Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "David Dorfman is planning on the audience having a good time at his dance company's upcoming show in the Cultural District. And not just because of his choreography. As people walk through the lobby toward their seats they'll be shown a style of line dancing. Then, toward the end of the show, members of the audience will be invited on stage to dance with the pros.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
'Prophets of Funk' plants the seeds of soul
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "David Dorfman is planning on the audience having a good time at his dance company's upcoming show in the Cultural District. And not just because of his choreography. As people walk through the lobby toward their seats they'll be shown a style of line dancing. Then, toward the end of the show, members of the audience will be invited on stage to dance with the pros.
Play to recall the creation of Maxo Vanka murals at church
Post Gazette: "As the lights dim, actors begin the story of a famed Croatian artist who traveled to Pittsburgh to paint unusual murals in tiny St. Nicholas Church in Millvale. What makes the play unique is that it is being performed in that church, surrounded by the history, and the artworks, that inspired it.
Seton Hill University closes season with 'Cabaret'
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Seton Hill University wraps up its theater and dance program season with a little bit of history and a lot of music and dance in its production of 'Cabaret.'Kellee Van Aken of Pittsburgh, an adjunct theater instructor at the university, directs the show that focuses on Berlin, Germany, in 1931 from the vantage point of the Kit Kat Klub, a seedy nightclub where English cabaret performer Sally Bowles begins her relationship with a young American writer, Cliff Bradshaw.
Theatre Factory's woos audiences with 'Always Patsy Cline'
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Fans of entertainer Patsy Cline (1932-1963) will have a chance to hear her country music hits one more time at Theatre Factory's production of 'Always Patsy Cline.'The musical, directed by David Taylor Little, pays tribute to the Country Music Hall of Fame inductee who lost her life in an airplane crash in Tennessee in 1963. In addition to spotlighting her hit songs such as 'I Fall to Pieces,' 'Sweet Dreams' and 'Walkin' after Midnight,' the production focuses on Cline's endearing friendship with Louise Seger, a housewife from Texas.
City Theatre's season roams from tigers to Gershwin
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A world premiere with music by Cole Porter and the Gershwins and two plays fresh from New York City productions complete City Theatre's plans for its six-play 2010-2011 season. City Theatre artistic director Tracy Brigden says the three plays 'represent compelling and entertaining new work by three exciting voices exploring wildly divergent worlds with diverse styles.'
Qlab Training Tutorial
On Stage Lighting: "Regular readers of On Stage Lighting will know that I am currently teaching Technical Theatre subjects at a UK university, leading modules in Lighting, Sound and Video in Theatre Production. Although my specialism is obviously stage lighting design and programming, I have been known to break rank occasionally in my professional life and my current gig requires the teaching of many areas of technical production in performance including sound and AV.
Candle, candle, burning bright
Berkeley Rep Blog: "When you come to Three Sisters, you may eventually catch a slight whiff of a particular scent in the air. Yes, that’s the scent of a candle lit by a real flame. These days, flames are often faked with electric light, but director Les Waters and the creative team wanted the authenticity of a real candle flame, often carried by Emily Kitchens, who plays Natasha. But what does it take to have fire on stage?
PTwo Important Lessons from My Much-Procrastinated Trip to the Dentist
Psychology Today: "Yesterday, I finally went to the dentist. I was due for a check-up in July, and for the last eight months, I've been moving the reminder card around my office and coming up with new excuses about why I couldn't make an appointment.
From New York City Opera to the Philadelphia Orchestra, April Is the Cruelest Month
WSJ.com: "Kansas City's Heart of America Shakespeare Festival says that unless it manages to raise $100,000 by next week, the company's production of 'Macbeth' will be canceled. Not so long ago, that would have been fairly big theater news. Now it's just another drop in the bottomless bucket of high-culture fiscal crisis.
Bill Would Raise Hawaii's Production Tax Credits by 20%
Backstage: "Legislation supported by the rapidly expanding Hollywood studio Relativity Media and Steve Bing's Shangri-La business group is before a conference committee of the Hawaii state legislature and may be forwarded for a final vote as soon as tonight. The state House of Representatives and Senate are expected to approve it by the end of June and the governor has already promised to sign it into law.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Public Theater's 'Superior Donuts' made with good ingredients
Post Gazette: "Arthur Przybyszewski has a lot in common with Joe Btfsplk. Aside from the hard-to-pronounce last names, there's a perpetual dark cloud over Arthur's head, just as it hangs over the Al Capp cartoon character, dragging the worn-out Chicagoan down like a 50-pound sack of flour in his Superior Donuts shop in a 'transitional' neighborhood called Uptown. My Windy City source makes it sound a bit like Lawrenceville -- pockets of gentrification among the old housing stock while a stagnant business district shows signs of renewal.
