Reviving A Ballet Only Fonteyn And Nureyev Could Dance

Marguerite and Armand “was created by Sir Frederick Ashton exactly 50 years ago for the legendary Margot and Rudolf and it was believed that it would die with them – that nobody else could ever tread onto their hothouse emotional turf with sufficient magnetism and mystique.” Yet since the turn of the new century, companies have occasionally given the piece a try? Is it good enough to survive without its legendary leads?

After Two-Year Renovation, Birmingham Rep To Reopen For Centennial

“2013 is a pivotal year. As well as the centenary celebrations, Roxana Silbert has just taken up her post as artistic director, ahead of the Rep’s move back to its current home in Centenary Square, which has been undergoing major redevelopment … [including] a new 300-seat studio theatre, two giant rehearsal rooms and lots of swanky new loos.”

Salvaging America’s Sound Recording History From A Bewildering Variety Of Formats

The recordings – news broadcasts, field recordings, interviews and radio dramas as well as music – which the Library of Congress project aims to preserve were made on media ranging from early wax cylinders and big aluminum discs covered with lacquer to turn-of-the-21st-century digital files created with software its makers no longer support.

The Ikea Effect (A Lesson For Arts Professionals?)

“Imagine that, you know, you built a table. Maybe it came out a little bit crooked. Probably your wife or your neighbor would see it for what it is, you know? A shoddy piece of workmanship. But to you that table might seem really great, because you’re the one who created it. It’s the fruit of your labor. And that is really the idea behind the Ikea Effect.”