What does Gustavo Dudamel’s suddenly famous Venezuelan youth orchestra mean for the future of the American orchestral scene? Well, it could signal “the dawn of the monster orchestra – made possible by nonunion youths who play at an extremely high level…”
Tag: 11.15.07
Writers Aren’t Backing Down From This Fight
Conventional wisdom says that the striking TV writers are fighting a losing battle in an age when online content is fast overtaking other media. But the reality is that entertainment companies will eventually find a way to make buckets of money from online ventures, and the writers are determined not to lose out.
Canadian TV Industry Feeling The Pinch From Strike
“British Columbia’s television industry is in crisis as repercussions from the U.S. writers’ strike make their way north. One show has already shut down and at least five more are expected to prematurely stop production in the coming months.”
Field Museum Hikes Admission Fees
Chicago’s Field Museum has gotten approval from the city Parks Board to raise its admission fees. Fees for senior and student entrance will jump more than 66%.
Talks Scheduled In Broadway Strike
“The producers’ league and the stagehands’ union have agreed to meet on Saturday for negotiations for the first time since talks ended last Thursday and the stagehands then went on strike… There was no indication that the meeting would mean an end to the stagehands’ strike.”
Another Record Falls At Sotheby’s
“The art world continued its shopping spree last night at Sotheby’s, where contemporary-art collectors and dealers dropped a cool $315.9 million — a record auction total for Sotheby’s — on everything from a sculpture of a bright red heart to a somber painting of a bullfight to an image of an electric chair.”
Looking At New York Through Berlin’s Lens
New York and Berlin are both in the midst of architectural booms, and a new exhibition is examining the link between the two cities. “Rather than focus narrowly on noteworthy buildings, the exhibition… explores issues like how Berlin is reasserting its role in European cultural and intellectual life and how New York is trying to maintain its reputation as a creative center.”
Nat’l Book Award To Denis Johnson
“Tree of Smoke, a sweeping novel by Denis Johnson about the Vietnam War that features intersecting stories of an array of American and Vietnamese soldiers and intelligence officers, won the National Book Award for fiction last night.” New York Times reporter Tim Weiner took the non-fiction prize.
Strike Could Give New Life To Unpopular Shows
“In what seems to be growing consensus among executives at the television networks, the [writers’ guild] strike could contain a faint glimmer of good news for one group of shows: struggling, barely surviving prime-time series,” which will now be kept on the air as long as there are new episodes to show.
New Nouvel Tower Could Revitalize NYC Skyline
Architect Jean Nouvel is designing a new 75-story tower in midtown Manhattan, near the Museum of Modern Art. Nicolai Ouroussoff says that it could be the city’s “most exhilarating addition to the skyline in a generation.”