Tuesday, November 30, 2021
'The Nutcracker,' a holiday tradition, goes on amid pandemic protocols
NPR: NPR's A Martinez speaks with Washington Post dance critic Sarah Kaufman about how The Nutcracker ballet is responding to COVID-19 concerns this year.
Sheffield’s Crucible: the revolutionary theatre that was almost snookered
Sheffield Theatres | The Guardian: Entering Sheffield’s Crucible theatre – currently celebrating its 50th anniversary – always gives one a lift: there is something about its open stage that seems to presage excitement. It helps that under its four directors this century – Michael Grandage, Samuel West, Daniel Evans and Rob Hastie – the work has been of high quality and the audience steadfastly loyal.
In a New Documentary, Remembering the Legacy of Waitress Creator Adrienne Shelly
TheaterMania: Adrienne Shelly was a vibrant actor, writer, director, and playwright who is the lesser-known force behind one of Broadway's biggest hits. Shelly wrote, directed, and co-starred in the 2007 film Waitress, which she would not live to see released. At 40, she was murdered in a senseless act of violence on the verge of finding out that the film had been accepted into the Sundance Film Festival.
News: The Passing of Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021)
Maryland Theatre Guide: I was most fortunate to spend a good part of my childhood through my twenties not far from Broadway. From 1957 to the middle 1990s, if you lived in New York, you were acutely aware of the artistry of Stephen Sondheim. From his collaboration with the great composer, Leonard Bernstein, as the lyricist for “West Side Story” to his last full length Broadway musical, “Into the Woods” (“Assassins” was revived on Broadway in this century), he was one of the vital life forces of Broadway theatre.
Dominique Morisseau Cancels Los Angeles Production of Paradise Blue Due to Reports of Workplace Abuse
Playbill: Dominique Morisseau has pulled the Los Angeles premiere of her Paradise Blue at Geffen Playhouse, claiming a number of abuses against Black women took place behind the scenes. In a Facebook post, the Tony-nominated playwright said “harm was allowed to fester. Grow. And go unchecked. I caught wind of it, as I was not involved in the process. I then investigated it personally. And ultimately, refused to stand for it.”
I found a friend in Stephen Sondheim’s musicals. No one has made a bigger impact on my life
Stephen Sondheim | The Guardian: “Once upon a time,” on an afternoon in 1991, my family gathered around the television. We had been alerted by my sister Blazey to the airing of American Playhouse’s recording of Into the Woods, a musical by someone called Stephen Sondheim.
Under the Radar Festival Returns, Smaller but Still Funky
The New York Times: The Under the Radar festival, the Public Theater’s annual showcase for experimental theater, will return in person next year, Jan. 12-30. The event, now in its 18th year, will feature nearly two dozen artists, with performances held at the Public and Mabou Mines in Manhattan as well as a venue in upstate New York.
24 Stephen Sondheim Shows, Concerts, and Documentaries to Stream
Playbill: With Broadway mourning the loss of groundbreaking composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, Playbill has assembled a list of where audiences can stream his stage and screen works, celebratory concerts, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and more.
How Broadway Cares Is Giving Back This Holiday Season and How YOU Can Help This #GivingTuesday
www.broadwayworld.com: This Giving Tuesday, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is giving back, with a goal of providing 80,000 healthy meals for people who do not have enough to eat this winter. You can help by making a donation tomorrow. Donations will be matched dollar for dollar by generous donors Jodi and Howard Tenenbaum and Elizabeth Armstrong, if $100,000 is raised by the end of the day.
Emily Magpie – Mastering Engineer
SoundGirls.org: Emily Magpie is a Mastering Engineer and recently launched Emily Magpie Mastering. Emily has been working in audio for the last seven years and attended dBs The Sound & Music Institute where she was tutored by Josh Hills (mastering engineer for Sony, EMI). Based in Bristol, Emily works as a producer + musician and her work has been championed by BBC 6’s Tom Robinson, The Line of Best Fit, Mahogany, Earmilk and amassed over 90,000 plays on Spotify.
Batman-themed escape room experience opening in Paris
blooloop: Warner Bros., DC and Dama Dreams have announced an immersive escape room attraction called Batman Gotham City Adventures, opening in a secret location in Paris in 2022.
AOTO targets virtual production with LED studio products
www.avinteractive.com: Since the emergence of the green screen in the early 1930s, there has been a steady stream of technological innovations on film and TV sets, including the Dunning Method and the Sodium Screen Process. But nowadays, virtual production is here to revolutionise filmmaking. With the rapid development of small-pitch LEDs and their increased use in a wider variety of applications, film and television making is entering a new era.
Monday, November 29, 2021
Goodman tries new plays with New Stages
Chicago Tribune: Nine months ago, mounting a New Stages festival this season seemed unimaginable for Goodman Theatre, said director of new works Jonathan L. Green. New Stages, which Green called the theater’s primary engine for producing world premieres and a core part of the company’s commitment to new work, returns on Dec. 1 for its 17th annual festival.
'House of Gucci' Costumes, from Lady Gaga's Gowns to Jared Leto's Suits
www.elle.com/culture: Being dressed to kill takes on a new meaning in the hotly anticipated House of Gucci, which weaves a web of fashion, betrayal, and murder. Ever since the first on-set photos of Lady Gaga and Adam Driver frolicking in Milan hit the Internet, Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Sara Gay Forden’s gripping book of the same name became one of the buzziest movies of 2021. Telling the story of the real-life power grab at the heart of the glamorous dynasty, the murder of Maurizio Gucci (Driver) and the ex-wife (Lady Gaga) who was convicted of this crime—and earned the nicknames the “Joan Collins of Monte Napoleone” and the “Black Widow”—House of Gucci hits theaters this Thanksgiving.
The growing legacy of Stephen Sondheim
Broadway News: There is heartbreak in the timing of the death of Stephen Sondheim, the composer and lyricist who came to tower above all others in the last 50 years of Broadway theater.
Outline Announce The ‘GSR’, A Unique Acoustic Measurement Solution
LightSoundJournal.com: Designed in collaboration with the Department Of Mechanical And Industrial Engineering at the prestigious Brescia University and engineered in Italy by Outline, the new GSR (Globe Source Radiator) provides a vital tool for acoustic analysis.
Big, Bold, Gold: Fabulous Jewellery Is The Other Star Of House Of Gucci
British Vogue: During her marriage to Maurizio Gucci, Patrizia Reggiani was not shy of a bauble or two. “Christmas tree-d up” is how Janty Yates, the costume designer for House of Gucci, puts it. “Patrizia wore incredible jewellery and it was all the real McCoy. She was quite literally dripping in gems,” says Yates.
Theatre Royal Sydney declared open
Theatre People: Theatre Royal Sydney is thrilled to be opening its doors to the public after a complete refurbishment that has transformed this iconic 1200 seat historical Australian theatre. The architectural masterpiece and centrepiece of theatre in Sydney’s CBD will be re-opening its doors this Thursday December 2 with Broadway hit musical, Jagged Little Pill, bringing performance and creativity once again to the heart of Sydney whilst expanding international tour possibilities within Australia.