Dance troupe grooves to funky sound
Post Gazette: "To some people, dance is just footsteps, head jerks and arm motions. To David Dorfman, it's something more: a form of passive resistance. 'Time spent dancing is not time spent hurting. That's my theory,' said the New York City-based choreographer.
The 40th, and final, Schenley High School musical goes onstage
Post Gazette: "The 40 dancing and singing students gathered in the former Reizenstein Middle School cafeteria in Shadyside on a recent Friday look at first like any other high school students practicing for their spring musical. But although this annual rite plays out in hundreds of local schools, there are signs this group is different.
City Theatre fills out its 2011-12 season
Post Gazette: "City Theatre has announced its final three plays for the 2011-12 season, adding the world premiere of Keith Bunin's 'Sam Bendrix at the Bon Soir' to the lineup, along with 'Through The Night,' Daniel Beaty's Lortel Award nominee for outstanding solo show, and Kim Rosenstock's smart new comedy, 'Tigers Be Still.'
'Dialogues des Carmelites' full of musical communication
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Among the transformations Christopher Hahn has accomplished as general director of Pittsburgh Opera is to build a base for expansion of the repertoire beyond the expected. The success of 'Billy Budd,' 'Dead Man Walking,' 'Street Scene' and 'Flight' prepares the way for the upcoming presentation of 'Dialogues of the Carmelites.' 'I'm very excited and grateful we've gotten to the stage where I could program it here,' Hahn says. 'There's always a journey you take with an audience. Ours has now experienced a wide range of styles and been exposed to a number of 20th-century pieces they have enjoyed.
Greensburg Civic Theatre tackles 'Three Musketeers'
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "For Rob MacIntyre of Irwin, a local production of 'The Three Musketeers' was a long time coming, but well worth the wait. MacIntyre, who directs Greensburg Civic Theatre performances of the show this weekend at Greensburg Garden & Civic Center, has been trying to get a community theater group to stage this action comedy-drama for at least a decade.
'Fame' draws on the best of the Westmoreland County
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "To Stage Right artistic director Anthony Marino, the All-County Musical is 'an All-Star Game for local theater kids.' The lineup features 80 student actors from nearly every school district in Westmoreland County, along with home- and cyber-schooled students. This is the fifth year that Marino and Stage Right have presented an end-of-the-school-year show that involves students whose interests and talents are in singing, dancing and acting. This year's musical, 'Fame,' is a tribute to the young performers who -- by being selected for roles in the production -- feel they already have won the game.
'Who Killed the King?' takes murder mystery to the Middle Ages
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "There is no need to feel bad if your invitation to the Royal Wedding was lost in the mail. Armstrong Community Theater welcomes everyone to the coronation of King Ronald, Lord of the Ville, taking place at its annual mystery dinner theater production at Kittanning County Club. Unfortunately, not all will be proclaiming, 'Long live the king!' as suggested by the title, 'Who Killed the King?' It will be presented Friday and Saturday and May 6 and 7.
56th Annual Drama Desk Nominations Announced; Book of Mormon Scores 12 Nominations
Playbill.com: "Tony Award winners Audra McDonald and Liev Schreiber announced the nominations for the 56th Annual Drama Desk Awards, honoring productions that opened on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off Off-Broadway during the 2010-2011 New York theatre season, April 29 at the New York Friars Club. Awards will be presented May 23.
Cirque du Soleil Recreating Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
Rolling Stone Music: "Cirque du Soleil have announced plans to recreate Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip. In a statement yesterday, Cirque du Soleil president Daniel Lamarre said that the hotel will open a large entertainment complex in 2013 that will include a Jackson-themed lounge, interactive memorabilia museum and a theater designed to replicate the singer's famous home.
How to ease your student loan burden
TODAY.com: "As many college students look forward to graduating this spring, one thing many of them aren't looking forward to is starting to pay off their student loans. Staying current on college debt payments is serious business, especially since defaulting on a student loan can result in a host of problems, ranging from wage garnishments and blemishes on your credit report to difficulties landing a job. But if recent data are any indication, an increasing number of cash-strapped students are being saddled with these issues — and the problem is only likely to get worse.
Are greetings and salutations redundant in an e-mail?
Stack Exchange: "Some people might say the greeting and salutation are there for politeness. Is this really true? Will you be offended if they're left out? As a website user interface designer, I was always taught by the great usability experts (Steve Krug, Jacob Nielson) that writing more than you need is disrespectful of a website user's time. To me, leaving out the greeting and salutation makes the email easier to read.
