Rose Brand Inc. introduces the Wahlberg DMX Winches

ChurchProduction.com: Working with Wahlberg Motion Design, Rose Brand Inc. looks to cut the cost and time involved with automating the movement of lightweight scenic pieces. The new products are designed to operate using the light board for control enabling a more practical workflow.

Do-It-Yourself Rigging: Is Your Church Prepared for the Liability

ChurchProduction.com: Many churches have personnel with the knowledge and experience to do most of their own AV integration work. “Do it yourself” work can save a lot of money, and can provide important background and experience for those volunteers who will eventually be running their systems. No doubt, if someone helped install a system, they’re much more likely to understand how it works.

ETC to Offer Training Opportunities & Product Demos at USITT 2017

Stage Directions: Continuing its commitment to supporting students and educators, ETC is packing this year’s USITT tradeshow with activity. Product trainings; educational sessions; new-product demos booths 114, 214, and 314; and the popular Student Session are just a portion of what ETC will offer at USITT, March 9th to 11th, in St. Louis, MI.

Models Are Still Pressured To Be Ultra-Thin, Survey Says

NPR: A majority of models say they're threatened with job loss if they don't shed pounds. Researchers worry this contributes to poor body image and might increase eating disorders among teenage girls.

PricewaterhouseCoopers on Oscar flub: 'We made a human error'

www.usatoday.com: The accountants did it?

We all watched in shock as it happened. Now we know exactly what happened.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, which has handled the accounting for the Academy Awards since 1934, early Monday apologized for giving the wrong envelope to presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway before the two actors erroneously announced La La Land as best picture at Sunday night's Oscars. In actuality, Moonlight won the top prize.

Why Viola Davis's Acceptance Speech for 'Fences' Best Supporting Actress Was So Powerful

The Atlantic: Viola Davis’s acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress began with a thanks to the Academy and this observation: “You know, there’s one place that all the people with the greatest potential are gathered.”

Pause. Some viewers may have felt a queasy pang. Was the Fences actress about to give a sequel to Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes speech? Was the next line going to be “this room,” so as to stand up for the presidentially denounced entertainment industry, so as to preach for truth and inclusion, so as to spark another skirmish about whether Hollywood is too self-regarding?

No. The next line: “One place, and that’s the graveyard.”

Curtis T. Bell Donates $2.5 Million to Power Plays Initiative at Arena Stage

Stage Directions: rena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces that Curtis T. Bell has made a $2.5 million gift towards the theater’s ambitious Power Plays initiative. Over the next 10 years, Arena Stage will commission and develop 25 new plays and musicals focused on stories of politics and power. Bell’s contribution will be leveraged as a matching gift challenge, ultimately raising an additional $2.5 million to fully fund the Presidential Voices cycle of the initiative.

Dead Man Walking at Washington National Opera

DC Theatre Scene: The opera Dead Man Walking is a journey of harrowing truth and compelling beauty. If, as Sister Helen Prejean says, “ Grace is waking up to the gospel of encounter,” then Director Francesca Zambello and her company of stunning singer-actors has graced us with a revelatory theatrical encounter – that is to say an American opera for our city.

Designing the graphics for the Harry Potter movies

kottke.org: MinaLima (aka Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima) is the design studio that designs all of the graphics, signs, newspapers, decrees, posters, labels, maps, book covers, and packaging that you see in the Harry Potter movies.

Regional Theater Review: ‘Night of the Iguana’ at A.R.T.

Variety: “The Night of the Iguana” is Tennessee Williams’ darkly tragicomic 1961 musing on humanity’s difficulties in hanging on to love, faith and grace, set on the eve of World War II when all three commodities were in short supply. Like his earlier “Camino Real,” the play carts a distinctive basket of disreputables to a backwater Mexican location and challenges them to talk and think their way out. Michael Wilson’s starry revival at American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass., wobbles in the first half, but ends in triumph thanks largely to some of Williams’ best all-time writing, a superb turn by Amanda Plummer and a cameo-to-end-all-cameos from the great James Earl Jones.

Oscar Watch 2017: Behind the Make-up of 'Suicide Squad'

makeupmag.com: As the tagline says, “Worst. Heroes. Ever.” Turning the typical comic book-based movie on its head, Suicide Squad focuses on a government agency that recruits imprisoned supervillains for a series of off-the-book black ops in return for clemency. Directed by David Ayer (Fury), it stars Will Smith (Deadshot), Jared Leto (The Joker), Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn) and Viola Davis (Amanda Waller, the government’s no-nonsense recruiter).