Inside House of Gucci wardrobe: Costume designer reveals fashionable secrets
Metro News: Lady Gaga leads the A-list cast in Ridley Scott’s masterpiece on the bitter history of the brand, starring alongside Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino and Salma Hayek.
As expected, the wardrobe choices are truly iconic and that is all thanks to costume designer Janty Yates and her incredibly talented team.
Theater festival's new leader prepares to hit the ground running
www.heraldmailmedia.com: When Contemporary American Theater Festival founder Ed Herendeen was a teacher and Peggy McKowen was a student in the theater department at West Virginia University, they had no classes together.
He taught acting, and she was studying theater design.
New costumes for "The Nutcracker" cost the Colorado Ballet $1.5 million
coloradosun.com: When Holly Hynes, the internationally renowned costume designer, sat in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House watching the Colorado Ballet’s “Nutcracker” she thought that it looked “pretty gorgeous” – then she got a closer look at the wardrobe backstage.
Review: Quantum Theater’s Chimerica
onStage Pittsburgh: It is often said that great writing begins with a question. As our world becomes increasingly globalized, digitized, but also volatile, questions related to public memory, heroism, censorship, and the importance of historical interpretations move from the background of our collective narrative to the foreground of our behaviors and daily interactions.
Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021): Master of the Modern Musical
Observer: He will continue to shape the future of musical theater because he trained our ears, set the bar high, and new composers and lyricists will study his work. For a hundred who try, misguidedly, to imitate him, one will find their voice.
New York’s Theatre Industry Thanks Senate Majority Leader Schumer for Saving Our Stages
Playbill: Theatre professionals in New York and across the country breathed a collective sigh of relief in December 2020 when Congress reached an agreement on a coronavirus relief package that included the $15 billion Save Our Stages Act. That moment was thanks in large part to the efforts of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who fought to ensure that the final relief package included significant funds for the entertainment industry.
Sunday, November 28, 2021
NFTRW Weekly Top Five
Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:
Popcorn Foam Is a Renewable Alternative to Polystyrene
Nerdist: Every year the world produces 14 million tons of—non-biodegradable—polystyrene foam. The general-purpose plastic is hard, brittle, and cheap. And it forms everything from packing peanuts to disposable cutlery to insulation. Now, researchers at Georg August University in Germany say they may have a tasty, environmentally friendly alternative to consider: popcorn foam.What is the history behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
www.usatoday.com: The classic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been watched by millions of New York residents and millions more on television. After an audience-free parade in 2020, Will Coss parade executive said this years parade is returning as a celebration of "culture, love and spectacle."When you paid top price for Broadway tour seats — and can't hear the dialogue
Datebook: Paul Bendix of San Francisco was looking forward to attending his second major in-person show since the pandemic hit. It was opening night for BroadwaySF’s “My Fair Lady” at the Orpheum Theatre on Nov. 3, and he and his wife had orchestra seats. He hadn’t seen the Lerner and Loewe musical since he was a kid. But after the curtain went up, he heard a horrible echo.Stadium built with shipping containers reaches completion in Qatar
www.dezeen.com: Colourful shipping containers and a modular steel structure make up Stadium 974, which Fenwick Iribarren Architects has completed in Qatar ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup.Should guns be banned from film sets? Professional armorers push back
www.msn.com: After news broke of the Oct. 21 shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on the set of the western “Rust,” heartbreak rippled through an industry that has long established safeguards designed to prevent this kind of tragedy.
Friday, November 26, 2021
When you paid top price for Broadway tour seats — and can't hear the dialogue
Datebook: Paul Bendix of San Francisco was looking forward to attending his second major in-person show since the pandemic hit. It was opening night for BroadwaySF’s “My Fair Lady” at the Orpheum Theatre on Nov. 3, and he and his wife had orchestra seats. He hadn’t seen the Lerner and Loewe musical since he was a kid.
But after the curtain went up, he heard a horrible echo.
Spencer Costume Designer on Princess Diana's Fashion
www.townandcountrymag.com: Would you dare to reinvent a fashion icon's wardrobe? Spencer costume designer Jacqueline Durran was tasked with representing Princess Diana's style in the new film starring Kristen Stewart, but not recreating anything precisely (a la The Crown).
Jamaican Raxann Chin Is Costume Designer For New Disney Film
jamaicans.com: Award-winning, Jamaican-born couturier Raxann Chin has just completed her latest major assignment as Costume Designer on the new Disney short film Keeping Up With The Claus, scheduled for release across several major platforms next month in time for the Christmas holidays.
The costume design of Marvel’s ‘Eternals’
The Connector: Marvel’s newest and oldest superheroes were introduced on November 4th. The film boasts very impressive visuals, along with a star-studded cast. The movie was different from any other Marvel movie and so was the costuming. As a fashion student, I always look forward to seeing how the costume design informs the storytelling.
'Cowboy Bebop': Inside the Costume Design of the New Space Western
Variety: The age-old struggle between original source material and creative interpretation rears its head again with Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop”, a new take on the acclaimed Japanese anime originally released in 1998. Costume designer Jane Holland used the original series’ design aesthetic as a springboard for her work in the live-action reboot, which is already the subject of fan scrutiny for not precisely replicating the animated version.
Gearwrench Torque Screwdriver 20-Piece Set Review 89620
PTR: Over-torquing fasteners sucks. At best, you risk damaging the fastener. At worst, you get to replace a part that wasn’t part of your cost equation. When it comes to smaller fasteners, Gearwrench aims to take the guesswork out with their torque screwdriver set.
Review Roundup: CLYDE'S Opens On Broadway- See What the Critics Are Saying!
www.broadwayworld.com: In CLYDE'S, a stirring and funny new play from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and her frequent collaborator, director Kate Whoriskey (Ruined, Sweat), a truck stop sandwich shop offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Even as the shop's callous owner, Clyde (played by Aduba), tries to keep them under her thumb, the staff members are given purpose and permission to dream by their shared quest to create the perfect sandwich.
RTS Craft & Design Awards: winners announced
Televisual: Across the 29 competitive categories, the BBC led the way with 11 wins, two of which were for Bad Wolf’s hit drama series Industry for HBO and BBC, which received Awards for Casting, and Photography – Drama & Comedy. Channel 4 received seven awards, with RED Production Company’s It’s a Sin and Working Title Television’s We are Lady Parts taking the spotlight with three wins each.
Where’s the Brief?
ASTC: In North America, theatre consultants are often introduced to a prospective new project via a Request for Proposal – typically, a voluminous package of information that was prepared and circulated by a government or private purchasing authority for the purpose of inviting potential design firms to submit bids on the job, with the hope of being short-listed, and eventually – hopefully – designing the project.