ETCP Offers Contractor Recognition
Stage Directions: "The Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) Council is pleased to announce an addition to the Employer and Labor Provider Recognition Programs: ETCP Recognized Contractor. This program has been initiated to recognize organizations who utilize ETCP Recognized Employers and/or ETCP Certified Technicians on projects and job sites. This designation would be appropriate for designers, integrators, producers and production companies. It would also be applicable for venues such as performing arts centers, arenas, museums, theme parks and houses of worship.
2011 Non-Equity Jeff Award Nominees
Stage Directions: "The Jeff Awards today announced 106 nominations in 23 categories for Non-Equity Jeff Awards, which honor excellence in Chicago theatres not under a union contract, for productions that opened between April 1, 2010, and March 31, 2011. The Jeff Awards judged the opening nights of 146 productions offered by 62 non-Equity producing organizations and recommended 62 shows for further judging, making them eligible for Non-Equity.
In The Wings - Theatrical Sculptor - April, 2011
American Theatre Wing: "Theatrical Sculptor Nino Novellino specializes in creating sculpture and costume armor for theatre, ballet, opera, and film. Costume armor was first developed for the original production of Man of La Mancha. Novellino talks about his work on the set of Cats, Sunset Boulevard, and the Green Goblin costume in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. From the sculpting shop, he explains the different processes used to recreate items in plastic for use onstage.
How to Create Scrim Panels that Move
Rosebrand: "Rose Brand congratulates our sixth blog contest winner, the team at Church on the Move. Their blog entry described how they built scrim panels that are vertically mobile for their Seeds Conference. Here is how THEY did it... We kept it mostly low-tech (emphasis on mostly) with technology we already knew how to operate and sort out. The impetus for keeping things simple was pretty much culled from self-preservation as we knew the one time we didn’t really desire major technological issues was the opening of our first Seeds session. Go figure.
Dionne Warwick and Shirelles sue Broadway musical
The Guardian: "The producers of a new Broadway musical about the 1960s girl group the Shirelles have been hit with a lawsuit, charging them with pilfering the names and likenesses of the original members. Singer Dionne Warwick, who is also portrayed in the show, Baby It's You!, joined the legal action, which was filed in New York supreme court a day before Wednesday's opening night.
Huntington Theatre gets $10 million gift
The Boston Globe: "At a time when arts organizations nationwide have been struggling with shaky funding, the Huntington Theatre Company has received the largest gift in its 29-year history: $10 million in endowment funding from the Calderwood Charitable Foundation. The contribution, announced today, comes in the same month that, in Philadelphia, one of the nation's most renowned orchestras disclosed that it would file for bankruptcy. In Seattle, a cash-strapped, Tony Award-winning regional theater canceled the rest of its season and laid off its staff.
Off Broadway Alliance Award Winners Announced
Backstage: "'Newsical the Musical: Full Spin Ahead' and 'Freud's Last Session' took home the prizes for best new musical and best new play, respectively, at the first Off Broadway Alliance Awards on Monday. The awards honor commercial and nonprofit Off-Broadway productions that opened during the 2010-11 season.
AGMA: No NYC Opera Strike
Backstage: "New York City Opera and the American Guild of Musical Artists, the union representing singers and production personnel at the company, will return to negotiations in either May or June, according to AGMA executive director Alan Gordon.
2011 Drama Desk Award Nominations Announced
Backstage: "The nominations for the 56th annual Drama Desk Awards, which honor outstanding Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions, were announced Friday by former Drama Desk winners Audra McDonald and Liev Schreiber.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
NFTRW Weekly Top Five
Here are the top five (ok 7, there was a tie) comment generating posts of the past week:
How Many Times A Day Should You Check Your Email?
<--comments hereLifehack: "When it comes to our work email, most of us see it as a ball and chain. We’ve constantly got to be checking it, or risk the wrath of the bosses and co-workers that are trying to communicate with us. If we don’t respond to an email within 5 minutes, we’re seen as lazy or unproductive. But according to some experts, checking your email too frequently is actually a major factor that can contribute to diminished productivity. If you are one of those “every time my phone dings I must check my email immediately” sort of people, read on to discover why you may have become your own worst enemy.
