Cambodia’s First Rock Opera

Cambodia’s first rock opera will premiere in Phnom Penh next month, a cultural milestone in the Southeast Asian country where performing arts were banned during the brutal Khmer Rouge years. Where Elephants Weep is an East-meets-West blend of traditional Cambodian music and Western rock that is modeled after Romeo and Juliet and inspired by the Broadway musical Rent.

Berlin Goes Into Art Overload

“Berlin has been something of an art mecca in recent years, with artists flocking to the city to make use of cheap space and a vibrant culture while international galleries jostle to establish a presence in the German capital. This week the scene kicks into overdrive with the opening of a new contemporary art gallery, three major retrospectives – and no less than five trade fairs.”

Forbidden Broadway A Flop In Chicago

The Chicago edition of the popular satirical revue, Forbidden Broadway, is closing after only three weeks, apparently because of economic pressures. “An earlier edition of the show ran for nearly six months in 2006 at the Royal George Theatre. This time around at the George, the producers say, the well-known revue spoofing Broadway musicals couldn’t sell a ticket to save its life.”

Less Politics, More Literature

“The Association of Literary Scholars and Critics (ALSC), a national organization that began with a reputation for being ‘conservative,’ ‘old-fashioned,’ and even ‘right-wing,’ seems to be shedding much of that image. But “the ALSC’s shift away from a ‘culture war’ mentality has caused internal dissension.”