The Best Bay Area Theater of 2019

KQED Arts: As our calendars poise to flip from the teens to the '20s, it’s time to indulge in a final burst of nostalgia for the year in theater.

Filled with resonance and unexpected gems, the best Bay Area productions of the year looked at the world and found it filled with catastrophe, daring and hope—a reminder that artists are our best documentarians and our most prescient prophets. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from this year—and a toast of encouragement for the next.

California Based Actors, Musicians Brace For Impacts of 'Gig-Based' Bill

www.broadwayworld.com: California musicians have started a petition which as already received over 17.5K signatures urging the government to allow them an exemption under the new AB5 bill which limits which type of services are provided contractors instead of employees.

Meet the senior producer of Kelly Strayhorn Theater

Backstage | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: I work between the institution and artists to realize what happens on the stage and support artists through programs that are not necessarily performance-oriented, working with artists in all capacities throughout the institution. We do all sorts of performances, both in our 350-seat theater and in the Dance Alloy Studios: musical concerts, theatrical productions, dance performances, symposiums, community events, neighborhood happy-hour programs, various opportunities for folks in the community to come together. I’m coordinating with all those artists and with our teams internally to work on communication for the event.

Some Small Dance Companies Don't Have HR. So What Do You Do If Something Happens?

Dance Magazine: When Evan Supple joined a small but internationally renowned ballet company in 2016, he was told that it was like a family. Dancers shared ownership of the work and rehearsal process and were close with the artistic director. But when Supple reported abuse he says he witnessed at a children's rehearsal and was subsequently fired, he was forced to reckon with a much more hostile reality.

10 Broadway Creatives Who Dominated the Decade

www.broadwayworld.com: Over the past ten years, Broadway has been home to a plethora of creative triumphs. From daring new works to re-imagined classics, theatre has consistently challenged our perspectives, ignited our passions, and defied our expectations. For that, audiences have the creative minds of Broadway to thank.

While we salute each and every person who has written, directed, composed, and created this decade, BroadwayWorld is shining a spotlight on ten of them who had a particularly awesome ten years.

Why Diane Paulus Was Willing to Do Anything to Direct 'Jagged Little Pill'

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: In an industry in which theatre directors are often approached by producers with finalized scripts in hand, Diane Paulus appreciates more of a blank slate. The Tony Award winner (for Pippin) and Broadway vet (Hair, Finding Neverland, Porgy and Bess) enjoys joining projects early on in their development—sometimes before any words have even been written. When she signed on to Waitress, based on the eponymous indie film, Sara Bareilles hadn't yet composed a single song. It was the opposite with Jagged Little Pill: While most of the numbers come from Alanis Morissette's seminal 1995 album of the same name, producer Vivek J. Tiwary had no idea what the story would be when he courted Paulus over breakfast four years ago. She didn't need much convincing to come on board.

18 greatest moments on New York stages in 2019

DC Theatre Scene: In a year that has ended so dramatically off-stage, and during which so many people talked dismissively about “political theater” — when they didn’t mean anything actually happening in a work of art — it’s good to celebrate the memorable moments that happened nightly on New York stages.

Scribe Stats: Broadway's Most Produced Playwrights Of the Decade

www.broadwayworld.com: Each season, Broadway champions works both new and old, welcoming a fresh crop of plays from playwrights both at home and abroad. Their works enrapture audiences, dazzling in their relevance, sparkling in their spectacle, and often challenging in their complexity.

Our Most Memorable Operas and Dance Performances of 2019

DC Theatre Scene: Leading my most memorable performances for 2019 would have to be the Chamber Dance Project’s premiere of “Prufrock” in June at Sidney Harman Hall.

Exeunt's Most Memorable UK-wide Theatre 2019

Exeunt Magazine: Primordial dance, irreverent costume drama and communal experiences: Exeunt’s writers pick out the shows beyond the M25 which have stuck with them in 2019.

How 200 historic Hollywood backdrops were saved from the dumpster

Los Angeles Times: On top of a hill in Valencia, where the wind blows most days, the buildings are big, new and absolutely nonforthcoming. They could house anything — a doctor’s office, a car dealership, a secret government agency. Inside one, against the back wall, lies a pile of large equally nondescript pieces of canvas. Most are long and tied up with string; some have been folded into thick squares and stacked. They could be anything — enormous window treatments or very thin floor coverings.

Deko 3D by Sepia creates realistic sports figures with Massivit 3D printer

InPark Magazine: New contender in the sports sector, French visual communications specialist Deko 3D by Sepia, has been enjoying success with its investment in Massivit 3D printing technology. Investment in a Massivit 1800 3D printer has enabled the leading European print shop to work on a number of creative briefs in this thriving market.

NoPro’s Top Moments of 2019

No Proscenium: The Guide To Everything Immersive: Creating Top 5 lists is a long honored tradition of critics. There’s a number of reasons for this: including traffic (circulation back in the old days), the incessant desire to compile lists and figure out “what is best in life,” and even the pleasure that stems from the discipline of sitting down and asking yourself what really mattered in the year past. One thing that’s interesting, to me, about the immersive disciplines is that more than any other medium it is one of moments. The stories that participants tell after an experience are even more integral to the art than the ones that the production conveys to the audience. What we take with us as we leave an immersive, the memories that have formed, that’s the gold we seek to find.

Capitalizing on the Pull of Experimental Japanese Theatre

The Theatre Times: Shuntaro Matsubara’s first contact with live theatre was in 2014, when he saw a production of German dramatist Bertolt Brecht’s 1930 play Fatzer (aka Downfall of the Egotist Johann Fatzer) at the Kyoto studio of renowned director Motoi Miura, and his avant-garde company Chiten Only 26 years old at the time, and a little-known author of several novels, Matsubara was impressed enough to join a drama circle run by Miura. Before long, the pair began to develop a creative partnership together.

This Dancer Is Training the Corporate World How to Move

Dance Magazine: Rachel Cossar is a master at self-presentation under pressure. She has been developing her skills ever since her early years as a highly competitive rhythmic gymnast and throughout a successful career at Boston Ballet. Upon retiring from company life, Cossar chose to adapt all the lessons she learned onstage in nonverbal communication and inspire a new sector: She started her own company called Choreography For Business, and is now helping the corporate world leverage their movement potential.

Why we don't review previews, and the rare joys of seeing a show twice

Datebook: At preshow curtain speeches, when a company leader takes the stage to welcome audiences, I usually feel excited. A show is about to start! This is what I live for! But before the Dec. 6 performance of 42nd Street Moon’s “Scrooge in Love,” co-Executive Director Daniel Thomas said something that made me feel fear and self-reproach. “Welcome to the final preview of ‘Scrooge in Love,’ ” he began. “Preview?” I whispered to my companion, blanching. “I’m not supposed to be here!”

"Dance Nation" at Barebones Productions, Pittsburgh PA, USA

The Theatre Times: Allow me to introduce you to the fierce yet fragile preteens who populate Clare Barron’s savagely wonderful play Dance Nation. There’s Sofia (Mei Lu Barnum), that girl you knew in middle school who had all the answers and was ashamed of nothing – you know, the girl who was unembarrassed to admit that she masturbated or watched porn, the one who had a much older sister who told her stuff.

How to Prioritize Work When Everything Seems Important

www.lifehack.org: Even with all of the advances in modern technology, there are only so many hours in the day to cram in everything that we need to do. A simple “to-do” list doesn’t always cut it, and it’s easy to feel adrift in a sea of tasks without an oar. The key to managing all of the work responsibilities on your plate is prioritization. In theory, prioritization is pretty simple: write down what you need to do and then start doing it.

Magical Christmas trains feature GPS-triggered LED

www.avinteractive.com: Almost 250 Cameo Flat Pro Flood 600 IP65 lighting fixtures have been used by Bristol-based hire and events company SLX for The Magical Christmas Light Trains project which runs on historic railway lines in England in the run-up to and through the holiday season. The project is the brainchild of AJP Creative, which specialises in themed illuminated trails and experiences, and this year created experiences for Nene Valley Railway, North Norfolk Railway, North York Moors Railway and Severn Valley Railway.

