“The performing-arts center planned for the World Trade Center complex is shifting shape yet again, as its leaders work to deliver a slimmed-down project that can be built for roughly half the cost.”
Tag: 10.21.15
Of Course You Can Ban Cellphones In The Theatre. But That’s Kinda Stupid (With All Due Respect)
“The bad news for theatre is that we live in a world full of hand-held technology, where word travels fast. And if the word travelling about our industry is that we bully newcomers who don’t know any better, those newcomers have more than enough alternative forms of entertainment to choose from.”
Where Does All Our Time Go? This Lab Knows
The holdings of the Centre for Time Use Research at the University of Oxford “have been gathered from nearly 30 countries, span more than 50 years and cover some 850,000 person-days in total. They offer the most detailed portrait ever created of when people work, sleep, play and socialize – and of how those patterns have changed over time.”
Parents, This Is Why Not To Push Your Kids To Become Child Prodigy Musicians
“‘For every ten students, one will attempt suicide, one will become mentally ill, two will become alcoholics, two will slam doors and jettison the violin out the window, three will work as violinists, and perhaps one will become a soloist.’ For aspiring violinists and their parents – including Wagner herself – those are not good chances. Why would anyone choose that kind of life?”
Are L.A.’s Small Theatres So Different From Those In The Other Big Theatre Towns?
“Comparing budgets and expenses for theatres of a similar size (99 seats or less) in the nation’s major theatre cities reveals some interesting similarities and differences. While theatre of all sizes exists all over the country, and certainly small theatres and theatre companies power the artistic life of cities of all sizes, the troika of New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles have the greatest concentrations of what is called by some ‘indie’ theatre.”
The Louisville Orchestra Looks Like It’s Recovering, And On The Rise
“Optimism colors most discussions regarding the orchestra these days, and its primary source is the now 28-year-old Mr. Abrams, a native of Oakland, Calif., and a protégé of Michael Tilson Thomas, the San Francisco Symphony’s longtime music director. In addition to his talents as a conductor, Mr. Abrams is also an accomplished clarinetist and pianist.”
Yes, ‘Back To The Future’ Villain Biff *Was* Based On Donald Trump
Screenwriter: “‘We thought about it when we made the movie! Are you kidding?’ he says. ‘You watch Part II again and there’s a scene where Marty confronts Biff in his office and there’s a huge portrait of Biff on the wall behind Biff, and there’s one moment where Biff kind of stands up and he takes exactly the same pose as the portrait? Yeah.'”
Britain’s Oldest Science Institution Has To Sell Parts Of Collection To Save Itself
“Ninety works spanning three centuries of scientific inquiry are to go under the hammer at Christie’s in December, in an attempt to plug a £2m hole in the finances of the UK’s most venerable science charity, the Royal Institution. The groundbreaking works in the history of medicine, science and the natural world include first editions from scientific luminaries such as Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Leonhard Euler, Johannes Kepler and Alexander von Humboldt.”
Flood Of Antiquities Returned To India As Investigation Into Dealer Continues
“What began as a trickle has now become a flood as more institutions around the world return works of art that were bought from Manhattan antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor, who ran the now defunct gallery Art of the Past for over three decades. Kapoor is awaiting trial in India on charges of smuggling looted artefacts worth more than $100m.”
Why Are Music Scholars Ignoring The Growing Evidence For Musical Universals?
Ted Gioia: “The evidence that different cultures share fundamental approaches to music-making is mounting, yet the scholars who specialize in world music prefer to pretend it doesn’t exist. What’s going on?”