Iflove Entertainment News Summary: My Showbiz, My Choice

Beijing’s Remarkable (And Rapid) Transformation
“This is the new dawn chorus of Beijing - the peal of hit steel, the crump of the piston hammer, the high song of the drill… Right now, Beijing is probably the biggest building site on earth, with the possible exceptions of Shanghai and Dubai. Urban re-engineering has taken place on a greater scale, perhaps - Haussmann’s Paris, Lutyens’s New Delhi - but never so rapidly.” The Telegraph (UK) 04/05/08

theatre

The City That Spurned Spamalot The Monty Python-inspired musical is a smash on Broadway. It’s a smash in London. The national US tour is a hit as well. So what in the name of Arthur went wrong in Australia?  

Did Oscar Wilde Beget Paris Hilton? “Oscar Wilde, it seems, is our contemporary. He died in Paris 108 years ago, a near-friendless exile, impoverished, shunned, disgraced. Today, he is world-famous and universally admired… He would not have quarrelled with the attention: he was a pioneer of celebrity culture.” The Times (UK)

ideas

Beijing’s Remarkable (And Rapid) Transformation “This is the new dawn chorus of Beijing - the peal of hit steel, the crump of the piston hammer, the high song of the drill… Right now, Beijing is probably the biggest building site on earth, with the possible exceptions of Shanghai and Dubai. Urban re-engineering has taken place on a greater scale, perhaps - Haussmann’s Paris, Lutyens’s New Delhi - but never so rapidly.” The Telegraph (UK) 04/05/08

Novelist Of The People (Not The Critics) If you’re in the habit of skimming the bestseller lists, you’ve probably heard of Jodi Picoult. If you’re someone who shops for novels in the displays at the very front of bookstores, you’ve almost certainly read one of her books. And if you’re a book critic, you likely despise her. And she’s really perfectly fine with all of that. The Telegraph (UK) 04/05/08

publishing

Are eBooks Finally Starting To Catch On? The eBook revolution has been an excruciatingly slow-developing matter, but Amazon’s Kindle reader is helping more readers dip a toe in the new technology. “Publishing officials are reluctant to discuss sales figures, but say that they have seen double digit increases in ebook sales since the Kindle’s release, and renewed interest in downloads for the Sony Reader.” The Guardian (AP) 04/05/08

publishing

Proving That Women Are Profitable (And Readable) Virago Modern Classics is a UK institution, a bastion of neglected female writers whose novels have delighted generations of women. “The story of Virago was not always a happy one. In the early 1990s, the company struggled financially… But in 1995, it was sold to the company that owns it still - Little, Brown - and its turnover is now £5 million.” The Observer (UK) 04/06/08

publishing

Rushdie’s Anti-Muse “Among other things, Salman Rushdie’s latest novel, The Enchantress of Florence, is a hymn to the creative and destructive power of female beauty.” And, um, not to be indelicate, but this wouldn’t have anything at all to do with the fact the Mr. Rushdie was recently divorced from the undeniably beautiful Padma Lakshmi, would it? The Observer (UK) 04/06/08

media

Radio Du Jour One of the advantages of satellite radio is that its bandwidth is nearly unlimited, allowing providers to add and subtract new stations as often as they wish. Lately, both XM and Sirius have been experimenting with temporary channels, offering topical or seasonal content for only as long as it is suspected listeners will be interested. Washington Post 04/06/08

theatre

Aiming For Political Relevance, And Hitting Annoyance “It is somehow appropriate that during an election year threatening to cause a collective national headache, at least among Democrats, the most migraine-inducing plays of the New York theater season should both concern themselves with politics. What is surprising is that these troublesome plays should come from two of the most renowned playwrights working today.” The New York Times 04/06/08

people

What Is It About Messaien? “No other music sounds quite like his, with its mystical allure, ecstatic energy and elusive harmonic language, grounded yet ethereal… Messiaen’s musical language blithely juxtaposes piercing astringencies with lushly sonorous diatonic harmonies, and with Impressionistic chords in homage to his beloved Debussy that can make a Messiaen orchestra sound like a cosmic big band.” The New York Times 04/06/08