Yes, You Should Take Preschoolers to the Theatre

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: For a family as stage-centric as ours (I'm the only non-Equity adult), one question arises the minute new members are born into it: How soon can we take them to the theatre? Three decades ago, I waited two and a half years to initiate my daughter, Laurel. When her father was cast in The Philadelphia Story, I prepped her for weeks: "What do we do when the lights go out?" Small finger to lips: "We're quiet."

Top Live Acts of 2019

Consequence of Sound: Maybe Grimes is right. Maybe live music will soon be obsolete. That was what she so boldly predicted during a November appearance on the Mindscape podcast, a pronouncement that produced one of the year’s most entertaining Twitter beefs (featuring cameos from both Zola Jesus and Holly Herndon) along with some genuine debate within the music world. Why sweat at a festival or cram into a venue when you’ve got Spotify and an Oculus Rift? A future ruled by algorithmic playlists and AI performers may be inevitable, but it hasn’t quite arrived in 2019. In our actual present, concerts remain alive and well, at every scale and in every venue.

2019 In Review: The Year In Asia

Pollstar: South Korea continued to be the international center of the Asian music business in 2019 as K-pop soared on the wings of BTS, which embarked on one of the most lucrative world tours of the year.

China’s Box Office Went Its Own Way in 2019, to Hollywood’s Detriment

Variety: It wasn’t just “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” — with its dismal $12 million opening weekend — that was a Middle Kingdom misfire for Hollywood in 2019. When year-end figures for the China box office are confirmed next week, it’s likely that only two Hollywood titles will be among the 10 top-grossing titles of 2019, compared to five out of 10 last year and overwhelming market domination not so long before that.

Cameron Crowe revisits his boyhood connection to San Diego's Old Globe in piece about 'Marriage Story'

The San Diego Union-Tribune: If you’ve been waiting with breathless anticipation for word on a possible Broadway staging of the Old Globe-launched musical “Almost Famous,” your wait is ... going to continue at least a little bit longer. But while there may be no word so far on a New York encore for the movie-based tuner (as they say in the trades), there are some new words out from writer-director and official San Diego golden god Cameron Crowe. And some of them even have to do with the Globe, and (indirectly) the show.

Why Rebecca Taichman Just Can't Get Enough of 'Sing Street'

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: Rebecca Taichman isn't just the director of Sing Street at New York Theatre Workshop, she's its instigator. After watching John Carney's undersung 2016 movie musical of the same name on Netflix, she knew immediately that she wanted to turn it into a piece of theatre. "I was ripped open by it," she says of the film, which centers on a 16-year-old aspiring rocker struggling with life and love in economically depressed early '80s Dublin. "By the end, I could just envision it on stage, and I wanted to see if I could find a way to make that happen."

Tool News Nirvana - December 24, 2019

Home Fixated: Here at Home Fixated, there are few things that excite us more than going downstairs on Christmas morning and laying eyes on a perfectly trimmed tree with an absolute raft of presents underneath it. Big ones, little ones, medium-sized ones. All we can think about is using a recip saw to open them all. From our family to yours, we wish you a happy, healthy holiday season and a very prosperous 2020. In this edition of Tool News Nirvana, we’ll hear about an exciting giveaway from Milwaukee, new tools from Makita, Metabo and DEWALT, and a new backpack from Klein. Nirvananauts, we’re ready for liftoff!

Christmas cards by architects and designers for 2019

www.dezeen.com: Our pick of the best Christmas cards we've received from architects, designers and brands this year includes Chris Precht's treehouse and a festive Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Abu Dhabi breaks world record for largest AR screen

www.avinteractive.com: The Guinness World Record for the Largest Augmented Reality (AR) Screen has been awarded to the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi for an AR experience which made use of the Piccadilly Lights digital billboard in London. The AR experience captured images of people near the statue of Eros in the city’s Piccadilly Circus and digitally placed them, using 3D AR overlays, among some of Abu Dhabi’s most famous tourism landmarks.

TOP 10 3D printing stories of 2019

www.designboom.com/technology: innovations with 3D printing really never seem to slow down. 2018 saw the technology being integrated in a wide variety of fields, from manufacturing to medicine and more. although this is still the case in 2019, 3D printing projects have become even larger in scale and more complex in build… if that was even imaginable. from bio-printed organs to prefab shelters destined for space, our 3D printing stories share a collective ambition to inspire experimentation and imagine a whole world of future possibilities.

Theatre We loved in 2019

www.citybeat.com/arts-culture/theater: Cincinnati saw its fair share of impactful theatre this year. Here are a few excerpts from reviews CityBeat writers sealed with a critic’s pick in 2019.

Our 20 most memorable shows of 2019

DC Theatre Scene: What matters most, when all the theatrical offerings for 2019 have been made, is what lingers in the minds and hearts of the audience. We asked our writers and the Gary Maker Audience Award recipients to think back over the year, and tell us their most unforgettable shows.

'To Kill a Mockingbird' Sets One-Night MSG Performance

www.ticketnews.com: Broadway’s To Kill A Mockingbird will set a special free one-night performance at New York City’s Madison Square Garden for over 18,000 public school students. The show, set to take place on February 26, 2020, will mark the first performance of a Broadway show at the legendary venue.

Simply the Best: The Shows that Ruled 2019

www.broadwayworld.com: As we count down the last days of 2019, New York City's top theatre critics have been taking stock of the theatre season- deciding on their personal choices for their favorite productions of the year. With so many stellar plays, musicals, revivals and new works, both on Broadway and off, a slew of shows have gained recognition from the critics this year.

Does ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ at The 5th Ave transcend the original’s problematic elements?

The Seattle Times: A man in a dress. That was the central gag of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the 1993 Robin Williams hit about a hard-luck actor named Daniel Hillard who loses custody of his kids and masquerades as a Scottish nanny to stay in their lives. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of the year, just behind “Jurassic Park.”

How Cats Inspired a Generation of Dancers

Dance Magazine: There are two phases of everyone's life: before seeing Cats and after seeing Cats. Starting today, with the release of a new film version of Andrew Lloyd Weber's hit musical, millions of viewers will enter into this second phase of life, and a new generation of people with "Memory" stuck in their head will arise.

“Amahl and the Night Visitors” at Resonance Works

The Pittsburgh Tatler: Resonance Works’ 2019 holiday offering is a double bill of a concert of music by four female composers in the first half, and the sweet and heartwarming short opera Amahl and the Night Visitors in the second.

Photo Flash: Sneak Peak of EMOJILAND Scenic, Projection and Lighting Design

www.broadwayworld.com: Arborhouse Productions & Visceral Entertainment today released a sneak peek of conceptual renderings for the new musical Emojiland by scenic designer David Goldstein and projection designers Lisa Renkel & POSSIBLE. The images vibrantly showcase the connection between the show's inherently technological setting and its advanced scenic, lighting, and projection design.

On Stage: A trio of area actors reflect on playing Dickens?s Christmas curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge.

The Washington Post: Every holiday season, Craig Wallace, Kevin Adams and Paul Morella get reacquainted with the same mutual friend: Ebenezer Scrooge.

Each of the three Washington actors began his relationship with the bah-humbugging miser at a different point over the past decade, and each of them has a unique relationship with Scrooge.

How To Make A Large-Scale Wood Graining Tool

Rosco Spectrum: Modeled after a Victorian toy theatre, our set was a recreation of the detailed paper boxes popular with 19th century children that would recreate their favorite productions for amusement. This included a parquet wood floor with a larger than life wood grain. This was agreed upon in verbal discussions with the designer

Americans should definitely be worried about the EU's new copyright rules

Boing Boing: The passage -- through MEPs erroneously pushing the wrong buttons! -- of the new EU Copyright Directive last March means that online platforms operating in the EU will have to implement filters that allow anyone, anywhere, to claim anything as their copyright, whereupon the platforms will have to detect any attempt by anyone else to upload those claimed works and block them.

