“In the era of movies with elaborate special effects and video games with graphics that cause players to marvel at the feeling of being inside the game, its no wonder museums are scrambling to keep up. For many, the answer to a more sophisticated audience and one with, perhaps, a shorter attention span is interactivity and immersion. Science and childrens museums have long trafficked in hands-on, sensory experiences. Now, with improved technology, the experiential exhibit is reaching new heights and turning up in a variety of venues.”
Tag: 10.19.07
Coppola Bites Several Hands That Fed Him
“Film director Francis Ford Coppola has hit out at acting greats Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson, saying the trio lacked ‘passion’. The five-time Oscar-winner told GQ magazine they ‘all live off the fat of the land” and did not have ambition.'” All three actors starred in successful Coppola films.
Playing It Safe? Not At The Joffrey, Please.
The Joffrey Ballet’s new director took his first bows this week, and while Ashley Wheater may have a long and successful tenure ahead, Sid Smith was disturbed that he chose to introduce himself to Chicago’s innovative and risk-taking company by staging one of the oldest and safest ballets available. “Resident ballet troupes can always use a Giselle, and now the Joffrey has a perfectly respectable version. But one hopes Wheater, when forging ahead, will lean more toward the electricity generated by the likes of last season’s Cinderella, rekindling the flair and imagination that make Joffrey selections unpredictable and special.”
A Groundbreaking Opera (Revised)
“When Osvaldo Golijov’s opera ”Ainadamar” premiered at Tanglewood in 2003, it met with general acclaim, though not the kind of instantaneous and unified praise other projects of his had engendered. The music was often beautiful, but to some listeners, there seemed a lack of dramatic tension, and some critics saw a misfit between the play and the score. Something just seemed off-kilter. One of the dissatisfied, it turns out, was the composer himself… With the help of director Peter Sellars, he and librettist David Henry Hwang undertook a substantial revision.”
Smithsonian To Get Castelli Archives
“Some 350 boxes stuffed with receipts, photographs, letters and other records chronicling the history of the Leo Castelli Gallery are being given to the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art in Washington. Castelli, who died in 1999 at 91, fostered the careers of Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Frank Stella, among others.”
Only The Best Dance For Wheeldon
Christopher Wheeldon may or may not be the greatest choreographer of his generation. But there can be no doubt that he is the current king of buzz in the dance world. “If you want to know why Mr. Wheeldon, only 34, has become such a big deal in ballet, just check out which dancers are appearing with Morphoses,” his new company.
Making The Most of An Aging Hall
Scotland’s storied (if bulkily named) Britannia Panopticon is a grand old venue in need of some serious TLC. Still, the imperfections of the place allow for some fascinating art installations and performances that just wouldn’t seem at home anywhere else. “The latest chapter of the Panopticon story comes courtesy of artist Minty Donald, whose Glimmers in Limbo project directly addresses the building’s past, present and future, examining and interpreting its varied uses, and the decaying fabric of the music hall, too.”
No Such Thing As Too Small
The towns of Dawson and Fergus Falls, both in rural western Minnesota, have a combined population that would barely fill up a neighborhood in a big city, but they will each shortly be playing host to a recital by superstar violinist Midori. Students and music fans from across the sparsely populated region are already planning to drive hours in all directions to attend. So how did the tiny towns score such a high-profile soloist? They called her and asked.
Slutting Up Vivaldi
Was Vivaldi a preening sexpot who used his rock star-like fame to feed his voracious appetite for virginal teenage girls? Well… um, no, probably not, actually. But that first sentence grabbed your attention, didn’t it? So it’s no surprise that several recent books and an upcoming Hollywood “biopic” are using that same exaggeration as their main come-on.