“For nearly two decades, usually masquerading as a crooked art dealer with links to the Mafia or the Colombian drug cartels, he has run undercover sting operations, luring criminals into selling him stolen works of art. Protecting his identity means the difference between life and death.”
Tag: 12.13.08
More Canadian Music Than You Even Knew Existed
This week, the Canadian Music Centre launched Centrestreams, an audio-streaming service that makes the CMC’s collection of 8,000 recordings, by about 700 Canadian composers, available online at http://www.musiccentre.ca.
‘A Machine That Makes Canadians’
Marc Mayer, the new head of the National Gallery of Canada, has a big goal for the institution as it emerges from a period of chaos: “You should go in there feeling mildly Canadian, and come out feeling very Canadian. I think art can help us understand the story of how we ended up being one of the most advanced societies on Earth.”
The Eight Most Ridiculous Movie Plot Points of 2008
Another excellent year-end list from The Guardian, spoilers be damned. A sample: No. 8, Man on Wire – “A man breaks into the World Trade Centre and walks a tightrope between the towers. Yeah, right.”
The Ten Best Onion Headlines of 2008
The Guardian gives its picks, from the famous (“Black Man Asks Nation for Change”) to the topical (“Powerful ‘His And Hers’ Towel Lobby Stalls Gay Marriage Legislation”) to the brilliant (“Man With Apple Hovering In Front Of Face Sues René Magritte’s Estate”).
More Trouble For Ballet BC As Bank Freezes Funds
“Already on the brink of collapse, Ballet BC was dealt another blow this week when Scotiabank froze almost $17,000[Can] of the company’s money. The funds were used to pay off $16,749[Can] owed on Ballet BC’s Scotiabank Visa cards.”
Why Is There Holiday Music Everywhere, Driving Us Insane?
“Can science explain why the same song we enjoy singing with relatives or congregants drives us to visions of sugar-plum homicide when it blares across the public-address system Chez Target?” Actually, it can…
How Broadway Made A Mess Of Billy Elliot
“The 2000 film Billy Elliot was a surprise hit. It’s an absorbing drama about personal transformation and the power of art to ennoble the human spirit. Billy Elliot: The Musical – the noise is supplied by Sir Elton John – is a depressing spectacle about partisan politics and the ephemeral power of schlock.” How did this happen?
Even In Opera, There Are No Small Roles, Only Small Actors
‘[P]erhaps it’s time opera stopped digging those trenches between the ‘money roles’ – think anyone involved in the main love affair, or in planning its imminent passing – and the rest, a motley crew that are variously covered by labels including ‘comprimario’, ‘character role’ or simply ‘cameo’. Rarely remembered, they are rarely well cast.”