2019 was an epic year of in Pittsburgh theater, with 'Hamilton,' 'Lear' and new classics

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: With “Cambodian Rock Band” and “King Lear” as a jumping off point, PIttsburgh theater this year demonstrated time and again the vast range of choices and talent in our midst, enhancing our cultural lives on a daily basis.

Those two plays -— worlds apart in time and tone — are both essentially about fathers, daughters and legacy, both political and personal. And both belong on any “best of” theater list by local companies and artists in 2019.

Avid and Berklee College of Music Team Up to Deliver Accessibility Features for Visually Impaired Music Creators

Stage Directions: Through a close partnership with Berklee, Avid introduces new accessibility features for Sibelius for visually impaired users making the popular music creation software more robust

Avid® announced a joint initiative with Berklee College of Music’s Assistive Music Technology (AMT) Lab to develop and improve accessibility features in Avid’s music composition and notation software, Sibelius®, for visually impaired users.

Your next DeWalt or Craftsman power tool might have a nigh-fireproof battery inside

The Verge: Here are two things you probably don’t know:

One, a whole bunch of the top power tool brands — including DeWalt, Black & Decker, Craftsman, Porter-Cable and more — are all owned by the same company, Stanley Black & Decker. Those 20-volt lithium-ion battery cartridges you stick into your drill, circular saw and weed whacker are all pretty much the same thing.

Two, a tiny startup called Amionx has figured out how to make lithium-ion batteries that don’t explode when they’re crushed, shot, or stabbed.

Super 78 | Flying over Indonesia | flying theatre attraction in Bali

booloop: Super 78 is pleased to announce the launch of Flying Over Indonesia, a new flying theatre attraction set to wow visitors at Trans Studio Theme Park in Bali, Indonesia. This brand new theme park, marketed as the first ‘Instagrammable’ theme park, is now open to the public after a grand opening ceremony last weekend.

Tease & Tails gifts Vegas with a burlesque ‘Nutcracker’

Las Vegas Weekly: Who could have guessed that one fateful performance nearly four years ago would result in an annual burlesque Christmas extravaganza? In June 2016, dancers Kim Amblad and Kady Heard performed together for the very first time. The two pros clicked so well, they decided to form their own production company, Strawberry Moon. By February 2017, they'd already launched their own Burlesque series, Tease & Tails.

Makita XPT 3-Speed Impact Wrench XWT11 - Not Too Big Not Too Small

Home Fixated: When it comes to impact wrenches, it sometimes seems like the target buyer exclusively works on monster trucks or suspension bridges. Massive torque in the upper 3 digits to lower 4 digits is not unheard of. However, along with those massive torque figures often comes, well, massiveness.

A Tale Of Two Load-Ins: Lessons In Organization & Efficiency On The Job Site

ProSoundWeb: “We’ll push from the loading docks to this area for staging, then we’ll separate it according to which floor it goes to. Be aware of what’s going on around you, and above all, be safe. Let’s get to it.”

Thus began the load-in for a corporate gathering of 20,000-plus attendees at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

For the First Time Ever, Dayton Ballet Has a Female Nutcracker

Pointe: A few months ago, Dayton Ballet's artistic director, Karen Russo Burke, approached Miranda Dafoe with an unorthodox idea: She wanted to cast a woman in the role of the Nutcracker in the company's holiday production, and she was tapping Dafoe.

Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini documents the life of a horror legend

Film | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Anyone who’s spent a significant time living in Pittsburgh most likely has a Tom Savini story. For some, it’s spotting him at the public pool in Bloomfield, the neighborhood where he grew up and still lives, or seeing him do whatever else a semi-retired makeup special effects artist, actor, and director does with his time.

Representing Identity in Theatre

At This Stage: Theatre is about telling human stories. It investigates what it means to have a human experience, it’s about who we are in relation to one another. In theatre, we “hold the mirror up” (Hamlet 3:2, 17) to society and we discuss one of the most human experiences of all, identity. Theatre has always been about representing human identity through performance.

The Light in the Piazza is a holiday-season treat at Lyric

Performing Arts Review | Chicago Reader: It's a dangerous thing to marry a stranger: the beautiful girl passing through town; the impetuous boy taken with her at first sight. My parents discovered this, to their eternal regret. But that's another story. The story at hand is The Light in the Piazza—a rental production of Adam Guettel's rapturous musical adaptation

Insiders: The Man Behind Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Light Show

Ticketmaster Blog: Trans-Siberian Orchestra have been a holiday touring staple since 1999, beloved for their skill at bringing electric rock ‘n’ roll energy to traditional festive music. The troupe’s concerts are a seasonal tradition for many, spreading joy via what feel like large-scale arena rock shows complete with elaborate video, pyrotechnic and lighting production.

Behind the Scenes Reaches $1 Million in Grants Awarded

Stage Directions: Behind the Scenes has just reached a major milestone—the charity has now awarded $1,000,000 in grants to our colleagues in need. This is an accomplishment that would not have happened without the support of the entire industry and of which it should be extremely proud.

How to Avoid Procrastination and Get Your Work Done

www.lifehack.org: Most of us procrastinate. Correction: ALL of us procrastinate. I even procrastinated writing this article.

We’ve all been there at some point. Here are 5 tips on how to avoid procrastination that can help you break out of paralysis and start producing at your peak.

Moving and Grooving

www.cmu.edu/news: It was November sweater weather in Charlottesville, Virginia, when Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama professors visited Monticello High School to present a master class to students in the drama program there. But Madeline Michel's classes didn't have a chance to get a chill — they were too busy moving and dancing.

How to improve your LinkedIn profile to get more job offers

www.fastcompany.com: Not all roads lead to the perfect career. That’s why it’s called a career journey, with twists and turns and likely many lessons learned along the way. How you embraced the journey is what matters to potential employers: the skill sets you’ve developed, how you’ve navigated change and overcome challenges.

Live Nation ‘bullied’ church, pocketed Met landlord’s share of cash from Madonna, Sting shows, lawsuit says

www.inquirer.com: Live Nation is accused in a lawsuit of cheating its landlord at the Met Philadelphia out of proceeds from performances by artists such as Madonna and Sting, and breaking an agreement to let the church that previously owned the music hall continue holding Sunday services there.

Behind-the-Scenes Look at Millennium Falcon Motion Pod and Turntable in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

blogmickey.com: After years of covering the construction of Disney’s newest land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the latest episode of The Imagineering Story on Disney+ has been quite the gift of behind-the-scenes visuals and explanations of what we saw from 800 feet in the air.

I survived a 'Christmas Carol' marathon: Seeing seven Scrooges in a row

Los Angeles Times: Arts journalists view each visit to the theater like as a kind of Christmas morning present, ornately wrapped so you have little idea what’s inside. As the house lights dim, I think to myself: Will I see a profound commentary on cultural identity? Or a frame-breaking play that enlightens us about the Constitution? Maybe it’s something from a bold new voice that could change the performance art forever.

During the monotonous holiday season, however, the answer might be just another staging of “A Christmas Carol.” Ebenezer Scrooge was right — bah, humbug, indeed.

Who Designs and Directs in LORT Theatres by Pronoun: 2019

HowlRound Theatre Commons: It’s the fifth year of this study! Are we getting closer to gender parity in design in LORT theatres?

The short answer is yes, albeit very slowly and with a good chunk of caveats. Over the six seasons, the percentage of she designers in positions increased 6.0 percent overall to 33.0 percent. Individual disciplines varied. In lighting and projection/video, the percentage of she designers in positions more than doubled. But the percentage of she designers in sound design positions only went up by 0.3 percent.

‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre stirs up nostalgia. How well does it work as a stage show?

