“For the last few decades it looked – with a handful of exceptions, such as Dundee Rep – as if the old rep system was pretty much on the way out. But with the introduction of ‘mini-rep’, things seem to be changing.”
Tag: 10.31.11
Police Start To Crack Down On Bolshoi Ticket Scalpers
“[At] the Bolshoi Theater, which just reopened after a six-year shutdown for renovations, passions in the line at the box office got so hot that police had to intervene Monday” to stop scuffles between ballet fans who were waiting in line for hours and young toughs who appeared to be buying up tickets for scalpers.
Trying To Shake Up The Staid Old Motion Picture Academy
“Dawn Hudson, the first person to hold a newly created post as the organization’s chief executive, has hung in more than twice as long” as the two months Bette Davis lasted as president. “But that does not mean Hollywood’s film academy is at ease with the latest strong-willed woman to promise what has always come hard for it: change.”
The (Plentiful) Superstitions Of The Stage
“The theatre profession are a hugely superstitious bunch, especially where employment is concerned. Old traditions involve actors never cleaning out their makeup box (in case they never need it again), and, if they find a thread, winding it around a finger in hope of securing a lengthy contract.” And that’s just the start …
YouTube Gets Into Video Production In A Big Way
“YouTube is shelling out $100 million to producers, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The money is an advance on advertising money the videos will bring in, and Google will recoup its portion first before splitting the proceeds. Advances are as high as $5 million per channel.”
Upright Citizens Brigade Adds Third Theater
The comedy-improv group, which has earned a reputation as a training ground for future Saturday Night Live stars, has opened a new stage in New York’s East Village. UCB already has a Los Angeles outpost as well as its flagship house on West 26th Street in Manhattan.
Sesame Street Comes To Pakistan
“The TV show has a new cast of local characters led by a vivacious 6-year-old girl named Rani who loves cricket and traditional Pakistani music. … The U.S. is bankrolling the initiative with $20 million, hoping it will improve education in a country where one-third of primary school-age children are not in class.”
Warner Music Group Gives Up Bid To Buy EMI
“Warner Music Group owner Len Blavatnik withdrew his bid for EMI Group’s recorded music business after failing to agree on a price with owner Citigroup Inc. … Warner Music offered about $1.5 billion, less than the $1.7 billion sought by Citigroup.”
‘Virtuoso Modernism’ – Royal Welsh College of Music And Drama’s New Building
“A sharp-edged plastic roof oversails the college like the shimmering wing of a Jumbo jet, and the drum of its new concert hall suggests a vast, wooden-ribbed turbo-fan.”
Product Placement Comes To Britain’s Prime-Time TV (Coronation Street, No Less)
“Residents of Coronation Street will rest easier knowing their money is no longer being held in a fictional bank, as British television’s first primetime product placement is set to appear on the soap in the form of a Nationwide ATM.”