Graham Vick of Birmingham Opera Company: “So much is encouraging about opera just now, most of it found in the sense of adventure of performances in pub theatres, supermarkets and car parks. … Making this expensive art form accessible does sometimes mean finding less costly ways of presenting it. … But trapped between tyrannical, unyielding musical values and a theatrical inferiority complex, artists and programmers, artistic directors and marketing departments cling on to outmoded models by the fingernails (or do I mean by co-productions?). They fear the implications of radical change. But we need to bend – there’s no use pretending something’s not broken.”
Tag: 09.01.16
On The History Of The American Flag In Black Protest Art
“[Colin Kaepernick’s] protest was a piece of performance art, and in staging it he blurred the line between art and protest. Kaepernick isn’t just a part of the long line of black athletes who have used their platforms to speak out about political issues; he (unintentionally) inserted himself into the rich tradition of black artists who have invoked the American flag in political protest.”
Cape Town Opera, Back Home From European Triumphs, Fires 12 Choristers Who Claim They Were Cheated Of Pay
“South Africa’s leading opera house has been accused of financially exploiting 12 singers who performed internationally in a controversial but critically acclaimed production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, set in colonial [Eritrea] and portraying racial abuse and rape by fascist Italian troops.”
Inside Dubai’s Lavish New Opera House
“Dubai Opera is attempting to rival the famous Sydney Opera House, with 2,000 seats, an elegantly designed marble interior boasting a dramatic multi-story 11,000-pound glass chandelier, and by hosting talent like the prestigious tenor Plácido Domingo. But perhaps even more striking than the glamorous décor is the building itself, inspired by the dhow, the traditional ship found in the Persian Gulf.”
Escalation: Parent, Dance School Report Each Other To Police
“The email war of words between the two led to each of them making a complaint against the other to the police. A Gloucestershire Police spokesman confirmed they had received the complaints.”
Yeah, Critics Hate Kevin Smith Movies – So What? He’s Made Himself Critic-Proof
“After horrible failures such as Jersey Girl and Cop Out, Smith retreated from Hollywood – not only because he had to, but because he could. His loyal fans, willing to follow him anywhere he commands, fund his work. … What Smith knew … was that the film is less important than the intellectual property and the fanbase that will gladly hand over their money for the right to own a piece of it.”
Is August Wilson The Shakespeare Of Modern America?
Actor Keith David: “‘There is a rhythm in this language that if you betray, you won’t find the truth of. It’s inherent in the language. … [And his characters] are rich, full, incredible human beings – and thinking human beings, colorful not only in their use of language but the way in which they think and communicate, both with each other and out in the world.”
Russia’s Most Outrageous Performance (And That’s Saying Something) Gets A Burger King Menu
Pyotr Pavlensky – the man who literally sewed his lips shut to protest the Pussy Riot trial, nailed his scrotum to Red Square, and set fire to the headquarters of Russia’s secret service as an art project – is being honored by the St. Petersburg branch of the fast food chain with a series of special-edition hamburgers named for his most famous stunts projects.
San Diego Symphony Musicians Accept New Five-Year Contract
“Annual wages for 82 full-time musicians in the 106-year-old orchestra will jump from just under $70,000 in the first year to $80,000 when the contract concludes in 2021.”
Ballet Hispánico Suffers Major Flood Damage – For Second Time
Following a water main break, “water began pouring into the ballet studio at 167 W. 89th St. around 9:30 p.m. Monday and quickly filled the basement with six feet of water, drenching the company’s stock of house-made costumes and props as well as the dance floors on the first floor.”