The Seattle Times: Oh, hello. Who’s that at the door? Why it’s that creaky old Hollywood property all gussied up in a new wig and a fresh set of false teeth, here with designs to take up residence again in our pop-culture-loving hearts.

“Mrs. Doubtfire” the musical is the latest morsel of nostalgia bait to make the trek from silver screen to the Great White Way, where it’s slated to open on April 5. But first, it’s receiving its world premiere at the 5th Avenue Theatre, whose new musical pipeline will send its first show in more than five years to Broadway.

'Beetlejuice' brings attention to Broadway's stop clause

Broadway News: The stop clause has been part of Broadway for more than a century.

The clause, which enables theater owners to evict a show if grosses fall below an agreed upon level for two consecutive weeks, is back in the news after “Beetlejuice” was told it needs to leave its theater in June. The musical had hit its stop clause last June and in October received formal notice of eviction, as the Winter Garden Theatre reportedly prepares to welcome “The Music Man.”

Review Roundup: MRS. DOUBTFIRE's Pre-Broadway Engagement in Seattle - What Do the Critics Think?

www.broadwayworld.com: The musical features a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell and music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, the Tony Award nominated team behind Something Rotten! Four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks (Hello, Dolly!) will direct and Lorin Latarro (Waitress) will choreograph. Ethan Popp (Tina) will serve as Music Supervisor, Arranger and Orchestrator.

Why Don't More Women Wear My Dress Size on Broadway?

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: As a musical-loving teen, I spent countless hours imagining myself as my favorite Broadway heroines. But my fantasies evaporated whenever I looked in the mirror. I'd never seen a Christine in The Phantom of the Opera or a Belle in Beauty and the Beast or an Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady who was bigger than a size two, and I was hovering around a 10. As a young theatre fan, I wanted desperately to fit the picture of the strong female lead—so much so that it fed the feelings of insecurity and inadequacy that triggered my anorexia.

Theaters in Hungary Feel the Chill of Viktor Orban’s Culture War

The New York Times: The applause was still going strong after an evening performance at Jozsef Katona Theater in Budapest this week when one of the actors, his shirt and face covered in stage blood, turned to the audience with a request. He asked the theatergoers to gather and pose for a photograph with the cast, hands held up in protest.

Hot Holiday Gifts for Deserving Audio Engineers

Live Sound: It’s December! Still cramming on your last-minute holiday shopping list? The elves at Live Design are here to help. Whether you’re looking for the functional, the frugal, or the fabulously frivolous, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you with this collection of fun gift ideas for every live sound engineer on your shopping list.

I Am a Black Dancer Who Was Dressed Up in Blackface to Perform in La Bayadère

Dance Magazine: On Instagram this week, Misty Copeland reposted a picture of two Russian ballerinas covered head to toe in black, exposing the Bolshoi's practice of using blackface in the classical ballet La Bayadère. The post has already received over 60,000 likes and 2,000 comments, starting a long overdue conversation.

Bill Irwin On Samuel Beckett

NPR: Bill Irwin is an old-fashioned baggy-pants clown who happens to be fascinated with Nobel-winning playwright Samuel Beckett. Irwin talks with NPR's David Greene.

A soprano in Chile defied the silence curfew to sing ‘The Right to Live in Peace’

scroll.in: A video of opera singer Ayleen Jovita Romero in Chile defying the silence curfew in place and singing Victor Jara’s The Right to Live in Peace has gone viral on social media. The soprano sang the song from her balcony at night and invoked a huge round of applause from people living in the neighbourhood.

Midnight Radio: “Yinzer Scrooged: A Pittsburgh Christmas Carol” at Bricolage Production Company

The Pittsburgh Tatler: Reader, if – like me – you’re a relatively recent transplant to Pixburgh, the presence of the term “yinz” in the title of anything might immediately raise a question about your audience-ship, namely: have I lived here long enough to understand the accent, let alone get the inside jokes?

10 of the Most Iconic Costume Changes in Broadway History

Playbill: A well-designed quick costume change is a true crowd-pleaser. Beyond impressive stage craft, these moments punctuate plot points and create iconic visuals on the stage that keep theatre fans talking long after a production's final performance. Take a look at these legendary costume change moments from Broadway's present and past.

Queering Theatre Criticism

HowlRound Theatre Commons: In our Western cultural narrative of artmaking, the critic and the creator are set across the table from each other, situationally poised enemies. Our Tabithas, à la Birdman, and Anton Egos, à la Ratatouille, are manifestations of an ongoing cultural narrative that paints the critic as inept, prejudiced, and bitter. At best, critics are unsympathetic; at worst, actively antagonistic to our artistic hero’s journey.

A Model Solution For LED Lighting Upgrades – RoscoLED® Tape

Rosco Spectrum: The Pasadena Model Railroad Club began in 1940, housed inside its members’ homes. From there, they were set up inside a retail space and an old bowling alley before the club eventually ended up purchasing a former rubber stamp building in Los Angeles in 1979. Today, it’s known as the Pasadena Model Railroad Museum, having become an official California museum in 2018, and it’s the home to The Sierra Pacific Lines – a model railroad display featuring a main line of over 1700-feet that takes a model train over an hour to traverse.

'Jagged Little Pill' Is The First To Bundle Cast Album With Broadway Ticket

www.ticketnews.com: Album bundling has become a well-known tactic in the industry, boosting artists’ latest record on the charts due to ticket sales, and now, the idea has been extended to Broadway.

The Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill, based on Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album of the same name, debuted on Broadway earlier this month. Now, the musical is the first to offer a cast album bundled with a ticket.

4 Recommendations for Building Inclusivity in the Video Gaming Industry

AMT Lab @ CMU: Player motivations vary widely, and though research indicates differences in motivation between demographic groups, one should be cautious of assumptions based on these differences. Interview subjects, depending on their background and role in the industry, gave different answers when asked about research linking player motivations with demographic categories

What is the state of theme park and attraction design?

www.themeparkinsider.com: I was invited along – and impressed by how the event has scaled up since I last attended in 2015. Peppered with insights from key figures, it was the ideal way to take stock of where the industry is at and where it's headed.

Speakers throughout the day included Joe Pine – co-author of industry handbook The Experience Economy – and leaders from Bompas and Parr, PwC, Guinness Storehouse and KidZania.

The Baltimore Ravens Unveil Futuristic ‘Mixed Reality’ Spectacle

brobible.com: On Thursday night, the Ravens rolled out the new “mixed-reality” feature, a merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations in real time within the stadium. Or, in terms I’m more familiar with, it’s like a really wild mushroom trip.

Moments that defined Bay Area theater in 2019

Datebook: One of the many joys of my job is that the instant I convince myself I have some grasp on the Bay Area theater scene, it transforms. One new company is born; another takes a giant leap forward. One actor plays against type; another gets the chance to unlock new depths.

Marionettes at Play

The New York Times: One afternoon last month, the shiny red curtains parted at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater to reveal the dancing Three Caballeros — puppets in the shape of a big-beaked toucan, a parrot and a rooster — manipulated from above by puppeteers dressed head to toe in red. Two long-necked feathery ostrich puppets followed, with one laying an egg that cracked open to reveal a baby ostrich puppet. Then a bright orange squirrel puppet tap-danced to the old show tune “I’m Fascinating.”

How Can We Confront Implicit Bias? The Director of Jacob's Pillow Shares Her Ideas

Dance Magazine: At Jacob's Pillow's June gala, something happened that outraged me: A patron who identifies as black/biracial felt a white man seated behind her touch her tightly coiled hair. When she ignored him, he audibly complained that her hair would block his view of the stage. At dinner, the patron was further subjected to a series of objectifying questions. "What are you?" asked the white woman sitting next to her. Not "who are you," but a dehumanizing "what." "Who was black? Was it your mother or your father? What do your children look like?"

Why Peter Luger got that ONE STAR review and what that means for Broadway.

