“Soprano Angela Gheorghiu, scheduled to sing Mimi in Puccini’s “La boheme” at Lyric Opera of Chicago, was dismissed Friday for missing rehearsals, said general director William Mason. The action marks the first time that Lyric has taken such a drastic action since 1989, when supertenor Luciano Pavarotti was banished from the Civic Opera House.”
Tag: 09.30.07
The Floating Art Fair
It’s a yacht packed with galleries that lands where the collectors are. “Wealthy people in the U.S. have more money than time. This is designed to make it an interesting, easy experience within 15 minutes of their house. Because many art collectors have multiple homes and may visit the yacht at different ports, the ship will operate like a theater with constantly changing productions. Dealers, chefs and menus will change monthly.”
Why A Shrinking Audience Is Killing Good Writing
“What’s not so good is that writers write for whatever audience is left. In too many cases, that audience happens to consist of other writers and would-be writers who are reading the various literary magazines (and The New Yorker, of course, the holy grail of the young fiction writer) not to be entertained but to get an idea of what sells there. And this kind of reading isn’t real reading, the kind where you just can’t wait to find out what happens next. It’s more like copping-a-feel reading. There’s something yucky about it.”
The Greatest Pick-Up Band Ever?
The Lucerne Festival Orchestra is “perhaps the greatest orchestra almost nobody has heard of, an ensemble of all-star musicians that blooms once a year for two weeks by the side of Lake Lucerne. It may well be one of the finest pickup bands ever assembled.”
Will Christopher Wheeldon’s New Company Live Up To Hype?
His new promotional video on MySpace promises that “Ballet = Sexy” and tries to upend popular perceptions of ballet as an uncool art form. “Most people’s idea of ballet is that it’s a big puffy pink glittery nightmare,” Mr. Wheeldon said. “It doesn’t always have to be that.”
Sorting Bible Archaeology From The Crackpots
“We are living in a time of exciting discoveries in biblical archeology. We are also living in a time of widespread biblical fraud, dubious science, and crackpot theorizing. The tools of modern archeology, from magnetometers to precise excavation methods, offer a growing opportunity to illuminate some of the intriguing mysteries surrounding the Bible, one of the foundations of western civilization. Yet the amateurs are taking in the public’s money to support ventures that offer little chance of furthering the cause of knowledge.”
Wikipedia’s Mounting Growing Pains
“Having just passed the 2-million article mark last week, Wikipedia is not the virginal expanse it once was. As Wikipedia’s knowledge base has expanded to cover the highest-profile people, places and things, making an original contribution becomes a lot tougher.”
A Talk With Joffrey Ballet’s New Director
“But for now he’s cagey about his plans. His early influence is likely to be on the dancers — their technique and artistic self-expression. Ashley Wheater, who does not choreograph, brings up studio work repeatedly in conversation.”