What We Lose When We Give Awards to Men Like Casey Affleck

www.elle.com: White men in entertainment can get away with anything. That one, soul-deadening lesson has been drilled into women's heads recently. We saw reality TV star Donald Trump caught, on tape, sexually harassing a female colleague and giggling about "grabbing [women] by the pussy"—and we saw America elect him president a few weeks later. We found out that Bernardo Bertolucci and Marlon Brando had assaulted actress Maria Schneider on film to create a rape scene in Last Tango in Paris—and we also found out that, prior to her death, Schneider had been talking about this for years.

Art of Motion Picture Costume Designs Draws Oscar-Nominated Frocks and Suits

Variety: Perhaps the only thing more spectacular than the costumes at the opening night of the 25th Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition were the attendees, dressed to the nines in elaborate hats and intricate sequined cocktail dresses. The costumes on display at the exhibition, sectioned off into groups representative of the year’s most glamour-filled and best-designed films, mimicked the guests’ glad rags in style and flamboyance, expanding on their luxe extravagance and drama.

In Search of Identity. Trends in Contemporary Theatre in Romania

The Theatre Times: Twenty‑five years after the fall of the communist regime, the performing arts in Romania find themselves in a state of heterogeneity in terms of aesthetics and content, and confusion in terms of direction. In a predominantly state‑funded system—a network of theatres financed by either the ministry of culture or the local authorities (city halls and county councils)—theatre has remained a prisoner of the notion of “art for art’s sake” promoted during the communist period.

Hollywood Jobs: Objectively Speaking, It's All About The Prop Master

NPR: A wooden sled. A weapon to vanquish a villain. Indiana Jones' whip, the Maltese Falcon — even Babe the pig. In the movies, if an actor touches it, it's a prop. And if it's a prop, a property master arranged for it to be there.

On the set of Disney's upcoming reboot The Muppets — a Muppet, by the way, is not a prop — it's prop master Trish Gallaher Glenn who provided the telephone for Kermit the Frog. But not the very old typewriter on Kermit's desk.

Looking to get into opera? Now is the time when "As One" swings through Denver

theknow.denverpost.com: “As One” is the hottest title in opera right now, at least among the titles written in the last 100 years. The musical tale of a transgender woman’s personal evolution is somehow right on time — an accomplished bit of art-making, with considerable entertainment value, that thrusts itself smack into the current political and social discourse.

Filmed version of 'Newsies' leaps to record for cinematic presentation

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Extra, extra! Americans flock to “Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical!”

Although “Newsies” hasn’t been on Broadway since 2014, a three-day filmed presentation by Fathom Events recently became its highest-grossing Great White Way production. The event, carried in Pittsburgh by Cinemark Theaters, sold 210,250 tickets nationally, worth $3.37 million in box office sales.

Architect-turned-patisserie chef uses 3D modelling software to create desserts

www.dezeen.com: These complex, geometric desserts are made by Ukrainian patisserie chef Dinara Kasko, who draws on her background in architecture in her cooking.

Kasko's desserts have architectural characteristics, which she achieves by using silicone moulds modelled with Autodesk's 3ds Max software. Combining this technique with precise piping, she can achieve clean lines and smooth surfaces.

This 'Circus' has elephants ... in puppet form

www.usatoday.com: Here’s a way to include elephants in the circus without upsetting animal rights groups: have humans play them.

Circus 1903, a stage show made to feel like a classic big top circus show, has "elephants" as part of the cast. Why the quotes? Because the giant pachyderms are puppets lifelike enough to make audiences gasp, laugh and forget that real elephants retired from the Ringling Bros. circus last year.

Collaboraction’s ‘Gender Breakdown’ tackles the tearful truth of discrimination through laughter

www.chicagolandmusicaltheatre.com: For any woman who’s been told she’s not pretty enough, not thin enough, not white enough, not feminine enough, not “enough” to succeed in theatre…and for any man who has stood by and watched this happen, this show is for you.

PURF research reveals theater concussions

OHIO: Compass: There’s no tackling or helmet-to-helmet hits in theater, but actors and stagehands are just as susceptible to head injuries as those on the field.