dance

Ballet And Rap, Together At Last Atlanta is one of the centers of American hip-hop, and Atlanta Ballet is taking advantage, mounting an unprecedented collaboration with one half of the Grammy-winning rap duo, OutKast. “They are seeking to expand the horizons of their respective forms, without compromising them. It’s a tall order, and it comes as ballet companies and the hip-hop industry are casting about (not always gracefully) for new directions and new audiences.” The New York Times 04/06/08

theatre

The Toughest Role In Musical Theatre? One of the reasons that South Pacific hasn’t been revived more often is the problem of casting Emile de Becque, the male lead. “Not even the biggest names in musical theater would have satisfied all the expectations that come with a difficult role in a beloved show seen in New York only a few times.” The New York Times 04/06/08

Look, An Intra-Province Culture War! The far northern city of Edmonton, Alberta has long been seen as the province’s cultural capital. True, its neighbo(u)r to the south, Calgary, has been looking to strip the title in recent years, but Edmonton’s arts leaders don’t really buy the effort. “In Edmonton, culture is very much a part of the fabric of life for everyone… and I think in Calgary, it’s being driven in fact by money rather than community.” The Globe & Mail (Canada) 04/05/08

visual

Fisk Appeals Judge’s Order Barring Stieglitz Sale “Fisk University said Thursday it will appeal a judge’s order to display an art collection donated to it by painter Georgia O’Keeffe… In March, Nashville Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle permanently banned any sale of the 101-piece collection and set an October deadline for Fisk to retrieve the artwork from storage and put it on display.” Associated Press 04/04/08

people

Charlton Heston, 84 The Oscar-winning actor and gun rights spokesman died this weekend after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Heston played epic roles throughout his film career, and later became the face of the National Rifle Association, “a powerful campaigner against what he saw as the government’s attempt to infringe on a Constitutional guarantee.” The New York Times 04/06/08

music

Penny Strad Sells For A Pretty… Well, You Know “A Stradivarius violin named after its pioneering female owner has been sold in New York for $1.2m. The instrument, made in the 18th century, belonged to Barbara Penny, the first woman to play in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra strings section.” BBC 04/06/08

music

Lebrecht: Karajan Killed Classical Music Norman Lebrecht has had enough of the Karajan worship that seems to be pervading Europe on the occasion of the maestro’s centenary. “Hitler’s poster boy offered nothing to art while ruthlessly crushing creativity… If classical music itself is widely (if unfairly) considered to be elitist, staid and retrospective, we have Herbert von Karajan to thank for making it a safe, corporate entertainment at prohibitively priced festivals.” The Independent (UK) 04/06/08

issues

Time, Priority Shifts Combine To Fell Hartford Arts Center Hartford’s performing arts center, constructed in the 1980s to bring several of the city’s top cultural groups together in a single home, now stands dilapidated and abandoned by nearly all of its onetime tenants. The building is up for sale, and for the most, part, Hartford’s arts scene has moved on without it. “Let us note for the record that it was fun while it lasted.” Hartford Courant 04/05/08

music

Classical Radio Gets A Rebirth In KC Eight years ago, Kansas City’s powerful all-classical FM station was unceremoniously dispatched the AM band and the plug was pulled on local programming. Now, the station is moving in the other direction, dumping its satellite-fed schedule for a completely local sound, and a push for greater listenership and more diverse programming. Kansas City Star 04/05/08

Dudamania Sweeping LA The LA Philharmonic has been sparing no expense in playing up its appointment of Venezuelan sensation Gustavo Dudamel as its next music director. And it seems that Angelenos are buying into the hype, selling out The Dude’s (yes, that’s his new nickname) concerts, gossiping about him on local blogs, and even naming a hot dog after him at the city’s most famous dog stand. Los Angeles Times 04/06/08
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media

CBC Asks Listeners For Patience The CBC is imploring Canadians to give the revamped Radio 2 (less classical music, more jazz and pop) a chance before judging it to be unworthy. “Thousands of Canadians are worried that CBC Radio is giving up on classical music, that the musical offerings will be the same as the meagre fare being offered on commercial radio, and that the broadcaster is not living up to its public mandate.” Toronto Star 04/06/08

