Gabriele d’Annunzio “was a thrill-seeking megalomaniac best described as a cross between the Marquis de Sade, Aaron Burr, Ayn Rand, and Madonna. He was wildly popular … and he essentially invented Fascism as an art project because he felt representative democracy was bourgeois and lacked a romantic dramatic arc.”
Tag: 12.04.15
The Movie Star, Her Gangster Boyfriend, Her Daughter With A Knife, And The Massive Hit Movies Based On Them
“This is one matter when it comes to art imitating an adult woman’s life, even when that woman’s life encompassed a number of scandalous relationships; it would be another matter when the movies started to imitate Lana Turner’s daughter’s life. By the time Cheryl Crane was 14, and watching her unstable home life reflected back to her in one of her mother’s biggest hit movies, reality and fantasy must have seemed pretty confused.” (podcast plus text)
Tehran Symphony Cancels Concert When Authorities Object To Women Musicians
“I said all of us will perform together or we will leave the hall. Some tried to resolve the problem but eventually they said the women cannot be allowed to perform, so I said we will not perform.”
Why Is Theatre Casting So White? Laziness, Says British Equity Head
Malcolm Sinclair: “‘The default position if you see a part that has no particular ethnic characteristic, is to presume it is white. Why should you? There are maybe more parts [specifically] for black, asian, south east Asian actors now, but why can’t they be playing all the other parts? … You have to call the people that actually make the decisions to account, which is the producers and directors.”
Barnes & Noble Tries To Morph From Bookstore Chain To ‘Lifestyle Brand’
New CEO Ron Boire wants to turn around the company – reeling from both the relentless rise of Amazon and continuing losses on the Nook e-reader – by offering toys and games, electronics, and even LPs and turntables. “Everything we do around learning, personal growth and development fits our brand,” he said.
Confessions Of A Nielsen Ratings Junkie
“[I] never developed much of a rooting interest in big-league sports. Instead, I fell in love with the ratings game – the sport – of network television. ABC, CBS, and NBC were my teams; their dozens of shows my players; the Nielsen chart the playing field.”
Plan To Lift A Broadway Theatre 29 Feet – A Sign Of Things To Come?
“As Broadway theatres have begun to pass the 100-year mark, it’s impossible not to wonder how these tourist draws will fare over the long term. As ticket prices continue to rise and make Broadway into an increasingly luxury brand, the beloved but antique interiors may seem increasingly problematic to patrons: steep staircases, small lobbies and tight bathrooms come quickly to mind.”
The Wiz Was A Hit On TV – 11.5 Million Viewers
The 3.4 demo rating is 42% above that earned by last year’s live musical presentation of “Peter Pan” (2.4/7 in 18-49, 9.21 million viewers overall). It wasn’t quite up to the level of “Sound of Music,” which averaged a 4.6/13 in the demo and 18.32 million viewers.
Understanding ISIS’s Sideline In Selling Looted Antiquities
“ISIS manages oil and antiquities under the same bureaucratic umbrella, the ‘Diwan al-Rikaz,’ an archaic phrase that literally translates to ‘Department of Precious Things That Come Out of the Ground.'”
Paris Theatre To Offer English Translations Via Google Glass-Type Device
“The team at Theatre in Paris has announced that it is rolling out special glasses for non-French speakers that send perfectly synchronized translations into the air by the stage.” Says company co-founder Carl de Poncins, “It’s very similar to Google glasses, except the screen is larger and the words are positioned closer to where you’re looking.”