Assistant Professor of Athletic Training Jeff Russell and Brooke Kapple, BSAT ’16, noticed a growing trend in head injuries while working in the Science and Health in Artistic Performance Clinic (SHAPe Clinic). Students working in theater, including set builders, soundboard technicians, actors and stagehands, frequently visited the clinic complaining of concussion symptoms.

Forget LinkedIn, It May be Time to Find a Job on Facebook

Big Think: In a potentially game-changing tweak to the world's largest social network, Facebook is now allowing employers to post job openings directly to the site in the United States and Canada. While some companies had been using their pages to post openings, Facebook is now making a dedicated spot for those looking for work and those in need of workers to better find each other.

How Tarell Alvin McCraney's Yale School of Drama application became 'Moonlight'

LA Times: The story of "Moonlight" began long before director Barry Jenkins' involvement propelled the film to eight Academy Award nominations. In fact, it began in 2003 while then budding-playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney was applying to grad school.

Scholarships For College: Best College Grants & How To Apply

collegecandy.com: When choosing a college, the cost of tuition is a really big factor. One way to lower the burden of the high price tag is to get scholarships. It’s not exactly an easy task. With college applications and schoolwork, high school seniors barely have time to relax. Add in the process of applying for scholarships, and it seems like there’s no time to get anything done.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Does Broadway Need Celebrities in Order to Stay Afloat?

OnStage: It was announced in the last few days that Sara Bareilles will be replacing Jesse Mueller in Waitress on Broadway. This was followed up by what has become a very predictable set of reactions from 4 mainstream groups. Group #1 rolls their eyes. Group #2 consists of the celebrity fans who are ecstatic for their idol. Group #3 contains the angry aspiring musical theatre performers who are ticked off that yet another not-necessarily-a-good-performer-star has “stolen” a role from one of them. And Group #4 consists of the Broadway businessmen who could each buy a Central Park West Penthouse with the money this will make them. I’m going to speak mainly to Groups 1 and 3, and give you the reasons we should celebrate celebrities on Broadway.

Posted by David at 2/22/2017 01:07:00 PM

Composer Stephen Flaherty strikes a chord for 'Ragtime' at CMU

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Ragtime” seemed like an impossible dream of a musical for the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama until its Tony Award-winning composer, Stephen Flaherty, pointed out that the award-winning musical comes in all shapes and sizes.

The original 1998 Broadway production had a cast of 52 and a 28-piece orchestra, “but there’s actually many different ways to do it.”

Posted by David at 2/23/2017 02:49:00 PM

La La Land Opening Number Rehearsal Video

The Mary Sue: Whether you’re a fan of the movie or not, you’ve got to admit that La La Land has at least a few catchy tunes and some inspired dance numbers straight out of classic Hollywood musicals. As you might imagine, there’s so much planning and preparation that goes into the creation of those huge dance numbers, and thanks to director Damien Chazelle and his iPhone, we get to take a peek into the full rehearsal for La La Land‘s opening number.

Posted by David at 2/21/2017 01:48:00 PM

Stage review: 'Book of Mormon' continues mission to entertain

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: They had me at “Hello!”

It’s the rare musical that can shock and offend, yet leave you with a silly smile on your face. Throw in tales of faith, some rock-solid show tunes plus razzle dazzle choreography, and there’s ample reason to open the door to “The Book of Mormon.”

Posted by David at 2/23/2017 02:38:00 PM

‘Hamilton’ educational program begins in Chicago this week

www.chicagolandmusicaltheatre.com: The innovative educational program that launched last year at HAMILTON on Broadway, in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation, will debut in Chicago on February 22 when 1,900 students and teachers from 30 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) attend the matinee performance of the musical at Broadway In Chicago’s The PrivateBank Theatre (18 W. Monroe Street).

Posted by David at 2/24/2017 03:32:00 PM

‘Hamilton’ educational program begins in Chicago this week

www.chicagolandmusicaltheatre.com: The innovative educational program that launched last year at HAMILTON on Broadway, in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation, will debut in Chicago on February 22 when 1,900 students and teachers from 30 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) attend the matinee performance of the musical at Broadway In Chicago’s The PrivateBank Theatre (18 W. Monroe Street).