Stadium built with shipping containers reaches completion in Qatar
www.dezeen.com: Colourful shipping containers and a modular steel structure make up Stadium 974, which Fenwick Iribarren Architects has completed in Qatar ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup.
wiegand.waterslides details new Wie-glow technology
blooloop: The company has presented a new innovation for individual water slide design, which will also be utilised on spectacular dry slides by sister company Josef Wiegand. Many waterslides can already feature internal designs, however, the Wie-glow concept means that these no longer need to just be repetitive patterns or colours.
Creating Sustainability in the Film Industry
AMT Lab @ CMU: When thinking about sustainability the first thought that often comes to mind is climate action, net-neutrality, or carbon emissions. Sustainability, in fact, has many other aspects beyond the climate. The United Nations developed a list of 17 goals in 2016 with a goal for the world to reach in 2030. These goals address holistic sustainability – aiming to help increase the quality of life worldwide. These guidelines are called ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ or SDGs for short, each having a different focus on a sustainable world including gender equality, clean water, no poverty, quality education and climate action.
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Legends in Concert welcomes new tribute artists for Christmas season
Entertainment | bransontrilakesnews.com: Legends in Concert invites folks to join them as they celebrate the magic of the season as they welcome in their 2021 Christmas tribute artists.
Now through Jan. 1, 2022, Legends in Concert guests will be treated to tribute performances from Whitney Houston, Dean Martin, The Blues Brothers and Elvis Presley.
How a Tube of Mascara Gave Costume Designer Mitchell Travers Inspiration for 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye'
Awardsdaily - The Oscars, the Films and everything in between.: Dressing Tammy Faye Bakker is a dream job, and it’s one that costume designer Mitchell Travers was excited to dive into for Michael Showalter’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The time period lends itself to near parody (shoulder pads, chunky jewelry, and pastels–oh my!), but Travers wanted to honor Tammy Faye as much as he could with her wardrobe. I posited that this particular time period was great for fashion, but Travers put it into clearer focus for me. “An incredible time for confidence and risk-taking,” he said.
House of Gucci Costumes on Display at FIDM in Downtown L.A.
Variety: The “House of Gucci” has taken over the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) Museum in downtown Los Angeles. Costumes worn by the film’s cast, including Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Jared Leto were on display, including Lady Gaga’s wedding dress.
Cowboy Bebop Costume Breakdown: The Easter Eggs and Secrets of Space Cowboys
IGN: In a world heavily influenced by a combination of western, samurai, noir, and gangster imagery it is hardly surprising that the Cowboy Bebop aesthetic is just as vibrant in the new Netflix series as it was in Shinichirō Watanabe’s beloved ‘90s anime. From the first image released of John Cho wearing Spike Spiegel’s signature single lapel blue jacket, it is clear the retro feel is still a vital part of the overall vision.
Veteran Christmas show crew members postpone retirement
www.ny1.com: Radio City Music Hall control board operator Eric Titcomb was set to retire last year, but with the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular” canceled last season, he postponed retirement by a year so he could come back and do one more season of the Christmas show.
We asked House of Gucci's costume designer to pick the best suits in the film. She obliged
British GQ: Stellar cast and sumptuous Italian vistas aside, the real standout stars of Ridley Scott's new high fashion epic, House of Gucci, are - somewhat unsurprisingly - the clothes. From Lady Gaga's multiple turns in cleavage-bearing Saint Laurent skirt suits to Jared Leto's elephant cord Norfolk two pieces in candied shades of magenta and cobalt, the woman behind the magic is celebrated costume designer Janty Yates, of Gladiator, American Gangster, and The Martian fame.
Giving Thanks: 44 Broadway Artists Share What They Were Thankful for in 2021
Playbill: As the holidays approached in a year that saw vaccinations roll out around the world and theatres reopen around the globe, Playbill reached out to a host of theatre artists and asked them what they were particularly thankful for in 2021. Their varied, thoughtful responses follow.
Angelina Jolie & Harry Styles' Eternals Costumes Were Completely CGI
screenrant.com: The VFX supervisor for Marvel's Eternals recently shared that two of the Eternals costumes were entirely computer-generated. Marvel's latest family from director Chloé Zhao explores the origins of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and expands on the concept of Celestials, massive entities that oversee universal life, which was first introduced in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. However, Marvel's latest lore-heavy epic expands on these beings and shows the power and destruction that the Celestials leave in their wake.
Almost 100-strong CHAUVET Professional rig lights Sixwire livestream
TPi: Keith Hoagland and Steve Leopard of Leopard Productions specified around 100 CHAUVET Professional fixtures in their lighting design for a corporate event livestream for Sixwire with special guest, Steve Augeri.
Carrie Underwood prepares to open the Las Vegas Strip’s newest theater during NFR
Las Vegas Weekly: The holidays are great, but it’s actually country music season on the Las Vegas Strip. After relocating to Arlington, Texas, to maintain during last year’s pandemic spike, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo comes home to Las Vegas starting on December 2, and it’s bringing all the concerts and parties that come along with it.
Deconstructing the psychedelic sound design of 'Dune'
www.fastcompany.com: The book series Dune is one of the most celebrated sci-fi epics of all time, full of technological motifs like shield belts, hovering gadgets, and space travel. But for director Denis Villeneuve, who released the latest film remake in 2021, “at the end of the day, Dune is a psychedelic journey.” It’s a drug-fueled exploration of the desert itself.
What is the history behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
www.usatoday.com: The classic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been watched by millions of New York residents and millions more on television.
After an audience-free parade in 2020, Will Coss parade executive said this years parade is returning as a celebration of "culture, love and spectacle."
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Renowned scenic and costume designer David Israel Reynoso celebrates the magic of theater
The San Diego Union-Tribune: In one of his most recent creations, renowned scenic, costume and exhibit designer David Israel Reynoso wanted to celebrate the world of theater by taking an older form of it and giving it a more modern look.
How to Use LinkedIn's Resume Builder (and When You Shouldn't Use It At All)
lifehacker.com: There’s never a bad time to apply for a new job, but updating your resume can begin to feel like a big task (especially if you’re already overworked). If you’ve got a LinkedIn profile though, you can use what you’ve already written to build and customize a strategic resume, as well as speed up your application processes.
A prominent Broadway costume designer is accused of sexual abuse
NPR News - 90.7 WMFE: Court Watson recalls hearing once that William Ivey Long was “a tornado made of chiffon.” How lucky was he, Watson thought, as just a college student, to have the chance to learn from the very best in the business — a true legend in Broadway costume design.
Isis Mussenden (The Wheel of Time): Costume Design panel interview
GoldDerby: There are many differences between Amazon Prime Video’s new adaptation of Robert Jordan’s “The Wheel of Time” and other fantasy epics like “The Lord of the Rings” and “Game of Thrones,” but none more striking than the fact that in the world of “The Wheel of Time,” women are put at the forefront.
‘A Quick 5’ with Kristina Lambdin, Costume Designer for ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
Maryland Theatre Guide: Chesapeake Shakespeare Company will be present the holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” based on the story by Charles Dickens. This version has a bit of twist CSC’s annual version moves the action to a more familiar locale right here to Baltimore, rather than taking place in Victorian England. This allows them to bring in some local history and culture but “staying true” to the Dickens’ tale. The adaptation is written by Ian Gallanar and directed by Lizzi Albert and Erin Bone Steele.
