimated sale price of €7,000 to €10,000, or roughly $8,000 to $11,500.
Brian Murray, Beloved New York Stage Actor, Dead At 80
The South African-born Murray began his career at the Royal Shakespeare Company before settling in the U.S., where he had a 50-year career that included directing and occasional film appearances as well as countless roles on and Off-Broadway (including three Tony nominations) and in regional theater.
Maybe Consuming Less “News” Would Be Better For Us?
Perhaps it’s time we realize that consuming more news about the world around us is not the way to improve it (or ourselves), personally or politically. Two thousand years ago, Marcus Aurelius wrote in his Meditations, “Are you distracted by breaking news? Then take some leisure time to learn something good, and stop bouncing around.”
Producer Craig Zadan, Who Specialized In The Meeting Of Musicals And Television, Dead At 69
He and producing partner Neil Meron produced countless television movies and miniseries, most notably musicals and biopics of music and music-theater stars such as the Beach Boys and Judy Garland. His work bringing musicals to the small screen ranged from the Bette Midler Gypsy (1993) to NBC’s recent succession of shows performed live, from The Sound of Music (2013) to this year’s Jesus Christ Superstar.
Miriam Nelson, 98, Hollywood’s Hardest-Working Choreographer
“She choreographed pivotal scenes in the films The Apartment, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, and she also conceived the dance moves for Judy Garland’s first TV special, two Academy Awards telecasts and episodes of The Red Skelton Hour, The Lucy Show and The Bob Hope Show.” (And that’s not even near the half of it.) “Miriam Nelson may not have achieved the kind of fame as the actors who executed her moves. But [she] left behind a sizable body of film and TV work as well as the legacy of being the rare female choreographer in a field that was dominated by men.”
Tuscaloosa, Alabama Museum Of Art Announces Shutdown With Ten Days’ Notice
“The Westervelt Co.’s Tuscaloosa Museum of Art, home to a world-renowned collection of American and Asian paintings, furniture and decorative art amassed by former CEO Jack Warner, will close Aug. 31 … Core pieces will remain in the collection, including some of its early American-themed art, and the ‘Wild Birds of America’ series by Basil Ede, commissioned by Warner, but others will be ‘prepared for shipment,’ and not available for viewing by the public.” In its current form, the museum has been operating for less than seven years.
Tony-Winning Director Vivian Matalon Dead At 88
“He was as comfortable with dramas like William Inge’s Bus Stop … as he was with a musical like The Tap Dance Kid, whose 1983 Broadway production earned him a [Tony] nomination for best direction of a musical.” (He won a Tony three years earlier for a revival of Morning’s at Seven.) “Though he worked with many stars over the years, he had special memories of directing [Noel] Coward late in his career.”
Disabled Musicians Take The Proms
There are other orchestras in the UK for disabled musicians, notably conductor Charles Hazlewood’s British Paraorchestra, which was formed in 2011 to give disabled musicians the chance to perform. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra has gone a stage further, treating music-making by disabled musicians as one of its core activities. Resound’s six musicians perform as a self-contained group, but also play as members of the larger orchestra.