Pennsylvania-Based Staging Company Revolutionizes The Concert Experience

NBC 10 Philadelphia: TAIT, a staging company based in the tiny Pennsylvania borough of Lititz, creates the most innovative technology for concerts and events -- revolutionizing the experience of live showcases. The tech company displayed one of their latest designs-- the nanowinch-- to concert-goers at the Wells Fargo Center Feb. 12 and 13 during the Red Hot Chili Peppers' performance.

Dead Writers Theater to Close in Wake of Harassment Allegations

PerformInk: When Megan DeLay decided to drop out of Dead Writers Theatre Collective’s 4-performance April fundraiser a week and a half before rehearsals began, she unknowingly set into motion a series of events that have threatened the viability of the organization. DeLay was cast in a more remunerative project, which put her in the difficult situation of dropping a show with the company that she has worked with at least a half-dozen times. It’s a situation that a lot of actors face, the pay is so little in this industry that you have to take what you can get. The fundraiser production of “Angel Street” (also titled “Gaslight”) would not be reviewed by critics or eligible for Jeff Awards.

An Examination Of Bandwidth, Dynamic Range And Normal Operating Levels

ProSoundWeb: Audio signals are, of course, speech and music, and in this article we will examine the nature of those signals in terms of their requirements in bandwidth, dynamic range and normal operating levels.

The nature of peak and average levels of music and speech will be discussed.

In addition, we’ll look at the standard methods of dealing with signal peaks and required shifts in signal operating levels.

[Q + A] The House Theatre of Chicago

www.flyhouse.com: The House Theatre of Chicago and Chicago Flyhouse have worked together for more than a decade with Flyhouse being the performer flying vendor of choice. For an upcoming performance of The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz, the cast has been learning to fly in the Flyhouse rehearsal space. We had the opportunity to talk with The House's Artistic Director, Nathan Allen, to learn more about the company's past and standing out in the Chicago theater scene.

Tips for Selecting, Using and Maintaining In-Ear Monitors

ChurchProduction.com: The use of in-ear monitoring is increasing in our churches, and for good reason. They allow us to drastically reduce stage volumes, provide better sound to the off-stage participants and give better mixes to the on-stage participants.

Writers Guild, Producers Set Start Date for Contract Negotiations

Variety: The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have set March 13 as the date for the start of negotiations on a successor deal to the master contract.

The talks will be held at AMPTP headquarters in Sherman Oaks. The current three-year contract expires on May 1.

Oscars still lagging in female and minority representation

New Pittsburgh Courier: LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 2017 Oscar nominations were a banner year for Black nominees both in front of and behind the camera, but other nonwhite groups and women were largely left out of the running. As #OscarsSoWhite creator April Reign said, her hashtag was never about just Black actors, but all communities marginalized in Hollywood including Asians, Latinos, and women.

The NEA Is Vital, Democratizing: Teresa Eyring Corrects the Record

AMERICAN THEATRE: I’m writing on behalf of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the professional not-for-profit American theatre, in response to your Weekend Edition Saturday interview with David Marcus on February 11, 2017. You’ve opened the door to a meaningful conversation about the value of public funding for the arts, and I hope you’ll be willing to consider some additional information and the opportunity to take the conversation even deeper. We were also concerned about some misleading statements that were made in the course of the interview and wanted to take the opportunity to address those here.

This Tool Helps You Create a Freelance Contract

twocents.lifehacker.com: When you freelance with a client, they typically give you a contract to sign that protects them in case things go south. You might want to have your own contract, too. The Freelancers Union & NYC startup AND CO have made a tool that helps you create one for free.

How new technology is transforming the look of the movies

Dolby - Lab Notes: As Hollywood prepares to honor the world’s elite creative talent at the Academy Awards®, the subject of how technology is influencing the art of filmmaking is once again a topic of conversation.

Powerful laser projection, expanded color gamut, and high dynamic range imaging offer filmmakers the tools to reveal their vision in new ways and share that experience with audiences around the world.

Stickney lights up stage in ‘Twelfth Night’

New Pittsburgh Courier: Timothy D. Stickney is thrilled to be portraying the love-sick Duke Orsino in the Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of the Shakespearean comedy, “Twelfth Night.”