Broadway Box Office Holds Steady As Industry Hopes For Thanksgiving Boost
www.forbes.com: According to figures released by The Broadway League, an industry trade organization, all 32 shows grossed $25.07 million together for the week ending November 21. That’s a wee downtick from the week prior’s overall, but it’s in line with historic precedent. The week before Thanksgiving tends to be an unremarkable calm before the storm.
Ayrton Celebrates 20 Years of Digital Lighting
LightSoundJournal.com: November 21st 2021 has seen Ayrton celebrate its 20th anniversary and what a journey it has been for the company which has dedicated itself entirely to developing innovative LED lighting products.
“When Ayrton was created, we didn’t know at the time, but we were going to revolutionize the world of lighting with a totally disruptive concept, Digital Lighting,” says Ayrton founder, Yvan Péard.
International Online Theatre Festival is The Second-Place Winner of the Culture Online International Award for “Best Online Project”
The Theatre Times: TheTheatreTimes.com’s International Online Theatre Festival is the second-place winner of the Culture Online International Award for “Best Online Project.” In 2021, a total of 452 projects were submitted from more than 20 countries.
Bernhard Endl Meets Ninja Warrior Austria Challenge with ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M
LightSoundJournal.com: Bernhard Endl Meets Ninja Warrior Austria Challenge with ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M
Lights, Press Review, Press Review Main
24/11/2021
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For the two-million or so Austrians who tuned in every Monday to watch the country’s 2021 Ninja Warrior championships, keeping pace with the gifted young athletes as they raced across unstable bridges, swung along series of hanging rings, and hauled heavy weights up a “Salmon Ladder,” would have seemed like an impossible task. But, for Bernhard Endl, it was a matter of routine.
Evolution Dome plays its part in COP26
Event Industry News: Federated Hermes International enlisted on the experience of the international provider for its fringe festival which ran alongside the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). The international business of Federated Hermes hosted a Fringe Festival between 4 to 12 November at skypark Glasgow.
Aurora co-founder looks back and forward as Lawrenceville Arts Center opens
ARTS ATL: Anthony Rodriguez’s friends remember it vividly, but he doesn’t. When they remind him his post-college plans included opening a theater company, he laughs because he has no recollection of that.
Despite a shaky memory, that alleged statement has proved prophetic. As president, CEO and co-founder (alongside associate producer Ann-Carol Pence) of Aurora Theatre, Rodriguez has just opened the company’s new $35 million Lawrenceville Arts Center.
NOEA launches DE&I educational programme
Event Industry News: The National Outdoor Events Association has unveiled a series of workshops and educational sessions, focusing on the crucial subject of Diversity, Equality & Inclusion. The educational course has been developed in partnership with Wasserman and represents over £15,000 worth of CPD learning, but will be available for free to NOEA members in 2022.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Production designers panel: Discussion with 4 elite craftspeople
GoldDerby: “To be the production designer is so much to do with the unspoken part of the story and the way that that can sort of fit the audience’s experience,” says Grant Major (“The Power of the Dog”) about how he hopes his work is perceived — or not perceived — by audiences.
Audible brings ‘Approval Junkie’ to Off-Broadway’s Minetta Lane Theatre before its release as an audio-play
DC Metro Theater Arts: Prior to the digital release of a live recording of the show on the Audible streaming platform in December, Faith Salie’s Approval Junkie is making its New York debut for a limited four-week engagement at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre, after COVID-19 caused its originally scheduled 2020 opening date to be postponed.
Popcorn Foam Is a Renewable Alternative to Polystyrene
Nerdist: Every year the world produces 14 million tons of—non-biodegradable—polystyrene foam. The general-purpose plastic is hard, brittle, and cheap. And it forms everything from packing peanuts to disposable cutlery to insulation. Now, researchers at Georg August University in Germany say they may have a tasty, environmentally friendly alternative to consider: popcorn foam.
Respect production designer Ina Mayhew interview
GoldDerby: “I think we all are familiar with her later part of her life, which I of course knew a lot about because I’m a big fan of hers and have watched so many shows. But the early part I was not as familiar with at all. So that was the difficult part,” explains production designer Ina Mayhew about recreating the life and times of Aretha Franklin for the biopic “Respect.”
The Emails Behind the Opera ‘Eurydice’
The New York Times: In 2015, the composer Matthew Aucoin emailed the playwright Sarah Ruhl to ask whether she would be interested in working with him on a new opera inspired by the Orpheus myth.
Instead they ended up adapting her 2003 play “Eurydice” — a yearning, fanciful treatment of the Orpheus story in which Eurydice is reunited with her dead father in the underworld.
Mythology Today: Exploring The Eurydice Myth's Impact on Opera Through The Ages
Playbill: The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has captivated imaginations for millennia. Orpheus, the archetypical musician, marries Eurydice, who then dies (from a snake bite, in most versions) on their wedding day. Orpheus mourns so movingly that the gods allow him to descend into the Underworld and lead the shade of Eurydice back to the world of the living. There is—as so often in myth—one catch: Orpheus must not speak to Eurydice, or even look back at her, until they have completely emerged from the Underworld, or else he will lose her forever.
Whole New World: Indian-American Actors Proud in "Aladdin" Play
The Theatre Times: Diversity in film is important, but in animation, it carries an even heavier, different message. Since animation is mainly geared towards children, it is even more important to have characters of different races, ethnicities and religions to inspire kids all around the world.
Eddie Redmayne Wouldn't Play Trans "Danish Girl" Role Now
www.themarysue.com: Eddie Redmayne has spoken out many times about his role in The Danish Girl, in which he played a trans woman. Once again, he is expressing his regret about taking the role.
Canada's largest hospitality LED video wall unveiled
www.avinteractive.com: Peerless-AV and LG Canada were the key suppliers in Canada’s largest hospitality LED video wall project at Westin Bear Mountain Resort and Golf Spa in Victoria, British Columbia.
IAAPA celebrates the return of IAAPA Expo in Orlando
blooloop: IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, has announced that over 28,000 attendees and exhibitors took part in IAAPA Expo 2021 as the event returned to the Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, for the first time since 2019.
CLYDE'S Will Livestream Final Two Weeks of Broadway Performances
www.broadwayworld.com: Clyde's
Second Stage Theater is partnering with Assemble Stream to offer simulcasts of its current Broadway production of Lynn Nottage's play, CLYDE'S, directed by Kate Whoriskey, for the final two weeks of its run, January 4 - 16, 2022, allowing theater fans who aren't able to attend in person the opportunity to witness a live Broadway performance from home.
Pandemic leaves 83% of musicians unable to find regular work
Access All Areas: A third of professional musicians were earning nothing from music, with 22% considering leaving the industry, after live event restrictions were lifted earlier this year, according to research by mental health charity Help Musicians.
