“[W]hile its title — ‘Whirls and Twirls (MTA)’ — may sound more like an amusement park ride than an artwork, the eye-popping palette and monumental scale are bolder than most of the art in the subways, a surprising visual jolt for the estimated 69,000 commuters who use the station every day.”
Tag: 09.14.09
Millions For Bolshoi Theatre Renovation Are Missing
“Officials from Russia’s general prosecutor’s office said they had opened a criminal investigation into the misuse of funds at Moscow’s celebrated ballet and opera venue. The firm supposed to renovate the theatre was being investigated, they said.”
What Tennis Has In Common With Ballet
“There is a great affinity between the combination of athleticism, power, dexterity, speed and coordination demanded by tennis, and those very same qualities that can be particularly evident in ballet. And tennis has the same quality of individual endeavor as dance….”
Philadelphia Public Library Warns It May Close Oct. 2
“The Free Library of Philadelphia has posted notices at its branches and on its web site advising users that all libraries will close at the end of business on Oct. 2 if the state Legislature does not act on the city’s budget request. The notices also say that all material will now be due Oct. 1 and that nothing can be borrowed after Sept. 30.”
Report: Broadway’s Summer Attendance, Box Office Fell
“Theater attendance plunged 9.3 percent to 3.3 million compared with last year,” while box-office grosses, despite higher ticket prices, “dropped 2.9 percent to just under $290.9 million for the period, which began in June, Crain’s New York Business reported.”
Urinetown Creators’ Follow-Up: A Musical About Yeast
“[A]fter achieving fame and a small measure of fortune from the unlikely success of a show about a dystopia where citizens are forced to pay to pee, the creators of ‘Urinetown’ are desperately trying to top themselves.” Thus the oddball topic of their new musical, “Yeast Nation.”
NY Phil Gets $10 Million To Fund Composer, Prize
“The Philharmonic announced today it will receive a $10 million gift from Henry R. Kravis to endow its new composer-in-residence position, a major initiative of” incoming music director Alan Gilbert. “The Kravis gift will also fund a $250,000 prize for new music, one of the largest awards of its kind.”
The New Director Of The Metropolitan Museum Speaks About His Plans
Thomas Campbell: “If I’m bringing a slight shift of focus at this moment it’s in two respects. The first is that…we’ve been mounting around 30-35 exhibitions a year, putting huge creativity and resources into that side of our operations…I want to bring more of that back to our own collections.”
Philippe Starck Hunts For A “Reality” Apprentice
“Following the tried and tested format, he takes 12 young British designers, sets them challenges and each week eliminates the weakest. The winner becomes part of Starck’s ‘tribe’ (his somewhat cultish description of his Parisian design company) for six months, their triumphant concept given the opportunity to join the world’s most iconic orange-squeezer.”
An Insane Business Model – Do Booksellers Have A Death Wish?
“At a rough calculation, several million pounds that could have been used to irrigate an industry struggling to emerge from recession is simply being thrown away in defiance of fiscal logic. Here, after all, is a product that hundreds and thousands of people want to buy. Why not make them pay a proper price for it?”