“Since [Cassandra Clare’s] City of Bones, which published 10 years ago, authors … have made young adult novels a place where queer love stories feel mainstream rather than an exception to the rule. And they’re about far more than coming out. The new generation of LGBT young-adult literature has room for romance, inclusion and happily-ever-after.”
Tag: 12.05.17
When Rome’s Colosseum Was A Wild, Mysterious Botanical Garden
Today, the Colosseum stands bald and bare. But for centuries, it was a wild and overgrown place, and its lost history as a primeval garden ruin has left traces in the art and poetry of countless generations that walked among its stands.
Orlando Ballet Is Bringing Back Live Music (Yay!)
After several seasons of performing to recorded music only due to financial difficulties, the company’s upcoming productions of Romeo and Juliet and Beauty and the Beast will use a live orchestra. “The live music is possible because revenue is beating the ballet’s projections, says board president Jonathan Ledden.”
Have The Heads Of Broadway’s Nonprofit Theaters Been In Place For Too Long?
Gordon Cox: “Both on Broadway and off it, most of the city’s major nonprofits are led by artistic directors whose defining tenures are measured in decades. … In New York, the question of when the city’s most powerful nonprofit [theaters] will change hands is something no one wants to discuss openly but everyone whispers about behind the scenes.”
Do We Need To Put Away Our James Levine Recordings?, Asks Anthony Tommasini
“I feel heartache for the men, who say they were taken advantage of by someone they looked up to, someone in a position of intimidating authority. But how do Mr. Levine’s countless fans, and I as a critic, reconcile his legacy with what he’s been accused of? Is his work tainted beyond our ability to appreciate the artistry involved?” (The answer: not entirely.)
How The Dance World Is Responding To Sexual Harassment Claims Against Peter Martins
“Immediate reactions were varied, though emotionally charged. Here are a few of the many responses”
Met Museum Rejects Petition To Remove ‘Sexually Suggestive’ Balthus Painting
The work, titled Thérèse Dreaming, depicts an adolescent girl seated in a position that reveals her underwear. “Given the current climate around sexual assault and allegations that become more public each day,” read the petition, “in showcasing this work for the masses without providing any type of clarification, the Met is, perhaps unintentionally, supporting voyeurism and the objectification of children.”
The Met Is Right, Says Philip Kennicott: Even If It’s Disturbing, That Balthus Painting Should Not Be Hidden
“Censoring Balthus, whose work is disturbing but not pornographic, makes no sense. Removing his work from view would not eliminate the desires he animates and it would probably lead to the loss of other work, which explored other horizons of the illicit. We would lose much of the imperfect progress we made away from shame and silence about desire.”
Four In 10 Brits Would Never Go To The Opera Because It’s Too Hard To Understand: Survey
“The survey, commissioned by [radio station] Classic FM, … explored reasons why people did not attend opera shows as well as general public opinion on the art form. …One in ten of the participants who had attended an opera performance in the past claimed that they ‘felt nervous, self-conscious and like they didn’t fit in’.”
Indianapolis Symphony Posts Record Ticket Sales
“The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra experienced its fifth straight year of record ticket sales during the 2016-17 season while meeting budget projections for the fourth time in five years.”