Monday, November 22, 2021
Should guns be banned from film sets? Professional armorers push back
www.msn.com: After news broke of the Oct. 21 shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza on the set of the western “Rust,” heartbreak rippled through an industry that has long established safeguards designed to prevent this kind of tragedy.
Rudolph's nose isn't all that shines this holiday at Center for Puppetry Arts
ARTS ATL: All across snowy Atlanta (OK, not snowy, but one can wish), theater companies are staging A Christmas Carol or decking their halls with other holiday confections. But, say you’re a theatergoer who wants to go walking in a Winter Wonderland, or the closest you can come to it in a city where every sled is gridlocked on a 70-degree fall day. It’s hard to top the Center for Puppetry Arts.
Review: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical at the Benedum
onStage Pittsburgh: The Donna Summer Musical follows Donna Summer’s legendary career from a young dreamer to herdays as the “Queen of Disco.” This jukebox musical is brimming with Summer’s smash hits, ultimately celebrating the life and career of the iconic musician and the road that led her to the woman and artist she is today. The show shares the highlights, low points, and trials and tribulations Summer faced over her 50+ year-long career.
Inside Live Theatre's 'Hands Across America' Moment: Music Theatre International's All Together Now!
Playbill: Last weekend, Music Theatre International—the licensing company behind such musicals as Into the Woods, Fiddler on the Roof, and Legally Blonde, among many others—celebrated the return of live theatre after nearly two years of most live performances being shuttered worldwide in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All Together Now!, a special revue made up of songs from some of the most beloved musicals MTI licenses, was performed at theatres around the world over the weekend of November 12, capping 20 months of what was, for most of these groups, one of the most challenging periods in their history.
‘We were a little naive’: staging Cabaret, in the 60s and now
Cabaret | The Guardian: John Kander peers over the top of his glasses and smiles broadly. “What are you most scared about? Was there any moment when your heart sank?” he asks, kindly. Rebecca Frecknall grins back. “We’re most scared about 600 people coming to see it,” she says. “There are just so many unknowns.”
A Path for Greater Diversity in Film Festivals
AMT Lab @ CMU: This study analyzes the current state of diversity and inclusion of Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Color within film festivals in Europe, the United States, and Canada. Assumptions behind the research are that with meaningful change implemented to increase racial diversity in festivals’ programming staff there will be a selection of more diverse film directors.
ILDA Awards 2021 für LOBO
LightSoundJournal.com: Early November, just like the previous year, the official conference of the International Laser Display Association – ILDA for short – took place in the virtual space due to the pandemic: spread out over three days, registered users and members of the association could follow the live broadcast over Zoom directly out of the Cloud to their own devices.
And Breathe dominates Black British theatre awards
Theatre | The Guardian: A one-man play about grief and a contemporary version of a Shakespearean classic have dominated the Black British theatre awards, with both receiving four honours.
Insurance - under cover options
Access All Areas: Better late than never, the UK Government launched the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme on 22 September. The £800m scheme offers cost indemnification if an event has to be cancelled, postponed, relocated or abandoned due to new UK Civil Authority restrictions in response to Covid-19.
Last Night in Soho: Featurette Explores the Costumes of Edgar Wright's Film
collider.com: October and November have arguably been the busiest months for movie theaters since the start of the pandemic. One of the films that has captured the hearts of moviegoers is Edgar Wright’s new horror venture Last Night in Soho. The movie, which was an extremely fun and frightening time-traveling ghost story about the dangers of glorifying nostalgia just hit digital on Friday, and arguably one of the film’s strongest aspects is its endlessly stylish aesthetic.
Projection mapping process | projector quality is key says Barco
blooloop: The very essence of projection mapping – in all its formats – is illusion.
In movies, directors often talk about the “willing suspension of disbelief”. The challenge in the projection mapping process is to actively project an illusion onto an existing surface. And for that, quality projection is obviously essential for three main reasons. These are: transporting the audience, providing reliability, and ensuring long-term investments.
'A Dramatic Shift In What's Possible': The Future Of Livestreaming Discussed At Midem Digital
Pollstar: Pollstar hosted the opening panel of this year's Midem Digital Edition, Nov. 16-19, which carried to optimistic title "COVID is Dead, Long Live Live Streaming". And while there's ample evidence contradicting the first claim of the title, it certainly looks like live streaming is here to stay.
The speakers on the panel: Michelle Munson, Founder & CEO of Eluvio (U.S.), Edo Kovarsky, VP, Growth & Monetization at Stage11 (France), James Sutcliffe, Global Head of Music of LiveNow, and Ric Salmon, Director of ATC Management and co-founder and CEO of Driift.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
NFTRW Weekly Top Five
Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:
Theater Workers Call for an End to 10 Out of 12s
Backstage: Actor Rachel Spencer Hewitt was once in a show at a well-paying regional theater. Unfortunately, the money she was making wasn’t enough to support her family. “Between groceries for my two kids, childcare, [and] tech week, I had $9,” Hewitt recalls. This was after spending 12 hours a day in rehearsals, which meant she couldn’t tend to her children and that the cost of childcare ate up most of her take-home pay. “I just wept in the dressing room.”15 Clever Questions To Ask During A Job Interview To Make The Tables Turn, As Shared By Folks On Twitter
Bored Panda: Sweaty palms, bouncing legs, but very confident speech, it’s not a mystery — we all know how dreadful the whole process of getting hired is. We overstep ourselves every single time, and for some reason, the process doesn’t get easier. However, we seem to have found a golden middle, which helps us “platter” ourselves to our potential employers.‘An Assembly’ Builds a Play in Portland with 12 Strangers and a Stack of Notecards
Portland Monthly: One by one, ushers lead us into a spartan, fluorescent-lit room at the old Zidell shipyards. In the OHSU gym opposite, tiny figures jog on treadmills. Evening traffic on the Ross Island Bridge hums dully in the background. There’s a table for our belongings, a rack for our coats. Twelve black chairs form two rows. On each seat rests a notecardMovie crews share horror stories of maiming, death after 'Rust'
nypost.com: Recently, in the wake of the Oct. 21 tragedy on the set of the movie “Rust” — where Alec Baldwin stands accused of accidentally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a gun that he thought was unloaded — Gilliard’s emotional wounds have torn open again. “This whole thing that happened with ‘Rust’ has brought on PTSD,” said the hairdresser, who spent a year in physical therapy before going back to work. “I was in a state of shock from ‘Rust.’ Then I became angry and sad and couldn’t stop crying. You don’t think you will go to work and risk losing your life.”Pittsburgh dinosaur statue repainted to spread message of “diversity and inclusion”
Visual Art | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Pittsburgh features a number of curious dinosaur statues spread throughout various neighborhoods, all painted to celebrate different aspects of the city. Now one of them, a Triceratops, has been repainted through a collaboration of a local school and two artists.