The Producer's Perspective: And we thought the theater critics were tough?

A few weeks ago, a NY Times restaurant critic wrote a searing “zero-star” review of the world-famous Peter Luger steak house in Brooklyn, saying he felt “scammed” after dining at what has been consistently referred to as one of the “top 10 meat joints in the world.”

ETC controls help penguins find their feet

 et cetera...: Following the notoriety of its Breaking Bad locations tour, the City of Albuquerque has added another startling tourist attraction: a colony of penguins.

The Penguin Chill exhibit at the city’s ABQ BioPark is the first of its kind in the Southwest. We wanted to know how well the new residents were adapting to their Southwest home and sent a Penguin-speaking ETC reporter for this exclusive interview.

USITT 2020 Distinguished Achievement Award Winners Announced

Stage Directions: The USITT Distinguished Achievement Awards honor individuals who have established meritorious career records in specific fields of expertise in any area of design or technology in the performing arts or entertainment industry. Each will be a featured part of the USITT 2020 Conference in a special session presented by one of the Commissions. Areas of achievement include, but are not limited to disciplines represented by the Commissions of USITT, scenic design, lighting design, sound design, technical direction, costume design & technology, theatre architecture, theatrical consulting, production management, stage or arts management, entertainment technology, education, or a convergence of these disciplines. Get to know this year's winners.

Properties Director: Sandra Strawn

AMERICAN THEATRE: Wisconsin-based artist Sandra J. Strawn is quick to point out that she’s a properties director—not properties designer, and certainly not a properties master (though many people think the terms are synonymous). “I realize that some people think it means you are a master of your trade, but the patriarchy of that term is offensive to many of us who are female,” says Strawn. Her book The Properties Director’s Handbook has helped shape the language around the profession and pave the way for more theatre artists to find their way to power tools.

A Headphone Wearing Theatre Audience Experiences Truly Immersive Live Audio Thanks to DPA’s New 4560 Binaural Headset Microphone

ETNow.com: Nanna-Karina Schleimann has become one of the first sound designers to make use of DPA’s new Binaural Headset Microphone, which gives sound technicians, vloggers, film makes and YouTubers an accurate and reliable tool to capture authentic immersive audio in real time.

The Freelancer's Guide to End-of-Year Tax Prep

twocents.lifehacker.com: I started preparing for next year’s taxes in October of this year. By the first week of November, I sent my CPA a prepared document listing my current business income and expenses (aka a “profit and loss statement”) as well as my anticipated income and expenses for the remaining two months of the year.

The Accidental Movie Mogul

Chicago magazine | December 2019: Alex Pissios had already received a red eviction notice on his house in Hawthorn Woods when his luck finally turned. It’s a story he’s polished until it gleams like a rhinestone. A developer of residential properties on the North and West Sides, he’d been taken down by the real estate crash of the ’00s; when the final tally came, he would owe creditors $13 million. He was 35, his career was finished, and his old associates had written him off. His wife had gone back to work as a dental hygienist, and Pissios spent his days changing diapers and driving the kids to school.

How the AVENGERS Movies Impacted, and United, the World of Visual Effects

VFX Voice Magazine: “It’s interesting to look at the major leaps in visual effects over the years,” observes Dan DeLeeuw, Marvel Studios Visual Effects Supervisor. “In many cases, it’s a single film that does something revolutionary, and those techniques are incorporated into other films – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Willow with one of the first morphs, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Abyss all come to mind. But there are also the big franchises that push a whole collection of techniques forward. The Star Wars trilogy, all of the Harry Potter films, and now the MCU [Marvel Cinematic Universe] have all been instrumental in changing the dynamic of the industry over the course of the series.”

'Mrs. Maisel's' many hats, and the LI woman to whom they once belonged

Newsday: Before production began on Amazon’s “Mrs. Maisel,” the cast and crew gathered to propose a Champagne toast to a “Marvelous” Long Islander. Their glasses were raised to Far Rockaway-born Rose Harper, the original owner of more than two dozen elaborate headpieces from the ’50s used in the series' upcoming third season.

Review Roundup: JAGGED LITTLE PILL Opens On Broadway - See What The Critics Are Saying!

www.broadwayworld.com: JAGGED LITTLE PILL is an exhilarating new musical inspired by the themes and raw emotions laid bare in Alanis Morissette's seminal album of the same name. The Healys appear to be a picture-perfect suburban family - but looks can be deceiving. When the cracks beneath the surface begin to show, they must choose between maintaining the status quo or facing harsh truths about themselves, their community, and the world around them. "Urgent, wildly entertaining, and wickedly funny in all the right places" (The Boston Globe), this original story is ignited by Morissette's groundbreaking music - including such hits as "You Oughta Know," "Head Over Feet," "Hand In My Pocket," and "Ironic" - plus brand-new songs written for the show. Hailed by The New York Times as "a big-hearted musical that breaks the mold," Jagged Little Pill "takes on the good work we are always asking new musicals to do: the work of singing about real things."

Costume Designer Jany Temime Looked To The Colorful Past For ‘Judy’

Variety: As costume designer on “Judy,” the biopic about Judy Garland, Jany Temime kept one criteria in mind. “My question was, ‘What would Judy wear for that scene?’ That how I approached it,” says Temime, who also wanted to portray the difference between “the real Judy and the performer Judy.”

I don't have a retirement plan, and I don't care

www.fastcompany.com: When I tell people, particularly older people, that I’m a freelance journalist, I can tell by the look on their face that many are thinking the same thing, though few are bold enough to say it: “What about retirement?”

I have to admit that question used to give me a lot of anxiety. The reality is that I don’t have a retirement plan, no 401(k), pension plan, or employer-matched contributions. But I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t care—or at least I don’t need to.

Best of AutoCAD Tuesday Tips 2019

AutoCAD Blog | Autodesk: For years, the AutoCAD blog’s Tuesday Tips has always been a fan favorite. 2019 was no exception to that fact. With a slew of new tips, advice, and options, we’re always looking to uncover those nuggets that will make your day-to-day life easier and more efficient. Here are just a few of the most popular posts over the past year.

Revisit the Infamous Rolling Stones Free Festival at Altamont: The Ill-Fated Concert Took Place 50 Years Ago

Open Culture: The Tate-LaBianca murders and the violence at Altamont in 1969 have become emblems of the end of “the notion of spontaneity,” writes Richard Brody at The New Yorker, “the sense that things could happen on their own and that benevolent spirts would prevail. What ended was the idea of the unproduced.” Perhaps it's important to keep in mind that this was only ever an idea, nurtured by those with the means and talent to produce it, and to overshadow, for a time, figures like Manson, a Laurel Canyon hanger-on before he became a cult-leading, spree-killing mastermind.

Hungary's government plans to tighten control over theaters

Reuters: According to draft legislation seen by Reuters on Friday, the government would set up a National Cultural Council, headed by a minister, with the task of “setting priorities and directions to be followed in Hungarian culture”.

The minister would also have a say in the appointment or sacking of theater directors at institutions that are jointly financed by the state and municipality.

Two new stage shows will make your holidays a bit more enjoyable

Pittsburgh Current: In case you’re keeping score – last week I combined two different shows into one review. Normally I don’t like doing that because it suggests I’m comparing one against the other … absolutely not my intention. It’s just that the shows I reviewed covered the same themes and it would’ve been odd to silo them as if they weren’t happening at the same time.

That ain’t nothin’ compared to this week.

Backlash to Queen and Slim Reviews Shows Black Female Critic Importance

The Mary Sue: One of the most interesting things to come out of the 2019 film Queen & Slim, directed by Melina Matsoukas and starring Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith, is the discourse among Black critics, especially among fellow Black women who have had mixed reactions to the film.

Netflix executive touts 'golden era' of streaming service

Newsradio 1020 KDKA: An executive with Netflix says the streaming giant has boosted its original content exponentially over the last several years and that will mean more action for its production hub in New Mexico, where state officials have been busy trying to woo more big partners in the industry.