Composer Stephen Flaherty strikes a chord for 'Ragtime' at CMU

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Ragtime” seemed like an impossible dream of a musical for the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama until its Tony Award-winning composer, Stephen Flaherty, pointed out that the award-winning musical comes in all shapes and sizes.

The original 1998 Broadway production had a cast of 52 and a 28-piece orchestra, “but there’s actually many different ways to do it.”

Alumni Helped To Build “Fences” Success

Carnegie Mellon Today: When the Academy Awards are broadcast on Feb. 26, several Carnegie Mellon University alumni will be rooting especially hard for “Fences,” one of this year’s 10 Best Picture nominees. You will not see them on the red carpet, nor will their faces appear on screen, but their fingerprints are all over the big screen adaptation of August Wilson’s Tony and Pulitzer-prize winning play of the same name.

‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Nominated for Costume Award

Variety: For the first time, an animated feature has been nominated for a prize at the Costume Designers Guild Awards, to be presented Feb. 21 at the Beverly Hilton.

Designer Deborah Cook used her talents to bring to life ancient Japanese characters for the stop-motion film “Kubo and the Two Strings,” created by Oregon’s Laika Studios and distributed by Focus Features and UPI.

Dead Writers Collective now dead after allegations of harassment and abuse

Bleader: A social media firestorm of allegations of sexual harassment and emotional abuse ignited Tuesday afternoon and incinerated Dead Writers Collective, a six-year-old theater company, which announced this morning that it was closing for good.

August Wilson Center names new board chair

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The board of the August Wilson Center has named developer Michael Polite as its new chair.

Mr. Polite, who has been on the board since August 2015, will take over as board chair from Maxwell King, president and chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Foundation. Mr. King will remain on the board, along with the heads of the Heinz Endowments and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

Truthful Intelligence: A Play about Power and Politics

HowlRound: Exactly eight days after Donald Trump was elected president, Oxford Dictionaries selected “post-truth”—defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”—as 2016’s international word of the year, citing a 2000 percent increase in usage compared with 2015.

The 2017 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards are Announced

Stage Directions: The Theatre Development Fund (TDF) is celebrating excellence in theatrical design with its 2017 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards. Six-time Tony Award-winning costume designer Catherine Zuber and legendary scenic designer Tony Straiges are among the 2017 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards recipients. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Friday, April 28, at 6:30pm, at the Edison Ballroom, 240 West 47th Street, NYC.

Anita Hill on the Need For Female Equality in Hollywood (Opinion)

Variety: It is a difficult time to be a woman in this country. We just elected as president a man whose actions range from shocking disregard for women to brazen attacks on them. The number of women in Donald Trump’s cabinet is appallingly anemic. His repeated and nasty attacks on everyone from Alicia Machado to Elizabeth Warren, along with his and Congress’ regressive agenda, offer a preview of the coming threats to gender pay equity, reproductive rights, and protections from domestic violence and sexual assault, to name just a few.

Rock Stars Fight Depositions in Legal Dispute Spanning Decades of Music History

Hollywood Reporter: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, is a nice visit, but for music aficionados looking to explore the business side of rock history, a trip to a New York federal courtroom might be more educational. There, some legends including Rolling Stones' Keith Richards, Talking Heads' David Byrne, The Who's Pete Townshend and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe have been popping up in recent months in the middle of massive copyright fight against a website boasting an impressive array of live recordings.

Women & Hollywood Put a Spin on Hamilton for Representation

The Mary Sue:

Although we might be seeing some improvements for women behind and in front of the camera, it’s important to remember that our job is no where near done.

Women and Hollywood, who have continuously worked to spotlight women and hold the industry accountable, have released an awesome remix of Trooko, K’naan, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC and Residente’s great track on The Hamilton Mixtape “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” titled “Hollywood (Our Work Isn’t Done)”

Stage review: 'Book of Mormon' continues mission to entertain

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: They had me at “Hello!”

It’s the rare musical that can shock and offend, yet leave you with a silly smile on your face. Throw in tales of faith, some rock-solid show tunes plus razzle dazzle choreography, and there’s ample reason to open the door to “The Book of Mormon.”

Center Stage - take a look at them now. New name and new performing spaces

DC Theatre Scene: Since its founding in 1963, Center Stage has grown into an important cultural resource, touching the lives of thousands of people in the Baltimore area each year. The popular theater has recently undergone a major $28 million renovation, being revealed in its grand opening on March 3rd, and a name change: from here on the company and its building will be known as Baltimore Center Stage.