Friday, November 19, 2021
A Stitch In Time: Decoding How Costume Design Helps Elevate the Movie-watching Experience
www.filmfare.com: Costume design is a form of non-verbal communication in cinema. The correct lines, structures, colours and accessories can make or break the illusion actors are trying to create on screen. In both Indian and international cinema an entourage works closely with the stars to make their on-screen avatars believable. Directors have a picture in their minds about how they want their characters to look in a particular film. Costume designers are the surrogates who bring the idea to life and then nurse it during the shooting process.
‘An Assembly’ Builds a Play in Portland with 12 Strangers and a Stack of Notecards
Portland Monthly: One by one, ushers lead us into a spartan, fluorescent-lit room at the old Zidell shipyards. In the OHSU gym opposite, tiny figures jog on treadmills. Evening traffic on the Ross Island Bridge hums dully in the background. There’s a table for our belongings, a rack for our coats. Twelve black chairs form two rows. On each seat rests a notecard
Review Roundup: TROUBLE IN MIND Opens On Broadway Starring Tony-Winner, LaChanze
www.broadwayworld.com: Following an experienced Black stage actress through rehearsals of a major Broadway production, Alice Childress's wry and moving look at racism, identity, and ego in the world of New York theatre opened to acclaim Off-Broadway in 1955. At the forefront of both the Civil Rights and feminist movements, the prescient Trouble in Mind was announced to move to Broadway in 1957...in a production that never came to be.
GLP Brings New Technologies to LDI 2021
LightSoundJournal.com: German Light Products’ US-based team are heading out in force to the LDI trade show, which begins in Las Vegas this Friday, with product launches from across its range. Excited to be back and supporting the networking side of the industry, GLP has plenty of new innovations to talk about at the show and invites all visitors to come and join the team for some of the renowned GLP hospitality.
Artists, Advocates Call on Red Rocks, AEG to Drop Amazon Palm Tech
www.ticketnews.com: More than 200 artists and privacy advocacy groups have penned an open letter calling on Red Rocks, AXS, and AEG to immediately stop its use of the Amazon One biometric scanning system. Among those signing are Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna, and Pittsburgh punk group Anti-Flag. Groups signed on include Common Dreams, the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers, Fight for the Future, and the Athena Coalition.
Off-Broadway’s ‘Blue Man Group’ celebrates its 30th anniversary at Astor Place Theatre
DC Metro Theater Arts: There’s good reason why the iconic award-winning Blue Man Group is celebrating the major milestone of its 30th anniversary this month at the intimate downtown space of Off-Broadway’s Astor Place Theatre: audiences and critics alike simply can’t get enough of it!
Makeup Essentials for Dark Skin Tones
Dramatics Magazine Online: Hey, hey! It’s Destinee here and in this video/post we are talking about essential products to have on hand when doing makeup for Black actors. These items are my best-kept secrets, but I am ready to share my experiences with you to help you help others!
Live Performers Find Red State Rules a Tough Act to Follow
Kaiser Health News: There was something a little different on stage at a recent performance of the musical “Sister Amnesia’s Country Western Nunsense Jamboree,” the first production for the Missoula Community Theatre since the beginning of the pandemic.
Microdosing Normalcy: The Bittersweet Return Home to Hadestown on Broadway -
www.intermissionmagazine.ca: The groan of bodies around me brings an ache to my tired chest.
Every seat in the theatre has a person in it, masked and weepy, clapping as if they never stopped. My hands hurt — theirs, too.
Live music stains the air. Trombone, accordion, voice — voices.
Examining Digital Collaboration in Theatre Production Processes
AMT Lab @ CMU: Theatre is known for being a highly collaborative art form. As in most generative processes, the product that an audience perceives is just the tip of the iceberg of actual work conducted throughout the process. Theatre, at least pre-pandemic, was also an art form that was customarily shaped by in-person ideation and collaboration (Gillet/Sheehan).
Morgan Wallen Fans Howl Over Dynamic Ticket Price Surge for Tour
www.ticketnews.com: Morgan Wallen may be performing at venues across the United States in 2022, but many of his fans are feeling left behind after encountering sky-high ticket prices as The Dangerous Tour 2022 went on sale this week. The country favorite, who was dropped from his record label and all appearances after controversy involving him being recorded saying a racial slur, announced the tour early this week with presales for many dates beginning Tuesday, but social media is full of complaints about the pricing, which has seen nosebleeds for well over $100 and “platinum” prices soaring as demand has been high.
AV Stumpfl screen installed at Water World Ocean Park
blooloop: AV Stumpfl, Austrian award-winning creator of mobile and installation projection screens, multi-display and show control systems, has provided its new screen and server solution to a leading Asian water park.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Theater Workers Call for an End to 10 Out of 12s
Backstage: Actor Rachel Spencer Hewitt was once in a show at a well-paying regional theater. Unfortunately, the money she was making wasn’t enough to support her family. “Between groceries for my two kids, childcare, [and] tech week, I had $9,” Hewitt recalls. This was after spending 12 hours a day in rehearsals, which meant she couldn’t tend to her children and that the cost of childcare ate up most of her take-home pay. “I just wept in the dressing room.”
LaChanze Takes the Lead in Alice Childress’ Trouble in Mind
Playbill: When LaChanze walks onstage in the first few moments of Trouble in Mind, two things happen simultaneously. The first is a thunderous applause from audiences seeing the Tony winner (looking radiant in a gorgeous purple coat) in the spotlight. The second is a wide smile that grows grandly on the face of Wiletta, the character played by the Tony winner, as she arrives backstage for the first day of rehearsal, reveling in the splendor of the theatre she’s just entered before her castmates arrive.
Movie crews share horror stories of maiming, death after 'Rust'
nypost.com: Recently, in the wake of the Oct. 21 tragedy on the set of the movie “Rust” — where Alec Baldwin stands accused of accidentally shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a gun that he thought was unloaded — Gilliard’s emotional wounds have torn open again.
“This whole thing that happened with ‘Rust’ has brought on PTSD,” said the hairdresser, who spent a year in physical therapy before going back to work. “I was in a state of shock from ‘Rust.’ Then I became angry and sad and couldn’t stop crying. You don’t think you will go to work and risk losing your life.”
Broadway, touring productions set new COVID-19 testing rates
Broadway News: Broadway productions and touring companies have set new minimum requirements for COVID-19 testing based on the number of cases in the area.
The art and science behind dichroic filters
et cetera...: High End Systems has been making dichroic color filters for the live event industry for over 30 years. But what is a dichroic filter, how is it different than gel, and what are the benefits of using this stunningly beautiful glass that’s also found in artwork, jewelry, architectural accents, and furniture around the world?
The Harmony of Discord: A Review of Paradise Square at the James M. Nederlander Theatre
Newcity Stage: It’s far too early to know if this is one for the ages, but no doubt this is the most important musical of our times, drawing from American history to depict the kind of racial harmony we still call aspirational, as well as the path to its destruction.
Personalize your programming workflow with ETC’s Eos v3.1 software
LightSoundJournal.com: ETC’s Eos Family of lighting controllers is known for providing comprehensive, finely tuned control for lighting rigs of all sizes. Now, with the release of Eos v3.1 – the latest major software update for the platform – that control becomes even more customizable to suit any programming style or show. Eos v3.1 is all about you, with new tools that help you set up your workspaces – programming, 3D-visualized, and physical – just the way you want them.