Nick Maniatis, who ran the state's film office before going to work for Netflix, spoke to a group of hundreds of business leaders and elected officials who were gathered Thursday in Albuquerque. He described it as a “golden era," saying the amount of content that's out there is amazing.

X-Wings fly over Galaxy's Edge for dedication of new Star Wars attraction

insidethemagic.net: December 5 will be a pretty memorable date for fans of the galaxy far, far away. That’s because it marks the opening of the Rise of the Resistance attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

The new Star Wars-themed land opened at Disney World on August 29 with only one attraction in operation–Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. It was later announced that the second attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, would open on December 5 at Disney World and on January 17 at Disneyland in California.

Traditions change. Even for Fiddler on the Roof. Choreographer Christopher Evans on Fiddler's revised choreography

DC Theatre Scene: Professional productions of Fiddler on the Roof traditionally feature the iconic Jerome Robbins choreography from the original production. The 2015 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof was the first major production to get permission to use new choreography, created by Hofesh Schechter and his company. That revival is now on tour across North America, with the choreography restructured by Christopher Evans, Schechter’s associate choreographer.

How the Experts at Legacy Effects Brought E.T. Back to Life

io9.gizmodo.com: E.T. got a sequel, did you notice? Well, of a sorts, in the form of a lavish holiday commercial that brought Eliot back and recreated the vibe of the classic Spielberg film, complete with a puppet version of E.T. himself. Turns out, that puppet was an elaborate construction built solely for that commercial, a full reconstruction of the original. In a new video, the people behind that recreation, Legacy Effects, talk about how they did it.

NFTRW Top Five

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

The Success Advantage Every Theatre Major Has Over Others in the Working World

Inc.com: In my life, I've been involved nearly 200 theatre productions. I was heavily involved in high school, and was a theatre major in college. Even while I was in the mortgage industry, I continued acting and singing in local productions. Additionally, I was the artistic director of a growing community theatre, and founded a successful mystery dinner theatre company. It's a passion that has given me great joy, and also served me well throughout my career.

Posted by David at 12/06/2019 10:34:00 AM

This Dancer Spent a Month in Zion National Park

Pointe: For ballet dancers, taking daily class is one of the most natural things they can do.
But taking class in nature is an entirely different story.
Last September, outdoor barre became the new normal for Sarah Longoria during her monthlong stint at Utah's Zion National Park. She lived onsite as an artist in residence, the park's first-ever dancer to be selected for the position.

Posted by David at 12/02/2019 11:30:00 AM

Broadway is locking up cellphones because audience members can't control themselves

www.nbcnews.com: Last month, I caught a 10 p.m. performance of the new Broadway musical “Freestyle Love Supreme.” As I was preparing to walk down the aisle to grab my seat, an usher asked me to verify that my phone was silent or off and then placed it in a foam pouch. At first, I thought she was confiscating it. But after she sealed the pouch via an electronic device, she explained that I could hold onto it and have it released from captivity after the show.

Posted by David at 12/03/2019 10:56:00 AM

Scientists Are Pushing to Ban Glitter, Say It's a 'Global Hazard'

Parents: All crafting enthusiasts and makeup gurus know there is a price to pay when using glitter. Yes, it is dazzling and theatrical but with one use, comes lots of damage control—expect an impossible-to-clean mess in any inconvenient crevice. So what does that chaos mean on a larger scale? Microplastics—the essence of glitter which consists of small pieces plastic are making headlines as scientist warns of the environmental dangers they present.

Posted by David at 12/04/2019 11:53:00 AM

Review: ‘’Twas the Night Before’ by Cirque du Soleil at Chicago Theatre

Chicago Tribune: Two factors explain the massive crowds this past weekend for “'Twas the Night Before," the new seasonal attraction at the Chicago Theatre. One is the abiding pull of a family visit to the Loop to absorb some holiday atmosphere, a reminder of how, even in this age of Amazon, we’re still attracted to historic urban centers as harbingers of meaningful togetherness. The other is the power of the brand known as the Cirque du Soleil.

Posted by David at 12/03/2019 10:57:00 AM

Hear At Last: A History Of Stage Monitoring

ProSoundWeb: It’s inconceivable nowadays that a band would perform a live show without stage monitors, but in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, that’s exactly what used to happen. In the early 1960s, sound systems were very basic and used primarily to amplify the vocals, and monitors had not yet been invented.

LDI 2019 Show Report from Nook Schoenfeld

Stage Directions: My favorite place to stop and take a break was at the Dot Image booth. This Japanese company had a customized circular truss system that had a wide variety of LED twinkling products going up and down on a set of kinetic winches. There were Saturn-type rings with gyroscope-looking activity, chandeliers of stunning imagery bounced in formation everywhere with so many light sources. I don’t think I ever saw the same thing twice.

Making Radical Parent Inclusion Replicable and Sustainable

HowlRound Theatre Commons: As a freelance artist and the founder of the Parent Artist Advocacy League for the Performing Arts (PAAL), I have spent years researching different parent support solutions in our field. Based on my findings, I compiled a handbook, the PAAL National Handbook of Best Practices. When Roberta Pereira, producing director of New York City’s the Playwrights Realm, approached me about committing all these practices to a singular Off-Broadway production in an effort to manifest radically inclusive change, I knew PAAL’s research and recommendations were ready to put into action.

4-day firestorm of controversy ends with Utah Rep closing its doors

Gephardt Daily: Four days after an actor vandalized the Utah Repertory set of “American Psycho,” and one day after that actor posted the reasons for his act on Facebook, the theater has closed down all operations.

“Utah Repertory Theater Company closes its doors after seven wonderful years of productions,” says a theater Facebook post issued in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker Has a New Role for Dancers With Disabilities

Dance Magazine: Marie and Franz have a new guest at their Christmas Eve party this year. Emma Lookatch and Larke Johnson, both dancers in the Adaptive Dance Program at Joffrey Academy of Dance: Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, are alternating in the new role of Worker Girl. It is a permanent part created specifically for students with disabilities in Christopher Wheeldon's version of The Nutcracker at The Joffrey Ballet.

The Success Advantage Every Theatre Major Has Over Others in the Working World

Inc.com: In my life, I've been involved nearly 200 theatre productions. I was heavily involved in high school, and was a theatre major in college. Even while I was in the mortgage industry, I continued acting and singing in local productions. Additionally, I was the artistic director of a growing community theatre, and founded a successful mystery dinner theatre company. It's a passion that has given me great joy, and also served me well throughout my career.

Supreme Court battle: Bring it on, singer tells comedian Mike Ward | Montreal Gazette

Supreme Court battle: Bring it on, singer tells comedian Mike Ward | Montreal Gazette: A case centred on questions of discrimination and artistic freedom might be headed to Canada's top court. And that's OK with Jérémy Gabriel.

Female Filmmakers and Actors Discuss Creating Intimacy on a Safe Set

Variety: “Everything was so glamorous and cool,” sighs “Hustlers” star Constance Wu of the last lucrative night her character spends working in the strip club before the 2008 stock market crash. The camera agrees. In slow motion, it gawks as 300 people collide like electrons. Men fling money, slide cash into spandex and gaze in awe at women who swing around poles, crawl on bar tops, stroke lapels, sit on laps and caress each other on stage. Usher even smacks Jennifer Lopez’s bottom.

College yanks student-directed play at last minute because it depicts KKK

The College Fix: Is ‘The Sound of Music’ banned now, too?

A private college canceled a student-produced play that satirizes the Ku Klux Klan an hour before its final dress rehearsal, saying it could trigger some people on campus.

Maryland’s Washington College denies that the last-minute decision amounted to censorship that will chill the expression of other student artists.

Broadway Intimacy Director Talks About Sex Onstage

Variety: The craft of intimacy direction is taking Broadway by storm — and on the latest episode of Variety’s Stagecraft, Broadway’s first intimacy director explains why, and breaks down the ways in which she’s helping to revolutionize how actors get intimate onstage.