The Long Shadow of Lynching in 2017

Theater - The Stranger: Seattle playwright, actor, and dancer Kamaria Hallums-Harris didn't know what she was going to write for her senior thesis project at Cornish College of the Arts. But when George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, her mission clarified.

Zach Morris of Third Rail Projects Returns to CMU

Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama: Alumnus Zach Morris (A 1999) of the immersive theater collaborative Third Rail Projects came to speak to School of Drama students about his company’s process and influences. Third Rail Projects gained wide-acclaim for their 2012 production Then She Fell based on Lewis Carroll’s life and writings. The piece, which has an audience of 15 people for each performance, ran for four years.

UPDATE: Then She Fell is still running and is currently running through September 3rd, 2017

Chicago’s 2nd Floor Rear Festival Celebrates DIY Art Spaces of All Kinds

#50StatesofArt - Creators: A weekend-long DIY festival titled 2nd Floor Rear showcases apartment galleries, migrant projects, and experimental collaborations taking place in various Chicago neighborhoods. From art in cars and handbags to wandering theater, walking performances, and unauthorized public art installations, the festival helps underfunded and under-appreciated alternative spaces get some exposure.

What the Debate Over That "Big River" Review Really Means

Clyde Fitch Report: It’s rare that a piece of theatre criticism kicks open debate in the way that the New York Times’ Feb. 9 review of the Encores! revival of Big River did. Although Laura Collins-Hughes gave a largely positive account of the 1985 Tony-winning musical, which is based on Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Stagehand Dies After Avenged Sevenfold Concert In Stuttgart, Germany

Blabbermouth.net: "We have some very sad news to report. Last night after our show in Stuttgart, Germany, a 26-year-old stagehand fell from the rafters while breaking down our stage. He fell a very far distance onto a 19-year-old man on the local crew. Tragically, the 19-year-old died from his injuries. The other man is now in critical condition at the hospital.

"This is beyond heartbreaking to everyone in the band and on our crew.

Does Broadway Need Celebrities in Order to Stay Afloat?

OnStage: It was announced in the last few days that Sara Bareilles will be replacing Jesse Mueller in Waitress on Broadway. This was followed up by what has become a very predictable set of reactions from 4 mainstream groups. Group #1 rolls their eyes. Group #2 consists of the celebrity fans who are ecstatic for their idol. Group #3 contains the angry aspiring musical theatre performers who are ticked off that yet another not-necessarily-a-good-performer-star has “stolen” a role from one of them. And Group #4 consists of the Broadway businessmen who could each buy a Central Park West Penthouse with the money this will make them. I’m going to speak mainly to Groups 1 and 3, and give you the reasons we should celebrate celebrities on Broadway.

Studios & Networks Rebuff DGA Diversity Push For “Rooney Rule”

Deadline: While signatory film and TV companies talk a good game about increasing the opportunities for minorities and women, they have “categorically rejected” continuing proposals by the DGA to embrace a program similar to one adopted by the National Football League that’s meant to encourage teams to consider candidates of color more seriously in the coaching ranks.

Winston Churchill’s Famous Arts Quote Is, Alas, Bogus

Arts Integrity Initiative: Even if you’ve never read the quote, you’ve no doubt seen the meme, in all of its arts-affirming, damn the torpedoes glory. Just one small detail: it isn’t true.

I am referring to the story that goes as follows, and here I’ll quote an op-ed piece from TheHill.com, dated February 19, 2017:

At the height of WWII, Winston Churchill was challenged to defend a budget that called for an increase in arts funding.

“How can you propose this at a time of extreme national crisis?” asked one member of Parliament.

Churchill replied, “I do it, sir, to remind us what we are fighting for.”

Diversity in Hollywood Is a ‘Plus Factor For the Bottom Line’

Variety: Hollywood is failing to present more diverse casts in movies and television — even though doing so would maximize the bottom line, according to a new report issued Tuesday by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA.

Raw Umber – It’s Ugly and We Love It

Rosco Spectrum: In 2016, Pantone 448 C was declared as the world’s ugliest color. So ugly, in fact, an Australian research and marketing project covered cigarette packs in the color and successfully discouraged people from smoking. While most people may be disgusted with this green/brown color, often called “Opaque Couché,” we in the scenic art biz call it Raw Umber – and we are madly in love with it!

