Joanna Lumley described the book that won the year she was on the jury as “indefensible”, Rebecca West hated every one of the contenders in both of her years, and the 1976 winner was ultimately chosen by flipping a coin. Then there was the year that Fay Weldon’s agent got slugged by the head of the publishing union.
Tag: 09.06.18
Philadelphia Orchestra Adds Even More Music By Female Composers
The Philadelphians got some heavy criticism earlier this year when it came out that they hadn’t programmed a single piece of music written by a woman for the coming season. So they quickly added a couple of short pieces to the schedule and then planned a reading session of scores by emerging women. Now, reports Peter Dobrin, the orchestra is taking serious steps to address the issue in the next two seasons.
Dallas Prepares New Citywide Cultural Plan
Says the director of the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs, “We don’t live in a Camelot world any more. It’s all about Hamilton. … Our children today take it for granted that culture includes this richer, more exciting, more diverse offering. And if you don’t embrace it, you get left in the dust.”
Actor Burt Reynolds Dead At 82
Known for a wry, self-mocking persona and for doing his own stunts (and, offscreen, for a quick temper, hard living, and a tempestuous love life), Reynolds appeared in dozens and dozens of films and TV shows (and directed more than a few) over the decades; from 1978 to 1982, he was the number-one box-office draw. He was most popular in action films and romantic comedies, but he won greatest critical acclaim for performances in Deliverance and Boogie Nights.
Washington National Opera’s New General Director Settles In
Timothy O’Leary comes to the company from a very successful decade running the Opera Theater of St. Louis, writes Anne Midgette. “The companies in St. Louis and Washington are very different animals. St. Louis is a festival, where an intense five- or six-week season, attended by audiences from around the world, is followed by a whole year of planning and gestation. Washington, by contrast, has a year-round season but plays more to local audiences. … When the season is longer, carving out time to be creative, to come up with new ideas and initiatives, is a challenge.”
Controversial Previously-Cancelled Robert Lepage Work Will Be Produced In Paris
A controversial play about the relationship between whites and Indigenous peoples will finally be presented after previously being cancelled following criticism of content judged culturally insensitive. The Paris-based Theatre du Soleil says in a statement it will put on Quebec playwright Robert Lepage’s Kanata this December.
Call to Action: Want to Help the Fire-Ravaged National Museum of Brazil?
On its Facebook page, Rio de Janeiro’s Museu Nacional do Brazil has posted an “action list” of ways in which concerned museum lovers can participate in what the devastated institution optimistically calls “the reconstruction of the museum.”
L’ubomir Gašpar’s Cimbal Project: Jazz at the Crossroads Festival
Jazz-World fusions abound, but in general, the musicians that create this music play instruments that have already been integrated into the jazz “sound.” What is less common is to find musicians who play what Howard Mandel would dub “instruments rare to jazz.”
Seattle Opera General Director To Leave For Welsh National Opera
Aidan Lang, who succeeded longtime general director Speight Jenkins in 2015, will complete the coming season before heading to Cardiff. In his tenure so far, he has seen Seattle Opera’s mainstage attendance increase by 27% and launched a new series of contemporary chamber operas, many linked to current social issues.
Putin Pushes For High-Profile New Cultural Center In Crimea
“Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has ordered officials to speed up the construction of a cultural centre in Sevastopol, the historic naval capital of Crimea, which will include exhibition space for the State Hermitage Museum, the State Russian Museum and the State Tretyakov Gallery. Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.”