New $750M Lawsuit Latest Legal Woe for Live Nation in Astroworld's Wake
www.ticketnews.com: The fallout from the Astroworld Festival continues for Live Nation Entertainment, which was among those targeted by a massive lawsuit announced this week seeking $750 million in damages. Beyond that and hundreds of other lawsuits already filed in the wake of the tragedy that saw hundreds injured in a crowd “surge” and ten deaths, the industry giant is facing a reckoning of its past and practices in an industry where it holds an enormous share of the business.
IATSE Members Ratify New Film & TV Contracts; Vote Closer Than Usual
Deadline: IATSE members have ratified their new film and TV contracts, averting a showdown with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers after contentious negotiations that began six months ago. However, union leadership suffered a harsh rebuke as L.A. locals rejected the deal in the popular vote.
15 Clever Questions To Ask During A Job Interview To Make The Tables Turn, As Shared By Folks On Twitter
Bored Panda: Sweaty palms, bouncing legs, but very confident speech, it’s not a mystery — we all know how dreadful the whole process of getting hired is. We overstep ourselves every single time, and for some reason, the process doesn’t get easier. However, we seem to have found a golden middle, which helps us “platter” ourselves to our potential employers.
U.K. Film, TV Union Bectu Sets Out Anti-Bullying, Harassment Charter
Variety: U.K. film and TV union Bectu, which represents below-the-line workers and crewmembers, has set out six demands in its fight against bullying and harassment in the audio-visual industry, including a call for an external reporting body to be set up to deal with historical abuse allegations.
After disruption at Guthrie's 'Christmas Carol,' Twin Cities theaters look at safety practices
StarTribune.com: Twin Cities theater companies are taking a new look at their contingency plans, including how to deal with disruptive and obstreperous patrons, in the wake of an incident last Friday at the Guthrie Theater. At the start of the performance of "A Christmas Carol," an audience member launched into a rant that delayed the show for a half-hour.
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
The Silent Voice of the Costume Designer
‘We’re ready for anything’: Sydney festival 2022 unveils full program
Moisés Kaufman, Amanda Gronich Receive Theater J’s Jewish Play Prize
Livestreaming and Live Theatre: A Promising New Industry
Chicago Revival Celebrates 25 Years on Broadway November 16
Black talent takes centre stage at Lyric Hammersmith theatre
Back to School After a Year of Hard Lessons
Contemporary Plays, Teaching From the Page as Well as the Stage
How China’s Musicals Lost Their Groove
As Ever, Theatre’s Teen Council Programs Point the Way Forward
Themed Entertainment Association reveals Thea Award winners
The Most Dangerous Phrase
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Lots of Safety Precautions Going Into Holiday Shows This Year
Slog - The Stranger: Christmas is back! And so is the war on it.
“We’re in the thick of it,” says Scott Shoemaker, taking a break from rehearsing for his traditional local holiday show, Scott Shoemaker’s War on Christmas! “It’s the same format as always, a ‘70s variety show that goes awry,” he says. “This year we’re doing a twisted version of A Christmas Carol.”
Pittsburgh dinosaur statue repainted to spread message of “diversity and inclusion”
Visual Art | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Pittsburgh features a number of curious dinosaur statues spread throughout various neighborhoods, all painted to celebrate different aspects of the city. Now one of them, a Triceratops, has been repainted through a collaboration of a local school and two artists.
IATSE Members Narrowly Approve Contract With Studios
www.thewrap.com: Hollywood will not be a part of America’s ongoing strike wave this year as members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) voted by a razor-thin margin to ratify the union’s new contract with studios, ending a long, contentious labor cycle that called the status quo of the entertainment industry into question.
IATSE Members Vote to Ratify Contract
Variety: The membership of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has voted to ratify a new three-year agreement, ending the threat of the first national strike in the union’s history.
To Be a Long Hauler; or, If We Build It We Can Thrive
HowlRound Theatre Commons: One puff Advair, one Singulair, two hits of Nasacort, one Zyrtec, two puffs of Albuterol, one Benzonate, three Ibuprofen.
In August 2021, I took these medications every day to perform School Girls; Or The African Mean Girls Play. We were the first Chicago production to do in-person performances with a live audience since March 2020. The show was shut down three days before opening due to the pandemic. There was promise that we'd pick up as soon as the virus “cleared.” Two to three weeks turned into sixteen months.
IATSE Members Ratify Contracts with Producers, Studios and Streaming Services
IATSE: Members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE) have voted to ratify two contracts, the Basic Agreement, and the Area Standards Agreement, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the trade group representing producers, major studios and streaming services.
Should Hollywood rethink who plays Jews in movies and on TV?
NPR: On a new Apple TV+ show called The Shrink Next Door, a depressed and anxious businessman is convinced by his sister to go to therapy.
"He's not a stranger!" she exclaims. "Rabbi Goldberg recommended him!"
Their strong accents reflect who their characters are: New York Jews. But neither of the actors who play them — Will Ferrell and Kathryn Hahn — are Jewish in real life.
Aaron Sorkin on Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos
The Hollywood Reporter: Years ago, before Aaron Sorkin made Molly’s Game or The Trial of the Chicago 7, producer Todd Black and his then executive Jenna Block requested a meeting. Block had written her college thesis on Lucille Ball, and the two felt strongly that there was a movie in Ball’s story, and that the Oscar-winning screenwriter was the one to tell it.
Sorkin wasn’t so sure.
Interview with Anna-Lee Craig, A2 for Hamilton on Broadway
SoundGirls.org: As I’ve outlined in previous blogs, getting advice and guidance from role models and mentors is a huge part of why I have been able to make a career in theatrical sound thus far. I’ve gotten to develop relationships with a bunch of amazing glass-ceiling crushing women, many of whom are mixing and designing at the highest levels on Broadway and elsewhere. There are other folks in theatre whose work I have simply admired from afar; you might even call me a “superfan” of theirs. And Hamilton A2 Anna-Lee Craig is certainly one of those humans!
Broadway costume designer William Ivey Long accused of sexual abuse
NPR: Court Watson recalls hearing once that William Ivey Long was "a tornado made of chiffon." How lucky was he, Watson thought, as just a college student, to have the chance to learn from the very best in the business — a true legend in Broadway costume design.
Playwright James Graham: ‘Was I too easy on Dominic Cummings? I go back and forth’
Theatre | The Guardian: Last May, the playwright James Graham found himself in the unfamiliar environs of Question Time. He hadn’t planned to become a spokesperson for theatre during the pandemic, but he happened to be promoting the ITV version of Quiz, his hit 2017 play, just as the sector was screaming for a bailout, and he used his platform wisely. One thing led to another. At the same time, he was researching his new play, Best of Enemies, about 11 landmark televised debates between Gore Vidal and William F Buckley Jr in August 1968.