'Tarzan' high school musical dropped, amid racism concerns

www.lohud.com/story: What happened at Alexander Hamilton High School last week was either a district acting sensitively to parent concerns or the cancel culture at work.

Either way, Tarzan’s vine has been cut.

Alexander Hamilton High School’s drama club had set Dec. 4 auditions for the Disney musical adaptation of “Tarzan” when two parents complained, one to Principal Joseph Engelhardt, another to Rob Jacoby, the club’s music director and producer.

What LARP can Teach Theatre about Consent

Liz Christensen: I play with the Utah Chapter of Alliance LARP, a live action role play game, and I’ve been a theatre professional as an actress, director and choreographer in Utah for almost three decades. I have my own #metoo story, the inciting incident of which took place at a beloved local community theatre a long time ago and was lawfully resolved. In this highly charged moment, I want to briefly share some thoughts that I think could be of benefit.

Disney's new Rise of the Resistance tops all theme park rides

www.themeparkinsider.com: With four ride systems, enough projections and Pepper's Ghosts to fill the Haunted Mansion, and a 20-minute overall experience time, Rise is as stuffed as Jabba the Hutt. Walt Disney Imagineering attempted to create the most technological advanced attraction in theme park history here, and not only did they succeed, they created a visually stunning experience that will overwhelm every casual Star Wars fans.

The Theater Olympics Bring a World of Drama Together

The New York Times: The event happens in a different city every few years and participants from all over the world are thrilled to take part. Crowds rush to buy tickets for events they might never otherwise see. It was founded in Greece, and international cooperation and good will are high on the list of aims.

The Milwaukee M12 Installation Driver - Your Close Quarters Friend

homefixated.com: There comes a time in every handyperson or mechanic’s life when you have that one fastener that is just out of reach. Or sometimes you can reach it, but just cannot get a good bite on it. Maybe it’s too awkward, or a regular driver won’t fit in the space you have to work with. The Milwaukee Fuel M12 Installation Driver has a knack for tackling those hard-to-reach places.

#PayUpHollywood Poll: 24% of Assistants Report Higher Substance Use

Variety: Around one in four assistants said the entertainment industry’s working conditions have prompted them to increasingly use drugs, alcohol and other substances, according to a #PayUpHollywood survey of over 1,500 support staffers shared exclusively with Variety.

Scientists Are Pushing to Ban Glitter, Say It's a 'Global Hazard'

Parents: All crafting enthusiasts and makeup gurus know there is a price to pay when using glitter. Yes, it is dazzling and theatrical but with one use, comes lots of damage control—expect an impossible-to-clean mess in any inconvenient crevice. So what does that chaos mean on a larger scale? Microplastics—the essence of glitter which consists of small pieces plastic are making headlines as scientist warns of the environmental dangers they present.

An Unexpected Twist on 'A Christmas Carol' at the Playhouse in the Park

www.citybeat.com: I’ve been attending the opening nights of A Christmas Carol at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for nearly three decades. I did so on Friday, Nov. 30 with every expectation of seeing Charles Dickens’s familiar tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s Christmas Eve conversion from angry miser to loving benefactor, thanks to the visitation of his long-dead business partner Jacob Marley and three ghosts sent to teach Scrooge some important lessons.

Parents of Color and The Need For Anti-Racist Theatre Practices

HowlRound Theatre Commons: I’m at a theatre conference, and I hear the children before I see them. Bubbly giggles erupt from their bodies as they take flight, running for the pure joy of the experience. For a moment I’m lost in thought as I measure the emotional cost of me being here—which is time away from my own children—and what it would mean for them to accompany me into these highly problematic, racist spaces. Confident I made the right decision to leave them at home, I return to the reality of the conference.

Why Parent-Artists and Institutions Need Human Resources Support

HowlRound Theatre Commons: As senior manager of talent at a global NGO, people often ask “why human resources?” the moment they learn about my background in the arts. The answer is advocacy. I was immersed in the world of professional theatre for thirty years before moving into HR. As an arts educator, I advocated for my students to be seen and heard, but as an actor I realized I felt no agency to advocate for myself. That disconnect shaped my decision to seek out opportunities to make a more direct impact on people’s lives.

How dialect coach Nancy McNulty assures accuracy of place and authenticity of sound

Backstage | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: What does a dialect coach do?
Help shape two major things about an accent: accuracy of place and authenticity of sound. I structure a dialect that will bring everyone together to sound like they are from one world. It’s mostly based on place and geography, but social station is also a factor. There are lots of little nuances to help enrich the difference in characters.

When Department Stores Were Theater

The New York Times: After the hundreds of jobs going poof and the thus-far inadequate discounts, the saddest thing about the closure of Barneys New York is that its signature naughty window displays will recede even further in collective memory.

Review: ‘’Twas the Night Before’ by Cirque du Soleil at Chicago Theatre

Chicago Tribune: Two factors explain the massive crowds this past weekend for “'Twas the Night Before," the new seasonal attraction at the Chicago Theatre. One is the abiding pull of a family visit to the Loop to absorb some holiday atmosphere, a reminder of how, even in this age of Amazon, we’re still attracted to historic urban centers as harbingers of meaningful togetherness. The other is the power of the brand known as the Cirque du Soleil.

Broadway is locking up cellphones because audience members can't control themselves

www.nbcnews.com: Last month, I caught a 10 p.m. performance of the new Broadway musical “Freestyle Love Supreme.” As I was preparing to walk down the aisle to grab my seat, an usher asked me to verify that my phone was silent or off and then placed it in a foam pouch. At first, I thought she was confiscating it. But after she sealed the pouch via an electronic device, she explained that I could hold onto it and have it released from captivity after the show.

"Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance": Inside the new ride at Galaxy's Edge

CNN: "Spaceships and aliens and stormtroopers and lightsabers and droids and all in one attraction."
That's what Scott Trowbridge, a Disney theme park designer known as an Imagineer, told me ahead of riding the highly-anticipated, 18-minute new attraction, "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance" at Walt Disney World.
"[It's] everything that makes Star Wars Star Wars," he said.

This Dancer Spent a Month in Zion National Park

Pointe: For ballet dancers, taking daily class is one of the most natural things they can do.

But taking class in nature is an entirely different story.

Last September, outdoor barre became the new normal for Sarah Longoria during her monthlong stint at Utah's Zion National Park. She lived onsite as an artist in residence, the park's first-ever dancer to be selected for the position.

Muhammad Ali in a Broadway Musical? It Happened

The New York Times: So, as the sportscaster Howard Cosell used to ask great boxers: What went wrong out there, champ?

When the stage musical “Buck White” opened at the George Abbott Theater on Dec. 2, 1969, it had three knockout draws: timeliness, a strong track record and its star, the charismatic heavyweight Muhammad Ali.

“One Night in Miami…” at City Theatre

The Pittsburgh Tatler: After he won the World Heavyweight Championship by roundly defeating Sonny Liston on February 25th, 1964, Cassius Clay celebrated his victory in private with three friends: R & B star Sam Cooke, political activist Malcolm X, and professional football record-setter Jim Brown. There’s no record of what they did together that evening; in One Night in Miami…, playwright Kemp Powers has taken that gap in the historical record as inspiration to imagine what these four friends might have talked about.

Knotfest Mexico Canceled After Barricade Breaks, Fans Storm Stage, Destroy Equipment

Revolver: Yesterday, November 30th, Slipknot were supposed to close out Knotfest México 2019, the latest edition of their hugely successful traveling festival, which recently announced its expansion into the world of metal cruises. However, after a barricade was pushed down during Behemoth's set earlier in the day, and multiple attempts by the festival organizers to fix it failed, the Iowan masked juggernaut canceled their headlining performance due to security concerns.