10 Tips to Shred the Competition in your Skype interview
Life After College: "You may already know this, but allow me to reiterate: corporate HR has discovered Skype. And they’re using it with increasing frequency to interview candidates. It’s cheaper than flying you in, and it’s more personal than a phone call.We10 Tips to Shred the Competition in your Skype interviewlcome to your huge advantage in the job search. Do use it accordingly. Even if you’re not job searching, these tips are helpful for any Skype calls you do, including informal interviews and networking.<--comments hereLarry Kramer Hand Delivers His Latest Message
<--comments hereNYTimes.com: "“Are you the playwright?” the young woman asked the bearded, bespectacled older man who was handing out fliers on Sunday night under the marquee of Broadway’s Golden Theater. Indeed he was: At age 75, after decades trying to find a bigger platform than Off Broadway for his messages, Larry Kramer is making his Broadway debut with “The Normal Heart,” his autobiographical work from 1985 about the AIDS crisis in New York City.
'Batman' film may complicate Downtown, Oakland parking
Post Gazette: "Makers of the new 'Batman' film may want to use a significant number of Pittsburgh parking spaces late this summer, meaning motorists will need superhero levels of patience.<--comments hereVideo Sneak Peek: Haunted Mansion Interactive Queue at Magic Kingdom Park
<--comments here
Disney Parks Blog: "Attention Foolish Mortals: Walt Disney Imagineering has an exclusive first look at the new interactive queue being added to the Haunted Mansion attraction at Magic Kingdom Park – and it’s something you’ll want to check out. Your experience will now begin with a new story line inspired by some of your favorite characters previously seen only inside the Haunted Mansion. There are new crypts and other “spooky” sights to see as well as my favorite tombstones with witty epitaphs to the dearly departed like, “Drink A Toast To Our Friend Ken, Fill Your Glass And Don’t Say ‘When.’”How to Read Costume on Film
<--comments hereClothes on Film: "Costume design remains one of the most misunderstood and underappreciated filmmaking arts. Far in excess of merely ‘dressing’ an actor for their role, costume design is discourse. A film can be read via costume; sometimes overtly, sometimes subtextually. Not just conspicuous sci-fi or period, but contemporary stories set within a familiar world in familiar attire. On screen even the most rudimentary item of clothing can take on meaning.
The Alice Project
<--comments herePittsburgh City Paper: "'What the hell was that I just saw?' grumbled a nearby theater-goer leaving what I had enjoyed as a fascinating multimedia spectacle. OK, the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama's The Alice Project is not for everyone. A familiarity with the play's inspiration, Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass (And What Alice Found There), would probably help; just don't be pedantic about it. This is an interpretation, actually an experiential one, of that book's sequel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Monday, April 25, 2011
La Roche dancers end year with gala
Post Gazette: "Some people talk about goals. Others make them happen. Maria Caruso is a goal-getter who, during her first academic year heading the dance department at La Roche College, has started to chisel the program into a platform for developing dancers' contemporary and classical backgrounds and fostering artistic collaborations.
The New Colony, an Experimental Troupe, Wins Broadway In Chicago's Emerging Theater Award
Playbill.com: "The award was created in 2007 'to encourage, support and promote emerging theatres in Chicago that have demonstrated great ability and promise, artistic excellence and fiscal responsibility in business practices,' according to Broadway in Chicago. The New Colony was selected by a majority vote of their peers — member companies of the League of Chicago Theatres.
Larry Kramer Hand Delivers His Latest Message
NYTimes.com: "“Are you the playwright?” the young woman asked the bearded, bespectacled older man who was handing out fliers on Sunday night under the marquee of Broadway’s Golden Theater. Indeed he was: At age 75, after decades trying to find a bigger platform than Off Broadway for his messages, Larry Kramer is making his Broadway debut with “The Normal Heart,” his autobiographical work from 1985 about the AIDS crisis in New York City.
On First Day Back, Injured 'Spider-Man' Performer Says He Can't Wait to Fly Again
NYTimes.com: "Christopher Tierney, who fell 30 feet off a platform while performing in December in Broadway’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” flashed a wide smile and displayed not a hint of nervousness as he met with the media on Monday outside the stage door of the theater where “Spider-Man” is playing. It was his first day back in the show.
Inspector General Released
Glorious Wreckage: "My playwriting mentor Dennis Reardon once wrote that adaptors are like the Rosie Ruizes of playwriting. Rosie Ruiz, you may recall, was that marathon runner who entered the 1980 Boston Marathon from a crowd of spectators half a mile from the finish line and then claimed to have run the whole thing, setting all kinds of world records.
How Many Times A Day Should You Check Your Email?
Lifehack: "When it comes to our work email, most of us see it as a ball and chain. We’ve constantly got to be checking it, or risk the wrath of the bosses and co-workers that are trying to communicate with us. If we don’t respond to an email within 5 minutes, we’re seen as lazy or unproductive. But according to some experts, checking your email too frequently is actually a major factor that can contribute to diminished productivity. If you are one of those “every time my phone dings I must check my email immediately” sort of people, read on to discover why you may have become your own worst enemy.