Playing with Disruption at PlayGround’s Innovators Showcase
KQED: Here in the Bay Area, we love to tout our “disruptors” and “innovators.” But all too often, the disruptors and innovators who get the most press are based in the tech world. What of the many performing artists, whose practice is also rooted in iteration, problem-solving, and challenging the status quo?
Monday, November 15, 2021
In "Passing," Costume Designer Marci Rodgers Avoids Clichéd Flapper Fashion and Draws From Her Chicago Roots
Fashionista: Adapted from the 1929 Nella Larsen novella, "Passing" tells the story of Irene and Clare, two childhood friends who reconnect after years apart and become increasingly involved in one another's lives — and insecurities. Both are white-passing women of African descent, yet Irene (played by Tessa Thompson) embraces her African-American identity and marries a Black doctor; Clare (played by Ruth Negga), on the other hand, chooses to cross the color line and marries a racist, wealthy white man and lives as a white woman.
Perth festival 2022 features immersive events and puts WA talent front and centre
Culture | The Guardian: After a Covid-infected security guard threw Perth into a snap five-day lockdown in February this year, scuppering the opening of the Bilya (river)-themed 2021 festival, the 2022 event will plunge head-first into Wardan (Noongar for ocean) for an almost exclusively Western Australian-populated program from 11 February.
Entourage Pro – partnering with the live events industry to safeguard the future
LightSoundJournal.com: Entourage Pro is a world first in production industry crew resources. Built by the industry, for the industry, this new, free to join global networking platform bridges the gap between artists and the production world and is set to revolutionise how production personnel are sourced, accredited and availed to the wider production and music industries.
Shiona Turini (Insecure): Costume Design panel interview
GoldDerby: Shiona Turini started working as the costume designer on HBO Max hit “Insecure” during its third season, but the longtime stylist — who started her career in an editorial leadership capacity at top brands like Cosmopolitan and Teen Vogue — had no qualms about jumping into the show.
'Gotta take the risks': A Q&A with Wanda Whiteside of Live Garra Theatre
DC Metro Theater Arts: Live Garra Theatre is showcasing Dry Bones by Ivy Hawkins — its first production since the pandemic — in the midst of devasting conditions and ongoing fiscal and cultural challenges. I asked Wanda Whiteside, founder and artistic director, two questions: How and why?
Sharon Long (The Great): Costume Design panel interview
GoldDerby: When Sharon Long was brought in to work on the hit Hulu show “The Great” for Season 2, she was immediately faced with a huge challenge: crafting 18th-century Russian costumes for the main character, who was pregnant throughout the series.
Stage Manager Stories: Lisa Iacucci, Shelley Miles, & Clarissa Marie Ligon- IS THIS A ROOM and DANA H.
www.broadwayworld.com: Need a cue? Call a stage manager. Need a line? Call a stage manager. Need a day off? Call a stage manager. Need a call time, a schedule, an inspection, a to-do list, a floor plan, a script, or just a pep talk? Call a stage manager!
Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh (Foundation): Costume Design panel interview
GoldDerby: Costume designer Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh has worked on a number of adaptations in her career, including “Brideshead Revisited,” “Love & Friendship,” the 2017 Masterpiece miniseries “Little Women,” and even contemporary thriller “The Rhythm Section.” But nothing prepared her for the galaxy-spanning scope of “Foundation,” the new Apple TV+ series based on the novels by Isaac Asimov.
Wayne State University Chooses L-Acoustics A Series For New Basketball Arena
LightSoundJournal.com: On Friday, November 5th, the Wayne State Warriors officially opened their university’s new basketball arena with an inaugural game against the Michigan Wolverines. The new $25 million, 3,000-seat venue is also home to the NBA Detroit Pistons’ G League franchise, the Motor City Cruise, who begin their first season there this fall.
"Where I Call Home": Translating "Gens du pays"
The Theatre Times: Back in April 2018, I’d been reading my way through a selection of French plays proposed for translation by the Eurodram committee. Gens du pays was the thirteenth I looked at – and the first I couldn’t put down.
What was it about this play? There’s a simplicity to it, a lightness of touch, a cinematic sparsity that comes from having only three main characters. It takes you in, makes you laugh.
Hippotizer drives huge LED screen for prominent Egyptian performer Mohamed Ramadan
LightSoundJournal.com: Green Hippo’s Taiga and Karst+ were the media servers of choice for man-of-the-moment Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan, whose recent outdoor performance on Egypt’s North Coast saw 85,000 fans gather for what the singer described as “the largest audience attendance in 2021.”
The Magical Return of Live Music—And Its Uneasy Future
The Atlantic: It is the view of a lifetime: a sea of 8,488 expectant faces, their collective gaze converging to a single point, which happens to be exactly where I’m standing. Behind me sit about 60 members of the Colorado Symphony; my bandmates are at my side. Our band, Guster, is headlining Red Rocks, a natural amphitheater carved into the side of a rock formation in Morrison, Colorado, and universally regarded as one of the world’s preeminent live-music venues.
Sunday, November 14, 2021
NFTRW Weekly Top Five
Here are the top five comment generating posts of the past week:
Emilie Kouatchou makes Broadway ‘Phantom’ history in Christine role
Chicago Sun-Times: Rising stage star Emilie Kouatchou came close to quitting musical theater during the pandemic shutdown, worried about the future. She stuck with it and has now made Broadway history.
How Harvard’s ‘Legally Blonde’ production bent the narrative with a snap of Asian flair
www.nbcnews.com: When Harvard’s Asian Student Arts Project first decided to perform “Legally Blonde” with an all-Asian cast, it was something of a joke. But by the time the musical sold out last month, it had become a reflection on white privilege, class and the model minority myth.
With cutting-edge projections, Lyric Opera’s ‘Magic Flute’ is unmissable
www.chicagolandmusicaltheatre.com: It doesn’t get much more classic than Mozart’s The Magic Flute. As one of the most well-known works from one of the world’s most well-known composers, its soaring melodies and whimsical story of prince rescuing princess have been enchanting audiences for centuries. This is a piece that has been produced constantly all over the world for hundreds of years— with such a thick history, reinvention is difficult to imagine. Difficult, but not impossible. Lyric Opera’s production of The Magic Flute, originally re-imagined by director Barrie Kosky in collaboration with performance company 1927, transforms the all too familiar material into an utterly unpredictable celebration of light, sound, technology and innovation.
The Top 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Rosco e-colour+
www.rosco.com: Rosco is the world’s largest and oldest color filter manufacturer operating today. Founded more than a century ago, it has developed numerous color filter lines over the years, including Roscolux, Cinegel, Supergel, and e-colour+. In this blog, we turn the lens onto Rosco e-colour+ to answer some of the most common questions posed by film and television professionals about this popular color filter range.
‘I gotta get out’: Travis Scott concertgoers describe chaos at Houston show
National | Globalnews.ca : Screaming. Suffocating. Panicked. Unconscious. The concertgoers at a highly anticipated Houston music festival Friday night say they were shocked to witness how the event brewed into pandemonium that left at least eight people dead.
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