It IS The Little Things That Matter

Butts In the Seats: Reimagining The Civic Commons (RCC) made a post on Medium about the contribution of even brief passing nods and greetings on the street have in establishing our sense of belonging.

Meet the man behind the costumes of the Winter Olympics' opening ceremony

www.msn.com: If Massimo Cantini Parrini were to compete in an event at the Winter Olympics, he would likely fit best in speed skating. Moving fast has been the main trait marking the latest project of the Italian costume designer, who is known for his work in theater, movies and TV series that earned him several local accolades and international recognition, including two Academy Award nominations.

Step Afrika!’s 'The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence' Ignites a Fire of Hope and Rejuvenation

onstagepittsburgh.com: The Pittsburgh Dance Council’s 2025-26 series continued last night with Step Afrika!’s The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence. Combining traditional African instruments and choreography, artistic director Mfoniso Akpan and 17 tremendously talented cast members brought this profoundly moving piece to life. The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence tells the story of African Americans moving from the rural South to the industrial North to escape Jim Crow, racial oppression, and lynchings in the early 1900s.

Big Energy, Bigger Beats: Shaq’s Fun House Takes Over San Francisco

The Knockturnal: Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t do anything halfway—and on Friday, February 6, he proved it once again as Shaq’s Fun House Presented by Credit One Bank made its San Francisco debut. Touching down at the legendary Cow Palace, the larger-than-life spectacle kicked off Super Bowl weekend with booming bass, flashing lights, and an energy level only Shaq could deliver.

15 New Milwaukee Tools & Products For Construction Jobs Coming In 2026

www.slashgear.com: Milwaukee might have one of the most comprehensive tool and accessory lineups on the market, but the brand doesn't rest on its laurels. It already showed off a collection of exciting new products that are set to launch in early 2026, and at World of Concrete, Milwaukee previewed even more brand-new products that are on the way soon.

‘Let’s go out in a beautiful fashion’: Australian theatre company says goodbye with one last wondrous show

Australian theatre | The Guardian: Burrowed in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, in a cool spot of shade among the plane trees under the hot summer sun, is a strange new addition: a circular wooden building created to snuggly fit 110 audience members. Above the front door, a sign welcomes us to the “Wandering Hall of Possibility” and, beyond it, a small crew is working on the finishing touches.

5 Gadgets Sold At Home Depot That Any DIYer Would Consider A Must-Have

www.slashgear.com: It's easy to find items that expert DIYers can use at Home Depot. The big-box retailer carries everything from saws and hammers to lumber and bags of cement for building projects. There's also a selection of windows, doors, and paint to finish it. While there are a plethora of Home Depot tools under $50 that are worth the money, not everything at Home Depot qualifies as a DIYer must-have gadget.

Arena Stage announces new play festival celebrating 75 years of American theater

DC Theater Arts: Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has announced its 75th Anniversary New Play Festival, a three-day celebration of new work running February 27 through March 1, honoring the theater’s founding commitment to commissioning and developing bold American voices.

Universal Forced to Evacuate Packed Parade After Float Safety Failure

disneytips.com: Universal’s operational teams face constant challenges managing parade logistics during a multi-month event where any mechanical failure, navigation error, or infrastructure issue can disrupt carefully scheduled entertainment that guests have waited hours to experience and that forms core memories of Universal Orlando vacations.

Textile waste classification under the Harmonized System

www.reusenews.eu: Operation Demeter XI marked a shift. For the first time, textiles were treated as a priority waste stream in the World Customs Organization’s global enforcement effort against illegal waste trafficking. The result: 1,176 tonnes of textile waste were reportedly intercepted or returned across 25 operations. But when customs went looking for textile waste, what did they actually find?

More than a wedding day: Lessons from behind the clipboard

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle: As a luxury wedding planner, I know that a wedding is never just a party. Long before the band strikes its first note or the chuppah comes into view, the planning process becomes a delicate negotiation of expectations, emotions and identities — between couples, parents, grandparents, and often across generations.

Video: Anna Deavere Smith Featured in Exclusive Clip From PBS' BLACK AND JEWISH AMERICA Series

www.broadwayworld.com: Playwright and actor Anna Deavere Smith is looking back at her provocative theater work in Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History. The ongoing four-part docuseries spotlights the complex history and relationship between Black Americans and Jewish Americans.