Introducing A Priceline For Live Events
Fast Company: "Last week, Ticketmaster announced it was going to introduce dynamic pricing, to raise and lower prices in response to demand. But ScoreBig thinks it has a better idea: a Priceline for live events. And given that they've secured a total of $22.5 million in funding, including a second round worth $14 million from USVP and Bain Capital Ventures last week, they might be on to something. In this age of soaring ticket prices, many people can't afford to pay face value to go see the latest pop tart or cheer for the hometown team in person--much less contemplate the jacked-up prices on secondary markets like StubHub. ScoreBig now provides a place that caters to the needs of the price-conscious event-goer. And event promoters have a place to discretely fill seats that would otherwise remain empty.
Hits, Runs and Errors
ATW: "I am not a fan of professional sports. I have nothing against them (for that, you have to get me started on college sports and the ethical and educational issues involved), I just don’t connect with them the way so many do. For the record, I enjoy the occasional baseball or hockey game or tennis match (live and in-person, of course), but I don’t live and die by the fortunes of any team. And yet I feel that the arts could learn a lot from sports
TEDxMaastricht - Tim Hurson - "The shock of the possible"
YouTube: "Think you think as well as you can? Think again. Regardless of your basic equipment you can learn to think better — more productively, more creatively, more effectively. Tim Hurson (@tim_hurson) shows you a proven, repeatable process that will help you have more ideas, better ideas, more of the time.
A Bit of Primal (Wilhelm) Scream Therapy
Topless Robot: "Twelve solid minutes of the Wilhelm scream as used in pretty much every movie, ever.
Still Time to Contribute to By Design Day
Stage Directions: "Although April 23 has passed, it’s not too late to support By Design Day 2011, which raises money for Behind the Scenes in the US and Canada and Light Relief in the UK. Some of the industry’s top designers pledged that day’s royalties to the two charities while others are choosing to make a straightforward donation. By Design Day is being championed this year by an illustrious group of international designers from a number of design disciplines.
Lost Horizon Night Market, Brooklyn’s Theater of the Bizarre
NYTimes.com: "ONE recent Saturday night, two Brooklyn roommates were driving home when they passed something odd: an unmarked box truck parked on a desolate block in Greenpoint, spewing strobe-lit, milky fog.
Adult themes, nudity, occasional walkouts
theage.com: "Sydney theatre audiences are accustomed to notices posted in foyers warning of such hazards as smoke haze, herbal cigarettes, strobe lighting and loud noises. But recently these have expanded to include all manner of potentially objectionable content as a new generation of theatre-makers pushes the boundaries of what can be shown and theatre managements seek to insulate themselves against complaints.
Russia's Bolshoi to Reopen After Reconstruction
Backstage: "After years of reconstruction and accusations of embezzlement and fraud, Russia's iconic Bolshoi Theater is preparing to reopen looking just as it did during its czarist era, a subcontractor said Monday.
Bullet for Adolf: The faint whiff of 'Cheers'
The Globe and Mail: "Woody Harrelson has been on a career upswing in recent years, with witty roles in the genre satires Zombieland and Defendor, and an Oscar nomination for his dramatic performance in The Messenger. It’s with more than usual goodwill, then, that we come to Bullet for Adolf, the new play that the much-loved Cheers star has co-written and directed at Toronto’s Hart House Theatre.
‘King Lear’ to get all-Aboriginal production at NAC
The Globe and Mail: "NAC English Theatre artistic director Peter Hinton will direct an all-Aboriginal production of Shakespeare's great tragedy starring August Schellenberg, who won a Genie Award in 1991 for his role in Black Robe, and set during the Iroquois/Huronia Wars.
Actors' Equity Awards
actorsequity.org: "ctors' Equity is pleased to announce that Dayna Dantzler and Edward Miskie are the recipients of the seventh annual Roger Sturtevant Musical Theatre Awards, named for the beloved casting director who passed away in 2003. The award is given to Equity Membership Candidates (EMCs) who have demonstrated outstanding abilities in the field of musical theatre. The award consists of a certificate accompanied by a $1000 check.
The word is getting out: Arts can help cities climb back
The Courier-Journal : "Over the last two decades, public funding for the arts has fallen sharply, and corporate donations have followed that trend. Meanwhile, the costs of presenting the arts for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, have risen.