Save The Symphony By Making It About The Music Ever since the Columbus Symphony announced that it was at risk of shutting down, arts supporters have been trying to muster broader interest in preserving the orchestra. But are the words we use to drum up such support part of the problem? “Describing the symphony as a cultural-arts institution is like describing the Columbus Zoo as a department of biology. It doesn’t sing. Let’s focus on the music, not the institution.” Columbus Dispatch 04/06/08

issues

Could Calgary Become An Arts Hub For The West? “With money flowing from oil-rich companies, and employees flowing into the city, Calgary could finally break out from under Edmonton’s shadow as a cultural hub for the West… There exists a tremendous spirit of collaboration among arts organizations, which are fighting, en masse, the Cowtown reputation that does little for the city’s cultural cachet.” The Globe & Mail (Canada) 04/05/08

media

TV Will Look Different Post-Strike Only one US TV network has unveiled its plans for the fall schedule, and in the wake of the writers’ strike, there are plenty of whispers concerning the changes that could be coming to traditional Hollywood ideas about television. “What is certain is that next fall there will be fewer new dramas and comedies premiering across the networks.” Los Angeles Times 04/05/08

visual

Remembering A Modernist Icon Architect and educator Ralph Rapson, whose stark, modernist structures defined an era of mid-20th century American design, died last week at age 93. “Rapson’s career, which included scores of houses, churches and performing-arts centers, mixed triumph and disappointment.” Star Tribune (Minneapolis/St. Paul) 04/06/08

ideas

When Did US Politicians Forget About Cities? “There are three times as many urbanites in America as country folk, yet you wouldn’t know it listening to the three main presidential candidates, or perusing their Web sites… You won’t hear much about aging cities on Earth fighting to keep their downtowns alive and their overcrowded commuter buses on the road. Cities just don’t figure in the political imagination anymore.” Philadelphia Inquirer 04/05/08

publishing

Giving It Away In Order To Get More Later The internet age may not have had as profound an impact on the world of books as it has had on music, but podcasting and downloadable media have dramatically altered the way authors market themselves. Several authors without major contracts have used free online distribution of their work to build an audience large enough to make them more attractive to publishers. San Francisco Chronicle 04/05/08

music

Yet Another Beatles Lawsuit Drags On “A company in a court fight with the Beatles has agreed not to release recordings purportedly made during Ringo Starr’s first performance with the group until the case is resolved… Apple Corps claims the songs were taped without the band’s consent.” Toronto Star (AP) 04/05/08

music

A Chamber Music Institution Fades Away In D.C. The National Institutes of Health’s Chamber Music Series is drawing to a close this weekend after 40 years of presenting the world’s best musicians in Washington, D.C. The series’s founder “chalks up the plunge to aging audiences, as well as the wider availability of high-end chamber music. Others view the series’s end more ominously.” Washington Post 04/05/08

ideas

The Night James Brown Saved Boston Riots broke out in cities around the US following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. But in Boston, one of the most racially polarized American cities, things stayed at a tense simmer, thanks in large part to the impromptu efforts of singer James Brown. Washington Post 04/05/08

music

UBS Moves Support From Verbier To Lucerne “UBS, the giant Swiss bank, has withdrawn its support of the UBS Verbier Orchestra, an elite training ensemble that is based at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland and that has close ties to the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Met’s music director, James Levine. The bank has decided to move its money to a rival Swiss festival in Lucerne, a higher-profile event that has a training academy — but no student orchestra — of its own.” The New York Times 04/05/08

music

Beaux Arts, Pressler Calling It Quits (Sort Of) Pianist Menachem Pressler has had one of the era’s most successful musical careers, and while, at 84, he’s not ready to quit, he’s finally begun to slow down his hectic schedule a bit. “Mr. Pressler and his much younger colleagues in the venerable Beaux Arts Trio, which he helped found as a junior partner in 1955, plan to disband” this summer. The New York Times 04/05/08

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