The enduring use of pneumatic grippers

www.motioncontroltips.com: Mechanical jaw grippers driven pneumatically or electrically are indispensable and ubiquitous. These include parallel grippers, three-finger grippers, and angled-finger grippers. Permanent-magnet and electromagnet-based end effectors handle ferrous parts for the machine-tool industry.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week: 

Wuthering Heights costumes 'aren't historically accurate'

Yahoo Style Canada: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi star as Cathy and Heathcliff in director Emerald Fennell's reimagining of Emily Bronte's classic tale and Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran has now opened up about the movie's lavish looks - insisting the stunning outfits are an amalgamation of different fashion from across the centuries.

Olympic figure skating fashion: Behind the costume designs

ESPN: FIGURE SKATING COSTUMES gleam under the lights at Milano Ice Skating Arena at the 2026 Winter Games. With every twizzle, lift and lutz, thousands of sequins and crystals -- often Swarovski -- bedazzle and glimmer. "It's not just a little uniform you put on to do your sport. It is literally a piece of art," says designer Lisa McKinnon, who has crafted costumes for Team USA skaters Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, among others in Milan.

'Sinners' Used 287 Prosthetics and 26 Sets of Custom Fangs

variety.com: For the scene, which ends with the sunrise and the annihilation of the vampires, director Ryan Coogler submerged the cast and crew in a Louisiana lake. “There was no room for error,” says the film’s prosthetic makeup designer Michael Fontaine, who spent weeks planning, sculpting and molding castings.

Spanish Olympics Figure Skater Gets Minions Routine Approved

brobible.com: The Winter Olympics don’t officially kick off until Friday, but there’s already been some controversy courtesy of a Spanish figure skater who said he’d been blocked from performing his Minions-themed routine on the world’s biggest stage. Thankfully, it appears reason has prevailed after the internet bullied Universal into backing down from the copyright claim that threatened to derail his trip to Italy.

There’s a reason to get to LAX early: the airport’s concert series

LAist: In my time going to shows in and around L.A., I’ve seen DJ sets all over — in parks, backyards, Thai restaurants, quinceañera venues, plus a few other spots I’m not going to blow up here. But despite being a big Brian Eno fan, seeing a show at an airport was completely new for me, even though LAX puts on concerts and DJ sets about once every couple weeks as part of their “LAX Presents” performance series.

Belgium’s ticket resale ban heads to EU court in challenge that could reshape secondary rules

TicketNews: Belgium’s strict limits on ticket resale are headed for a test at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) after a Brussels court formally decided to send the dispute to Luxembourg — a procedural move that could reverberate well beyond Belgium’s borders.

Olympic figure skating fashion: Behind the costume designs

ESPN: FIGURE SKATING COSTUMES gleam under the lights at Milano Ice Skating Arena at the 2026 Winter Games. With every twizzle, lift and lutz, thousands of sequins and crystals -- often Swarovski -- bedazzle and glimmer. "It's not just a little uniform you put on to do your sport. It is literally a piece of art," says designer Lisa McKinnon, who has crafted costumes for Team USA skaters Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, among others in Milan.

CODA Audio belongs in Helong

LightSoundJournal.com: The Helong Stadium in Changsha, China is a 55,000-capacity multi-purpose facility, predominantly used for football. Although not home to an individual club, the stadium regularly hosts China’s national team fixtures, as well as large scale music events featuring Chinese and International artists.

L-Acoustics Announces New Global Education Partner Program

ProSoundWeb: L-Acoustics has launched the L-Acoustics Education Partner Program, an initiative designed to bridge the gap between academic audio education and professional practice. The program partners with leading universities worldwide to integrate L-Acoustics professional training and certification into academic curricula, helping to ensure students graduate with both theoretical knowledge and practical, industry-recognized expertise.

Live Nation’s Two‑Front Strategy: Fight Breakup Pressure in D.C. - Rewrite the Rules in the States

TicketNews: A bill advertised as a crackdown on ticket fraud is now headed to the State Senate in California – moving in step with a wave of state-level ticketing proposals targeting multiple aspects of the ticket resale business, from “speculative” ticket listings to outright price caps.

Arcadia review – love, gardening and Euclidian geometry collide in Tom Stoppard’s cosmic masterpiece

Stage | The Guardian: When Tom Stoppard was asked what this play was about, just as it streaked its meteoric path from London to New York in the 1990s, he called it a drama of romance, mathematics, landscape gardening and Byron. It doesn’t quite cover it. Often regarded as his finest, Arcadia is about life, the universe and everything, to borrow a phrase.

Ronald K. Brown Looks Forward and Back as EVIDENCE Turns 40

dancemagazine.com: When Ronald K. Brown was in second grade, he went on a school trip to see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, returned home, and made his first dance. Seeing his interest, his mother took him to the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza in their Brooklyn neighborhood for a dance class.