Local brewery converted into gallery for 24 hours
The Pitt News: "For almost any college student, “all-nighter” means a night spent studying while downing Red Bulls in the library. When finals are over, however, the term can also refer to a night spent absorbing art and entertainment.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
It can be good to be bad
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Villains have always held a special place in my heart.Drama has a rich history of villains we love -- Shakespeare's Richard III, who is resolved to be a villain; Regina Giddens in 'The Little Foxes,' who has no problems dispatching her husband to achieve her ends; or Velma Kelly and Roxy Hart, those merry murderesses from 'Chicago.'But it wasn't until my 5-year-old, princess-obsessed granddaughter asked her mom why grandma liked 'the bad guys' that it gave me pause.
Review: 'Donuts' sweetly rounds out central characters
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Theatergoers who have seen local offerings of his earlier plays -- 'August: Osage County,' 'Bug' and 'Killer Joe' -- might think they know playwright Tracy Letts. Unlike those raw, hard-edged forays into the darkest corners of the human soul, 'Superior Donuts' is as sweet and comforting as the dessert cakes Arthur Przybyszewski fries up in his Chicago uptown shop.
CLO Caberet's 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' re-creates the girl-group era
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Lots of musical revues feature songs from the 1950s and '60s. And, there are some very good reasons for that, says Roger Bean, who wrote and is directing 'The Marvelous Wonderettes,' which begins performances Thursday at the CLO Cabaret, Downtown. 'It's very comforting,' Bean says. 'If go to Boston Market, I am very drawn to the mac and cheese. It's something I remember from the past, and this is comfort food without the calories.'The musical review time-travels through the 1950s and 1960s as the Wonderettes: Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy progress from their Springfield High School senior prom to their 10-year high-school reunion.
'Batman' film may complicate Downtown, Oakland parking
Post Gazette: "Makers of the new 'Batman' film may want to use a significant number of Pittsburgh parking spaces late this summer, meaning motorists will need superhero levels of patience.
Newly minted grads face loan loads
Post Gazette: "To the Class of 2011: There are a few things you should know before you embrace the challenge of making a living based on everything thing you've learned (or were supposed to have learned) over the past four (or five, or six) years.You've completed a college education that cost considerably more than what your parents, if they were fortunate enough to attend college, paid for theirs. Moreover, in all likelihood, you (and they) borrowed considerable sums of money for this privilege.
American Idiot Closes on Broadway April 24; Tour and Film Are Next
Playbill.com: "The gang at Broadway's American Idiot packs up its bongs and its bus tickets and its dogtags on April 24, when the musical inspired by the Green Day punk album closes at the St. James Theatre. A national tour will launch this fall.
‘Black Watch’ at St. Ann’s Warehouse
NYTimes.com: "As much as I loved “Black Watch” the first time I saw it, I stifled a groan when I heard that this production from the National Theater of Scotland was returning to New York. Who has time to revisit yesteryear’s triumphs in the midst of a thickly congested season of openings on Broadway, which include newer war-is-hell dramas like “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” and “War Horse”? And that’s not to mention the many intimate, worthy portraits of contemporary soldiers that have jostled for our attention during the intervening years — in books fictional and nonfictional, film documentaries and movies like the Oscar-winning “Hurt Locker.”
Theresa Harris, a Black Actress Who Left an Impression
NYTimes.com: "FOR Lynn Nottage, the aha moment that led to “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark,” her new play about race, sex, fame and the dream — and crushing reality — of Hollywood, was unexpected. She was watching “Baby Face,” a delectably sordid 1933 studio film about an Übermensch in silk stockings played by Barbara Stanwyck, who climbs to the top one bed at a time.
Video Sneak Peek: Haunted Mansion Interactive Queue at Magic Kingdom Park
Disney Parks Blog: "Attention Foolish Mortals: Walt Disney Imagineering has an exclusive first look at the new interactive queue being added to the Haunted Mansion attraction at Magic Kingdom Park – and it’s something you’ll want to check out. Your experience will now begin with a new story line inspired by some of your favorite characters previously seen only inside the Haunted Mansion. There are new crypts and other “spooky” sights to see as well as my favorite tombstones with witty epitaphs to the dearly departed like, “Drink A Toast To Our Friend Ken, Fill Your Glass And Don’t Say ‘When.’”
Behind The Scenes: New Ways to Experience the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World
Disney Parks Blog: "If you enjoyed Walt Disney Imagineering’s exclusive tour of the new interactive queue at the Haunted Mansion attraction, then you’re in for a treat. The hitchhiking ghosts have found new ways to interact and play with you. And today, Imagineers are sharing their stories on how it all came together. Using some of the newest and most innovative technologies, you’re placed at the center of the story right in your “Doom Buggy” at the Walt Disney World Resort. It’s amazing, check it out.
