“Britain may remain in a recession that could still deepen, yet the mood in and out of the commercial theatre sector seems refreshingly upbeat.” Of course, “there are also problems and worries, especially in a subsidised sector that accounts for almost all our new and cutting-edge drama.”
Tag: 11.11.09
Director Pulls Out Of First Wives Club Musical
Helmer Francesca Zambello has withdrawn from the tuner version of The First Wives Club … Zambello (The Little Mermaid), who directed the world preem of First Wives at San Diego’s Old Globe over the summer, is attached to an upcoming production of musical Rebecca, and also regularly directs opera.”
Melbourne Wonders If Its Orchestra Need A Chief Conductor
In the wake of the firing of Oleg Caetani from the Melbourne Symphony, apparently for unsatisfactory performance, and a very successful guest engagement by 18th-century specialist Reinhard Goebel (whom the musicians cheered), the MSO’s chairman and other managers are considering doing without a chief conductor altogether.
Indie-Film History Goes Back A Hundred Years
“Nickelodeons were once as common as coffee shops, and the nickel-a-pop silent films they showed were as disposable as YouTube videos. That made for a lot of competition in the early days of the movie business — competition that fueled the rise of an indie-films culture as early as 1909.”
He Was Influential — But His Students Were Stars
Henry Cowell “was a prolific composer whose own music was eclipsed by the works of his students.” The director of a San Francisco organization that’s celebrating him this week “discovered Cowell through the pioneering percussion music of the composer’s famous pupils John Cage and Lou Harrison.”
Stratford, Shaw Festivals Saw Recession-Related Declines
“Both festivals had a slow start due to the recession, a major leap forward once their shows opened and the government came through with additional marketing funds, but an ultimate downward turn by the time the curtain fell.” Stratford slipped 4.7 percent in attendance and 1.7 percent in revenue; Shaw was down 6.5 and 8 percent.
Lion For Sale? MGM Looks To Be Headed To Auction
“Several sources say they expect that MGM will essentially be auctioned off within the next few weeks. This would mean that a major, such as Time Warner, could buy the MGM-UA library while another entity might acquire the logo, and yet another deal could be made for United Artists.”
Opera Drought In The O.C. Following Opera Pacific’s Collapse
There’s been nary a note of professional opera in Orange County since Opera Pacific closed a year ago, and there’s none on the horizon but a single performance of a single-soprano piece by the Long Beach Opera next May. But a group of boosters is working to end the drought, with imports first and maybe resident productions later.
‘The Amazing’ Carl Ballantine, Slapstick Magician, Dead At 92
He was “an inveterate quipmeister whose stand-up comedy persona, an incompetent magician known as the Amazing Ballantine or Ballantine the Great, predated and influenced the antic characters of Steve Martin and others.” He was also known as “the scheming, profiteering seaman Lester Gruber on the television series McHale’s Navy.”
Royal Opera/Ballet’s Manchester Plans Uncertain Due To Ambassador-Live Nation Merger
The Royal Opera House plans a full-fledged northern branch at Manchester’s Palace Theatre, which was owned by Live Nation; new owner Ambassador Theatre Group may or may not want to proceed with the deal. Says ATG’s CEO, “At a time when everybody is tightening their belts, we need to all be sure we can find the money to do it.”