With virtual characters in real life, 'An Ark' experiments with mixed-reality performance

NPR: One of the first plays written for mixed reality recently opened in New York. "An Ark" is about the joys and terrors of being human, and it's all-British cast includes acting royalty Ian McKellen. But if you go to a performance, you will discover that Mr. McKellen and his fellow actors are not actually in the theater with you.

4 Drills That Crushed the Competition in Our Performance Tests

Pro Tool Reviews: There’s a certain excitement in the air on head-to-head testing days in our shop. It’s the payoff from all the hours we spend designing experiments to mimic real-world conditions and build rigs to help control variables. And there are almost always surprises along the way.

From Broadway to EPCOT: A Theatre Fan’s Guide to Festival of the Arts

Disney Parks Blog: I think everyone has that one childhood moment or memory that made them fall in love with Disney. Mine began with Disney on Broadway. Aladdin was one of the first shows that ignited my lifelong passion for theatre and storytelling, which led me to attend college and live in New York City, work on Broadway, and now be here as part of the Disney Parks Blog team.

‘Oh my God, what a brutal existence!’ Haley McGee on her global hit about growing old (and white pubic hair)

Stage | The Guardian: It is the summer of 2024 and Haley McGee is performing Age Is a Feeling at a festival in Toronto. Her show is in good shape, having already raked in five-star reviews at the Edinburgh fringe. But this performance is different. As she launches into her poignant monologue about life, death and the business of getting old, she hears a baby cry.

Fox West Theatre – Trinidad, Colorado

After the Final Curtain: The Fox West Theatre opened as the West Theatre on March 16, 1908, with a performance of The Bondman. It was built by Ed West, a Trinidad businessman, and designed by local architects I.H. and W.M. Rapp, who were related to the founders of Rapp & Rapp—the firm behind major theaters like the Uptown in Chicago and Kings in Brooklyn.

Kennedy Center Unions Challenge Trump's 'Revitalization' Plans

Parade: The labor unions representing staff at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., have broken their silence regarding Donald Trump’s recent announcement concerning the facility’s future.

Actors' Equity, IATSE, Other Entertainment Unions Condemn Kennedy Center Closure

Playbill: Following President Trump's announcement that the Kennedy Center would be the closed for two years beginning July 4 for renovations, a number of entities have roundly condemned the move from Congressional Senators to, now, a host of entertainment unions and workers.

Ballet to Broadway: an Interview with Leigh Ann Esty - a Swing and Understudy for 'Disney's Beauty and the Beast'

onstagepittsburgh.com: The Benedum Center has invited Disney’s Beauty and the Beast to ‘be their guest’ from Tuesday, February 24th, through March 1st. The production marks the 30th anniversary of Disney’s groundbreaking musical that brings the beloved 1991 film to life. The new production hails from the same producers of Disney’s Aladdin, The Lion King, and Frozen, with original Broadway Choreographer Matt West serving as director and choreographer. Before Belle stumbles upon the Beast’s castle, I had the pleasure of speaking with Swing and Mrs. Potts understudy Leigh-Ann Esty.

11 New Milwaukee Products Coming In 2026 You Should Know About

www.slashgear.com: Anyone following the most recent World of Concrete trade show likely saw some of the new Milwaukee tools for construction jobs coming in 2026, including heavy-duty equipment like demolition hammers and pick mattocks. However, there are plenty of other Milwaukee products in the pipeline that those outside of the masonry industry may appreciate.

Spanish Olympics Figure Skater Gets Minions Routine Approved

brobible.com: The Winter Olympics don’t officially kick off until Friday, but there’s already been some controversy courtesy of a Spanish figure skater who said he’d been blocked from performing his Minions-themed routine on the world’s biggest stage. Thankfully, it appears reason has prevailed after the internet bullied Universal into backing down from the copyright claim that threatened to derail his trip to Italy.

AEO Excellence Awards 2026 entries open

Event Industry News: Entries are now open for the AEO Excellence Awards, the Association of Event Organisers’ flagship awards programme celebrating excellence, innovation and impact across the UK and international events sector. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on 12 June 2026 at Grosvenor House, with this year’s masquerade-themed celebration, “Behind the mask: a night of recognition”, offering a backdrop to recognise the people and work shaping the industry.

Decor and Design Details to Love in Fennell's Wuthering Heights

Film and Furniture: Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation of Wuthering Heights moves decisively away from traditional windswept naturalism and treats design as emotional voltage, using architecture and surface to heighten every feeling.