10 Tips to Shred the Competition in your Skype interview
Life After College: "You may already know this, but allow me to reiterate: corporate HR has discovered Skype. And they’re using it with increasing frequency to interview candidates. It’s cheaper than flying you in, and it’s more personal than a phone call.We10 Tips to Shred the Competition in your Skype interviewlcome to your huge advantage in the job search. Do use it accordingly. Even if you’re not job searching, these tips are helpful for any Skype calls you do, including informal interviews and networking.
Fabio Luisi, James Levine’s Heir Apparent at the Met Opera
NYTimes.com: "HE is moving to an apartment off Central Park and paring down his European conducting dates. But never, ever, imply that Fabio Luisi is preparing to take on one of opera’s most important jobs: music director of the Metropolitan Opera.
Duo takes sports fare to stage
Variety: "If the producers of the Broadway play 'Lombardi' were professional athletes, they'd probably be offensive linemen, since Tony Ponturo and Fran Kirmser are using some serious marketing muscle to create an opening for sports on the stage. Their play about the life of famed Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi is the longest-running new play now on Broadway. And the pair is developing another project in the genre -- 'Magic/Bird' -- centering on former NBA stars, and rivals, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
'Sirens of TI' cast enjoys camaraderie
ReviewJournal.com: "Fireworks are to Vegas what the fat lady is to opera: Once you see them, you know the show's over.And as white sparks shoot into the sky above Treasure Island on a recent Wednesday night, hundreds of people crammed in front of Sirens Cove take their cue and leave.
Seattle Theaters Showcase Union Support
AFL-CIO NOW BLOG: "With workers under attack across the nation, all the major theaters in the Seattle area affirmed their support for workers everywhere to organize and bargain collectively. In a statement, 24 theatrical, sound and stagecraft employers, who all have contracts with the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 15, said: We are proud to be a union employer. We are committed to bargain fairly and in good faith with our employees, and to maintaining our history of respect for, and cooperation with, the labor community.
Festival all shook up over booking conflict
BCLocalNews: "Just as Penticton’s Elvis Festival prepares for its 10th anniversary, concerns are being raised about rising costs that may put the festival on uncertain financial footing.The problem stems from the festival’s move to the larger venue of the South Okanagan Events Centre, a move which Richard Frick, a member of the Elvis Festival Society board, said was not by their choice.
Stripped Of Its Rubber Skin, Sarcos Dances For His Creator’s Pleasure
Crunchgear: "This robot, made by the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon, is named Sarco. He is a human analog that can move just like a human being while balancing on two legs. In the video above, Sarco dances for his creator by mimicking a motion captured session.
ULS
Monday, April 25
4:30 pm • Porter Hall 100 (Gregg Hall)
A Massacre Averted: An Armenian Town, an American Nurse, and the Turkish Army They Resisted
Nancy Klancher, PhD candidate in the Cooperative Doctoral Program in Religion at the University of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
The final years of the Ottoman Empire were characterized by ongoing wars, resulting in unspeakablesuffering for civilians of all ethnic backgrounds, but particularly Armenians. The mass deportation and deaths of Armenians, beginning in 1915, prompted Woodrow Wilson to send a corp of relief workers to this region. Among them was a 37-year-old nurse from Pennsylvania named Mary Super, whose memoirs illuminate in dramatic detail a struggle against wholesale massacre in the midst of civil war. In 1920, Super and five American and Canadian relief workers found themselves in the middle of a two-month Kemalist siege of thesmall mountain town of Hadjin. Super was a friend of the author’s family. Nancy Klancher found the memoirs among her grandmother’s possessions and will discuss the historical, religious, and cultural context of Super’s harrowing tale.
http://www.cmu.edu/uls/april/klancher.html
OTHER LECTURES OF INTEREST:
Monday, April 25
12:15 pm • Rachel Mellon Walton Room, Posner Hall
Why Women Matter
Debora Spar, President of Barnard College
Debora Spar is a political scientist by training. Her research focuses on issues of international political economy, examining how rules are established in new or emerging markets and how firms and governments together shape the evolving global economy. Spar is the author of numerous articles and books, including most recently Ruling the Waves: Cycles of Invention, Chaos, and Wealth from the Compass to the Internet and The Baby Business: How Money, Science, and Politics Drive the Commerce of Conception. Prior to coming to Barnard, Spar was the Spangler Family Professor at Harvard Business School and Senior Associate Dean, Director of Research.
