“Although freedom of speech and freedom of religion may be democracy’s headliners, it’s the less sexy-sounding freedom of assembly that, when prohibited, can effectively asphyxiate political organization. Uniting 70,000 people is no easy feat in a country where collective action is so risky. Social networking has changed that.”
Tag: 10.20.08
Are Living Legends Off-Limits To Criticism?
In reviewing Tina Turner’s L.A. concert last week, Ann Powers observed that the 68-year-old rock goddess’s singing just ain’t what it used to be. And she got walloped for it. (Samples of reader abuse are included.) “For many fans,” Powers writes, “just being in the presence of an elder artist confers residual magic… This takes us into the realm of pop music as religious ritual. Who are we to judge the gods and goddesses?”
The Frieze Free Art Fair
“Some people queued and camped out for two nights to get their hands on work by artists like Gavin Turk and Stella Vine at the Free Art Fair. The 40 pieces available, which were allocated by a ballot system, were all gone within an hour and 20 minutes. The most valuable piece given away was worth £15,000. Interest in the Free Art Fair was so great, its website crashed as people clamoured to log on.”
Oops, We Forgot The Rimsky Centennial
Tom Service: “But given that the only excuse for classical music’s fetishisation of big round numbers is to reveal music that wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to be heard, the almost complete lack of fanfare for Rimsky-Korsakov has been lamentable. And I’d take Rimsky’s Russian Easter Festival Overture over yet another Lark Ascending any day of the week.”
Bubbles Will Rise Off-Broadway
“An off-Broadway artist can breathe a sigh of relief now that he’s been able to replace the stolen soap solution he uses to blow bubbles for his ‘Gazillion Bubbles Show.'”
Tina Brown Is Good For Waugh
“Late last week, a reader asked us an interesting question: Since most of the coverage of the launch of Tina Brown’s new website, The Daily Beast, mentioned that she appropriated the name from the fictional newspaper in Evelyn Waugh’s Scoop, what’s been going on with sales of the novel lately?” Turns out they’re up.
Preservationists Cry ‘Halt’ At Provincetown Playhouse
“Members of historic preservation groups held a demonstration and news conference at noon Monday in front of the Provincetown Playhouse and Apartments, calling on New York University or the city to halt a plan that would demolish most of building while preserving the facade and the walls of the historic theater within it.”
Chicago Shakespeare Dominates At Jefferson Awards
“Following up on its regional Tony Award, Chicago Shakespeare led Chi’s Joseph Jefferson Awards on Monday night, taking home five trophies. … This year marks the first time the Jeff Awards have separated overall production and design noms into two categories, large and midsize, based on the annual budgets of the theaters and not the size of the venue.”
Entertainment Industry Retrenches For Credit Crunch
“No one, it seems, will remain immune from the widening meltdown, which has already triggered a dramatic drop in consumer spending. Showbiz sectors that have prided themselves on being recession resistant in the past look more vulnerable now. This is largely due to the economic underpinnings of the congloms that control the industry.”
Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution (Sounds Like A Whisper)
British libraries are in crisis. “It is tempting to argue that the mission of Andrew Carnegie, the great 19th-century benefactor who saw libraries as the backbone of national culture, is exhausted. Protests from the ageing band of traditionalists who shrink in horror at change provide no answer. The only hope lies in revolution – long overdue, and in places already under way.”