The auteur of 'Strange Loop' tackles an opera like no other

NPR: Most productions of operas lead with the composer's name and ignore the writer. It's Puccini's "La Boheme" or Verdi's "La Traviata." But a new opera, "Complications In Sue," which opens tonight in Philadelphia, is being billed for its librettist. That's Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael R. Jackson. Jeff Lunden explains.

DJI RS 5 Review: Best Results With DJI's Top-Tier Gimbal

www.slashgear.com: If you want to capture epic cinematic sequences, smooth professional documentary footage, or beautiful artistic B-roll, then you might well be interested in a camera gimbal. However, if you're like me, there is also a lot of hassle associated with using a gimbal that might hold you back from using it as much as you might have imagined prior to purchasing such a tool.

‘Temple of the Moon’ Selected as Burning Man’s Sacred Space

www.ticketnews.com: Burning Man Project has announced the design for the 2026 Temple: Temple of the Moon, created by James Gwertzman with support from the Moonlight Collective and the Temple Build Crew.

'Sinners' Used 287 Prosthetics and 26 Sets of Custom Fangs

variety.com: For the scene, which ends with the sunrise and the annihilation of the vampires, director Ryan Coogler submerged the cast and crew in a Louisiana lake. “There was no room for error,” says the film’s prosthetic makeup designer Michael Fontaine, who spent weeks planning, sculpting and molding castings.

'Wuthering Heights' Production Design: Behind the Bottles Scene & More

www.indiewire.com: Whatever else you might think of it, there’s no denying writer and director Emerald Fennell designed her adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” to be gleefully jarring. Maybe no moment exemplifies this better than the near jumpscare of Cathy (Margot Robbie) returning to her not-so-homey childhood abode to find her father, Mr. Earnshaw (Martin Clunes), dead on the ground in basically Peter Griffin pose, surrounded by piles of gin bottles rising to the rafters.

Bridgerton Season 4 Costume Design Behind-The-Scenes

Tomorrow's World Today®: Glamour recently published a behind-the-scenes look at the costume design process for Bridgerton Season 4, primarily focusing on the elaborate, ostentatious masquerade ball designs.

Oscar-winning costume designer shares advice she'd give her younger self

Good Morning America: Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter made history last month, receiving her fifth Oscar nomination for best costume design for "Sinners." Carter is already the most nominated Black woman in Oscar history and has won more awards than any other Black woman in Oscar history, but it's a distinction she says she didn't aim for when she was younger.

Buffalo Faith, Civil Rights Leaders Urge Albany to Target Ticketmaster Dominance — Not Resale Competition

TicketNews: A coalition of Buffalo faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and community organizations is pressing New York lawmakers to take aim at what they describe as a live event ticketing system “stacked against” fans and artists — and they’re warning that one of the most talked-about fixes in Albany, a cap on resale prices, could ultimately strengthen the very market power legislators say they want to curb.

Integrated Systems Europe Releases Results For 2026 ISE Show In Barcelona

ProSoundWeb: The recently concluded 2026 ISE Show at Fira de Barcelona in Spain has reported 92,170 visitors from around the world, as well as 1,751 exhibitors — including 323 making their debut at the event — contributing to the largest total show floor space in the event’s history at 101,000 square meters.

Deborah L. Scott on the Costumes of 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'

www.indiewire.com: When costume designer Deborah L. Scott first worked with director James Cameron on “Titanic” in 1997, she won a well-deserved Academy Award for her work; this year, she received her second nomination for another Cameron film, “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” and her achievement in that film is even more impressive.

California Introduces Bill to Cap Resale Ticket Prices

www.billboard.com: California could become the next state in the U.S. to put a limit on the price of resale concert tickets. Today (Feb. 5), California state assemblyman Matt Haney introduced a spot bill titled the California Fans First Act that would cap the price of a resold concert ticket to no more than 10% above the ticket’s original face value.

5 Free Alternatives To Popular Paid Windows Apps

www.slashgear.com: If you have noticed, recently it seems like every software that used to be available for a one-time fee is now only accessible through monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or annual subscriptions. This has led to "subscription fatigue," as these subscription bills quietly drain our wallets.

Disney World, Universal Orlando Jointly Close Down Parks Ahead of Operational Hazards

disneytips.com: Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort have shut down one of their theme parks in unison over a looming threat that will once again cover Central Florida soon. Time to reschedule those fun in the sun vacations. Here’s what you need to know.

When a Stage Director Trades Broadway for the Olympics

Playbill: Directing a new musical on Broadway is not an easy task. Even leaving artistry aside, one has to wrangle hundreds of people and show elements, from cast to backstage crew to large and often mechanical sets and costumes and props—all of which need to be unified under a distinct and engaging directorial vision.

