“The background issues underlying the Broadway shutdown are rife across America. No, most of us aren’t busy negotiating the Byzantine hiring regulations for loading in the set of a new musical. But all of us can relate to the fierce struggle wrought by an economy that has transformed housing and healthcare (forget dentistry altogether) into luxuries, given us job security on a wing and a prayer and forced upon businesses a risk-reward ratio that most professional gamblers would smirkingly walk away from.”
Tag: 11.25.07
What Makes A Reader?
“At a time when books appear to be waging a Sisyphean battle against the forces of MySpace, YouTube and ‘American Idol,’ the notion that someone could move so quickly from literary indifference to devouring passion seems, sadly, far-fetched.”
Indian Film Industry’s Explosive Growth
“The Indian film industry is expected to reach $4.5 billion to $5.1 billion by 2011, rising 25% per year, according to a new study.”
Questions About A Dumb Broadway Strike
“It seems incredible that rumbling gangs of stagehands (the Jets) and producers (the Sharks) have blundered into the dumbest strike in decades.”
Record Auction Of Chinese Art
Chritsie’s “took in HK$842 million ($108.3 million) on the first day of a five-day sale marathon, compared with a top estimate of HK$195.8 million, according to a draft release. A set of 14 abstract images by Cai Guo-qiang sold for HK$74.2 million, making him the auction world’s most expensive Chinese contemporary artist.”
Jacques Barzun At 100
” He has been a champion for the values of pluralism and pragmatism, for a mode of thought that balances cold reason with feeling and interest, and for a kind of scholarship that seeks connections across disciplinary boundaries.”
Zimbabwe Theatre Pushes Back
“A rich culture of protest theater has sprung up in Zimbabwe, but artists are under increasing pressure from President Robert Mugabe’s security forces as he crushes dissent. In recent years, most independent newspapers have been shut down, opposition parties have been infiltrated by CIO spies, and activists have been arrested, beaten and sometimes killed.”
Is Broadway Really Worth It?
“Is Broadway really twice as good today as it was in 1968? Now that most of Broadway is shuttered, it has become clearer than ever before that there are better and cheaper places to get a steak.”
The Modern Stonehenge?
“Since James Turrell bought the 400,000-year-old, two-mile-wide crater in 1979 and began moving tons of earth to carve out different kinds of viewing chambers and tunnels — making his art of light, sky and astronomical events instead of, say, paint and canvas — anticipation has been building.”
What Chance Do Small Indie Films Have?
“Good reviews can help smaller films, especially foreign ones – but compared to the millions of pounds Hollywood blockbusters scoop up at box-offices, we’re talking peanuts. What earthly chance do smaller films have in this market?”