How to Manage Your Excel Formulas: Copy, Paste and Autofill

business.tutsplus.com: Spreadsheets aren't just for finance pro's or accountants; they're also for freelancers or small business owners just like you. Spreadsheets can help you capture key data about your business, study your top-selling products, and organize your life.

The whole purpose of Excel is to make your life easier. This tutorial will help you build foundational skills for working with them. Formulas are at the heart of Excel.

Extending the Experience: Altria Theater

Wenger | J.R. Clancy: “Our design and programming strategy for renovating the Altria Theater included crafting a variety of experiences for patrons,” explains Bruce Herrmann, AIA, Director with Wilson Butler Architects (WBA). “And this means more than just adding seats.”

It Happened Here: Looking Back on the Revivals of Sinclair Lewis’s Play During the Election of 2016

HowlRound: During the summer of 2016, I taught a course on American literature and culture of the 1930s. During the mid-point of the semester, I had students read Sinclair Lewis and John C. Moffitt’s playscript of the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) productions of It Can’t Happen Here, based on the former’s 1933 novel of the same name. Both texts center on a Vermont newspaper editor named Dormeus Jessup who watches in horror as a fascist demagogue named “Buzz” Windrip is elected president after running a campaign based on promises such as giving each citizen $5,000 a year, and being viewed as a candidate “who tells it like it is” (Lewis loosely based the character on Huey Long). Post-election, America descends into a nightmarish Fascist-state, as Gestapo-like agents of Windrip begin suppressing those who criticize their leader and movement—including Jessup. As we gathered together one morning to discuss the play, I asked the students what their initial reactions were to the text. As if on cue, one student blurted out, “This is Trump. That’s pretty clear.”

Marriott’s ‘Mamma Mia!’ Rosie takes on body shaming in ‘Sun-Times’ review

www.chicagolandmusicaltheatre.com: I’ll start this by saying, reviews are reviews. If you read ’em, you’re dancing with the devil. You may like what you see and you may not. I read them because I’m a spaz and I can’t handle not knowing what’s out in the universe regarding my person.

I’ve been called lackluster. I’ve been called a budding star. I’ve been called the best in the show. I’ve been called the worst in the show. I do a little dance with the devil every time, digest the words and eventually (good or bad) they fall away.

The Washington National Cathedral Was Lit Last Night

Washingtonian: Spirituality got a multimedia boost from sight, sound, and space on Monday night, during a special exhibit hosted by Washington National Cathedral titled “Seeing Deeper.”

The free-to-the-public event invited visitors to enjoy a sound (Native American flute music performed by Karen Rugg) and light show (courtesy of Atmosphere Lighting), which took advantage of the unique acoustic and Gothic architectural elements of the landmark building.

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters considers performing "The Wall" on US-Mexico border

Euronews: Roger Waters, the co-founder of musical rock n’ roll group Pink Floyd, said the group’s cult album The Wall is more relevant now given Donald Trump’s US presidency than ever before.

Waters, 73, made the comment during a rare public appearance in London to promote “Pink Floyd, Their Mortal Remains”, an exhibition which will feature memorabilia and archived footage of the band as it celebrates its 50-year career.

La La Land Opening Number Rehearsal Video

The Mary Sue: Whether you’re a fan of the movie or not, you’ve got to admit that La La Land has at least a few catchy tunes and some inspired dance numbers straight out of classic Hollywood musicals. As you might imagine, there’s so much planning and preparation that goes into the creation of those huge dance numbers, and thanks to director Damien Chazelle and his iPhone, we get to take a peek into the full rehearsal for La La Land‘s opening number.

Australia's Battle Over Fair Use Boils Over

Electronic Frontier Foundation: Public submissions on the Australian Productivity Commission's proposal to introduce a fair use right into Australian copyright law have just closed, and Australian rightsholders are frothing at the mouth in their attempts to block this long-overdue reform.

How Do You Tell a Good Story? Take Pixar's Free 6-Part Online Course

Big Think: Humans tell stories. Many of us live interesting lives; developing a way to deliver the narrative is to our advantage. Others lead less than adventurous existences, and so stories become transcendent vehicles for our imagination. Epic mythologies and religions are nothing but collections of stories that inspire and transform us.