There’s a reason to get to LAX early: the airport’s concert series

LAist: In my time going to shows in and around L.A., I’ve seen DJ sets all over — in parks, backyards, Thai restaurants, quinceañera venues, plus a few other spots I’m not going to blow up here. But despite being a big Brian Eno fan, seeing a show at an airport was completely new for me, even though LAX puts on concerts and DJ sets about once every couple weeks as part of their “LAX Presents” performance series.

Review Roundup: Critics Sound Off On CHEZ JOEY at Arena Stage

www.broadwayworld.com: Chez Joey is now running at Arena Stage. With fresh arrangements of the legendary catalog of Great American Songbook duo Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, a new book by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King), choreography by Tony winner Savion Glover (Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk), and co-direction by actor, director, and producer Tony Goldwyn (ABC’s Scandal) and Glover - the production runs through March 15th, 2026.

Sphere Entertainment Posts 28% Q4 Revenue Jump

www.ticketnews.com: For the three months ending in Dec. 31, 2025, total company revenue increased 28% to $394.3 million, up from $308.3 million in the prior-year quarter. The company posted an operating income of $28.9 million, compared to an operating loss of $142.9 million a year earlier. Adjusted operating income rose to $128.0 million, up $95.2 million year-over-year.

Theatre Group Asia Will Present International Premiere of The Notebook This Fall

Playbill: Theatre Group Asia will present the international premiere of The Notebook this fall. The company—founded by the Tony Award-winning theatre designer Clint Ramos—will bring the musical to the Philippines next September, with dates and a venue to be announced.

Wuthering Heights costumes 'aren't historically accurate'

Yahoo Style Canada: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi star as Cathy and Heathcliff in director Emerald Fennell's reimagining of Emily Bronte's classic tale and Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran has now opened up about the movie's lavish looks - insisting the stunning outfits are an amalgamation of different fashion from across the centuries.

'70s Vintage Coats on 'Ponies:' Twila's Wardrobe Explained by Costume Designer Anastasia Magoutas

heywhatevernevermind.substack.com: Friend of WNVM and fellow Substacker Beth Lisogorsky at You Need to Watch This nailed it when she wrote that “Ponies” is a “delightfully escapist watch” — not just for the American newbie spy antics in Cold War–era Moscow, but for the excellent period costumes. As a complete sucker for quips–and–banter–filled covert ops, odd-couple team-ups, and ’70s fashion, I was immediately in — and had to jump on the phone with costume designer Anastasia Magoutas.

Why Hart Tools Are Being Discontinued

www.slashgear.com: Home improvement can be tough for DIYers working on a budget, as even the smallest household jobs can get very expensive, very fast. It's important to save money, especially on power tools, which is why many people use the Hart brand. But unfortunately, this affordable line of tools is being discontinued by parent company Techtronic Industries Limited (TTI), which is shifting its focus to other core brands.

New Discovery Shatters William Shakespeare’s Biggest Mystery

www.popularmechanics.com: In the annals of William Shakespeare’s legacy, a twist has emerged that’s practically as dramatic as any of the Bard’s plays: the real “Shakespeare” behind a centuries-old family document has been revealed ... and it’s not the man we expected.

5 Snap-On Tools That Aren't Just For Cars

www.slashgear.com: Snap-On is a name that evokes powerful mental images within anyone who even has a passing relationship with hand and power tools. Snap-On is one of the most iconic tool brands in existence, and it's among the best hand tool makers you'll find. Equipment is expensive, and the company doesn't run commercials or sell through traditional channels such as big box stores.

BMW patents logo-shaped screw to block DIY repairs

Boing Boing: In the latest blow to right to repair, BMW has patented a screw which incorporates the automaker's iconic logo design into the head. The screw head design patent filing was spotted by Autoblog

Chicago composer Florence Price roars back to life with new opera

Chicago Sun-Times: Chicago proudly claims Florence Price as one of its own. After all, it was here that she became the first Black female composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra. But this week, a new opera about Price’s origin story premiered in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, which has spent weeks at the epicenter of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign. Still, Minnesota Opera chose to charge ahead with its planned premiere of “My Name is Florence.”

Fusion Community Spotlight: From Traditional Machinist to Modern Shop – Adam Booth’s Fusion CNC Journey

Fusion Blog: Adam Booth here, though some of you may know me online as Abom79. I’m a third‑generation machinist based in Pensacola, Florida, and the owner of a small but mighty job shop where old‑school manual machining and modern CNC live under the same roof. My work today combines repair and job‑shop projects, CNC production, product development, and educational content