John Holiday, 35 and from metro Houston, “has long sung jazz as well as opera, and crossover success was in his sights even before the pandemic hit. He’s sung at the Apollo Theater, opened for Jason Mraz and told The New Yorker that gospel music and Cardi B influence his classical singing. His dream: perform to a sold-out Metropolitan Opera house one week and a sold-out Madison Square Garden the next.” – Los Angeles Times
Tag: 11.30.20
As United Citizens Brigade Falters, Alums Found New Improv Theater
“Per the theater’s mission statement on its website, the Squirrel’s goal is to become ‘New York’s premier destination for sketch and improv comedy, …” The guiding principles of the theater will be ‘community, representation, transparency, and equality,’ and the website notes that equality will begin with the theater ‘financially compensating its artists'” — a years-long matter of controversy at UCB. – Vulture
BBC Requires Inclusion Rider For All New Commissions
Effective Immediately, “twenty percent of all on-screen talent and production teams must come from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background; have a lived experience of a disability; or be from a low-income background.” – The Hollywood Reporter
€2.1 Billion-With-A-B: Germany’s Culture Budget For 2021
It’s the federal government’s largest-ever package for supporting the arts, €155 million more than for this year, at a time of unprecedented need as the resurgent pandemic wipes out earned income. Among the notable line items is €85 million for renovating Wagner’s opera house at Bayreuth. – Artnet
“Reimagining” Your Orchestra Season? Really?
“When, over the summer, orchestras began making known their fall plans, the operative word was “reimagined.” At least twenty orchestras, from Albany to St. Louis, announced reimagined seasons. Yet, because so many institutions were using identical language, it didn’t seem that anything particularly imaginative was going on. A certain herd mentality also surfaced in the programming.” – The New Yorker
In Virtual School Test-Taking, Surveillance AI Is Intruding On Students
“In the swift and chaotic pivot to virtual test-taking, companies like Respondus — along with competitors including Honorlock, ProctorU and Proctorio — have stepped in to help schools keep watch on students. Because the new digital tools are required in certain courses, students are being forced to subject themselves to surveillance inside their own homes and open themselves up to disputes over “suspicious activities,” as defined by an algorithm.” – Voice of San Diego
TikTok Users Are Creating The Ratatouille Musical Disney Never Did
But these aren’t just any TikTokkers. “Thousands of TikTok users, including many with Broadway credits, have paid homage to the 2007 Disney Pixar film, about a rat who dreams of becoming a French chef, by creating their own songs, dances, makeup looks, set designs, puppets and Playbill programs.” And Disney is apparently paying attention as well, according to its Tweets and its own TikTok contributions. – The New York Times