Co-sponsored by the Center for International Relations and Politics and Women in the Social Sciences
http://www.cmu.edu/ir/newsevents.html
Tuesday, April 26
4:30 pm • Steinberg Auditorium (Baker A53)
America and the Arab Revolutions
Blake Hounshell, Managing Editor, Foreign Policy
Blake Hounshell joined Foreign Policy in 2006 after living in Cairo, where he studied Arabic, missed his Steelers finally win one for the thumb, and worked for the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies. A graduate of Yale University with a bachelor's degree in political science, he has appeared on CNN, NPR, C-Span, WTOP, WNYC, and Al-Jazeera, among others. In February 2011, he returned to Cairo to cover the Egyptian revolution. He speaks mangled Arabic and French and lives in Doha, Qatar.
Co-sponsored by the Center for International Relations and Politics and the Humanities ScholarsProgram.
http://www.cmu.edu/ir/newsevents.html
2011 BUHL LECTURE
Friday, April 29
4:30 pm • Mellon Institute
Quantum Computing and the Limits of the Efficiently Computable
http://www.cmu.edu/physics/seminars-and-events/buhl-lectures/index.htmlj-o-b Kentucky Opera
Job Title: Director of Production
Full time salaried position with benefits package
Reports to: General Director
Supervises: Stage Manager and Assistants, All Designers and Assistants, Props Master, Costume Shop Manager and shop overhire, Wig & Make up Personnel, other seasonal Artistic and Production staff per specific needs of production
Works Closely with: Music Director, Artistic Administrator, Director of Finance
DUTIES
Senior staff position responsible for managing all aspects of production. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Production Planning
- Collaborate with General Director on mainstage repertory planning, determining production sources through research and thorough forecasting. Work with GD to plan and execute community and regional partnership programming, including annual co-production with the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra and one-offs.
- Create production budget; execute, administer, and track all production expenses. Support Finance Department with expense and revenue reports via accurate and up-to-date record keeping.
Production Operations
- Develop new productions, managing the production team and the design process from initial concept meetings through construction and final performance, or secure, adapt and manage rental productions as determined by repertory planning.
- Develop and manage all production calendars and schedules (including placement of all rehearsals and related events) in coordination with artistic and community partners, including the Kentucky Center for the Arts and the Louisville Orchestra (an AFM organization).
- Serve as Technical Director.
- Supervise all IATSE stage crews and determine crew sizes.
- Develop and oversee stage schedules.
- Coordinate all aspects of scenery: negotiate contract rentals; handle logistics; adapt rentals into own performance venue and draft plans using CAD software; rent, buy, or build show-specific technical elements.
- Coordinate production requirements of guest lighting designers; secure rental packages.
- Research and buy “stock” technical equipment as needed.
- Manage storage facilities, including scenery and prop warehouse, and costume storage.
Personnel Management
- Hire and supervise designers (set, costume, lighting, wig and make-up) and seasonal production staff (choreographers and fight directors, costumers and shop overhire, stage managers, prop master, dressers, and wig crews).
- Co-supervise Artistic Administrator with regard to production-related duties, including chorus and supernumerary administration and company management.
- Supervise Costume Shop Manager and shop operations, including rentals.
Organizational Responsibilities
- Work closely with all departments to advance organizational mission, including but limited to:
- Education – integrate resident “Studio Artists” into mainstage activities; support outreach and educational programming
- Marketing – provide production content and ideas for promotional materials and activities
- Development – participate and support cultivation and fund-raising events; assist with work sample preparation for grant proposals
REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor’s degree in performing arts or a related field; previous production management experience in opera preferred. Thorough knowledge of current practices, procedures, equipment, and technologies in professional performing arts production management; demostrated leadership ability and team management skills; ability to multi-task; experience with union crews; knowledge of CAD software.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications will be accepted electronically through May 7, 2011. Position available June 1, 2011. Submit an application letter, resume and the names and contact information of three references to tracy_terry@kyopera.org No phone calls please.
The Creativity Killer: Group Discussions
The Atlantic: "Creative collaboration requires disciplined teamwork. And this kind of teamwork requires knowing when not to work in teams. This sounds obvious, but we constantly struggle with the belief that we must be inclusive to succeed. When to diverge and when to converge: that is the question.
The ABTT Theatre Show Delivers Eco Lighting Solutions
Lighting&Sound America Online -News: "The ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians) Theatre Show has always been a showcase for the latest technology in the theatre and presentation markets and this year's event will be no exception. A highlight among the many new products and emerging technologies that will be on display at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London June 15-16 is LED (light emitting diode) lighting, which is becoming more widely used in the staging industry.
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