Jeremy O. Harris Responds To White Woman Who Called "Slave Play" Racist

www.buzzfeednews.com: A Broadway audience was stunned on Friday night when a white woman jumped from her seat and accused a black, gay playwright of being "racist against white people."

Jeremy O. Harris was taking questions in the packed theater following a performance of Slave Play, his new play that's been called provocative, uncomfortable, and thought-provoking. Its story focuses on three interracial couples who are struggling with their sex lives and take part in an Antebellum master-slave role-playing therapy workshop to try and fix their issues.

Broadway Theater Stands Up to Serial Suer And Wins

www.forbes.com: The Ambassador Theatre Group has proven, once again, that the best defense is a good offense.

Last year, Evelyn Castillo sued the Broadway landlord in federal court over its policy blocking guests from bringing outside food into its theaters. She complained that the practice discriminates against individuals with diabetes, and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.

NFTRW Top Five

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

Behind the Museum Walls: 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Made In PGH: Chances are that if you live in Pittsburgh, you’ve driven past the giant dinosaur statue in Oakland quite a few times, and you’ve at least heard of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. For those of us who grew up here, field trips to the museum were a highlight of our youth (getting out of school to look at fossils and play inside an igloo replica all day…what could be better!?). This museum isn’t just for kids though—it’s one of the top natural history museums in the nation, so you’ll want to take some time to explore it as an adult too. Here are 10 things that you probably didn’t know about the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Posted by David at 11/29/2019 11:12:00 AM

Circus horror as female acrobat crashes 30ft to the floor in front of screaming families

Daily Mail Online: Families watched in horror as an acrobat plunged 12ft to the floor 'after slipping from her harness' at Winter Wonderland.

The accident happened at the Zippos Christmas Circus Show at 6pm, during a performance of Cirque Beserk at the popular event in London's Hyde Park.

Staff rushed to help the artist, mother-of-one Jackie Armstrong, 35, and the tent was quickly cleared of audience members.

Posted by David at 11/25/2019 10:51:00 AM

Point Park cancels musical due to student concerns over racist content

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Student concerns over racist content in Point Park University’s fall show have led to the cancellation of “Adding Machine: A Musical.” On Thursday, Steven Breese, artistic director of the university’s Pittsburgh Playhouse and dean of the Conservatory of Performing Arts, convened a town hall in the Playhouse’s Highmark Theater, where “Adding Machine” was to have opened Dec. 5. More than 200 students, faculty and staff aired their concerns for nearly three hours.

Posted by David at 11/28/2019 11:04:00 AM

21 Satisfyingly Beautiful Pieces Of Welding Art

canyouactually.com: Welding art is truly an art, I mean seriously, scroll through these pictures below and you’ll instantly get want I’m talking about. Even if you don’t like welding or have absolutely no interest in it it’s hard not to be impressed by these incredible welds.

Posted by David at 11/27/2019 11:04:00 AM

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show canceled in end of bygone era

www.fastcompany.com: Congratulations, consumers of taste. You did it. You killed the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The onetime television staple, which debuted in 1995 and usually airs in November, will not take place this year, according to Stuart Burgdoerfer, CFO of the brand’s parent company, L Brands, who announced the news in an earnings call yesterday. The cancellation follows steadily declining ratings and attempts to “rethink” the show’s image for younger consumers who saw it as outdated.

Posted by David at 11/27/2019 10:57:00 AM

Behind the Museum Walls: 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Made In PGH: Chances are that if you live in Pittsburgh, you’ve driven past the giant dinosaur statue in Oakland quite a few times, and you’ve at least heard of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. For those of us who grew up here, field trips to the museum were a highlight of our youth (getting out of school to look at fossils and play inside an igloo replica all day…what could be better!?). This museum isn’t just for kids though—it’s one of the top natural history museums in the nation, so you’ll want to take some time to explore it as an adult too. Here are 10 things that you probably didn’t know about the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

'Like dance, but with more pointy objects': Learning swordplay for the stage at SDSU

The San Diego Union-Tribune: A voice rings out across the Don Powell Theatre stage early one morning at San Diego State University, issuing a terse command: “Assume the position of attention.” But for an observer witnessing a dozen people suddenly brandish swords and daggers as they step into warrior stances, attention is not really an issue. The weapons, as it happens, are real (more or less). But the purpose is the pursuit of art rather than some poor foe’s arteries.

Ms. and They: Coming to Terms with Terms of Identity

www.clydefitchreport.com: As the only white dancer in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater circa 1969, my moniker was “Miss Scarlett.” Fresh from high school, I remember thinking it hilarious at the time. While touring Africa, the company played 12 countries, including Kenya, where there was a press conference at the embassy before opening night (you may remember this tale from a story that I wrote for the CFR last April). A reporter asked Ailey, “Do you want to be known as ‘Negro’ or ‘Black’?” I saw him struggle with frustration as he searched for an honest answer. Finally, he said, “I want to be called Alvin Ailey, the choreographer.” This began my lifelong fascination with the profound impact of identity on our deeper selves, whether it is personal or within society.

How Seeing Shows Is Changing These Veterans

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: James Faulkner recalls his wife and daughter going to the theatre, but the Korean War veteran admits he didn't join in. "I never did go with them there, or to the Statue of Liberty or, you know, a lot of places," he says, explaining his experience as a prisoner of war left him a bit introverted. "My wife was a big talker, not me."

What Makes Site-Specific Revivals So Powerful?

Theatre Development Fund – TDF: This week, TDF Stages Editor Raven Snook geeks out (via Facebook Messenger) with Juan Michael Porter II, a dancer, teacher and playwright who's contributed articles to Time Out New York, Broadway World, HuffPost and TDF Stages. Today's topic: The coolest site-specific revivals we've seen, wish we'd seen or would like to see!

Top 5 Stories from IAAPA 2019

Theme Park University: One of the highlights of the year is visiting the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) in Orlando. A place where designers of theme parks, attractions, food… anything that relates to attractions is on display. There are literally hundreds of booths all vying for the attention of vendors and the press. They’ve all got their own stories to tell. Here are our top 5 favorites from IAAPA 2019.

'Hairspray' at Stage 62 is 'non-stop entertainment'

Pittsburgh Current: If heroin could assume artistic form, it would surely be the 2002 Broadway musical Hairspray, an adaptation of the 1998 John Waters movie. I swear composer Marc Shaiman and lyricists Shaiman and Scott Wittman have somehow managed to slip some form of aural crack into their songs; these aren’t the sort of tunes you leave the theater humming, they’re the kind of numbers pursuing you to your car, following you home and getting stuck in your brain for weeks. Maddening, yes, but a hell of a lot of fun.

The Global Narrative for Arts Education Is Changing

www.clydefitchreport.com: The ninth World Alliance for Arts Education International Conference, held in Frankfurt, Germany, from Oct. 25 through Nov. 1, gathered more than 200 people from 47 nations. Delegates debated big ideas, connected over pretzels and beer, and took in the sights of student artwork, politicians speaking in favor of the arts, and regular performances. The conference conveners notably shepherded a global dialogue around a call on UNESCO to host a third-world congress on arts education — how to support arts education in a changing globalized world.

Point Park cancels musical due to student concerns over racist content

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Student concerns over racist content in Point Park University’s fall show have led to the cancellation of “Adding Machine: A Musical.” On Thursday, Steven Breese, artistic director of the university’s Pittsburgh Playhouse and dean of the Conservatory of Performing Arts, convened a town hall in the Playhouse’s Highmark Theater, where “Adding Machine” was to have opened Dec. 5. More than 200 students, faculty and staff aired their concerns for nearly three hours.

House Committee Announces Investigation Into Live Event Ticketing

www.ticketnews.com: The House Energy and Commerce Committee announced Thursday it would be investigating the live event ticketing industry, looking for “potential unfair and deceptive practices” within, according to a press release. Letters were sent to Live Nation, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Tickets.com, StubHub, Vivid Seats, and TicketNetwork requesting details on business practices from each and a briefing to take place by December 12th.