Is This Motorized Tripod Base the 'World's First Robotic Cameraman'?

No Film School: Everyone loves new technology, right? I mean, everyone’s 100% in agreement about how great AI is and how it’s revolutionizing almost every aspect of film and video production… right? Well, if you love new and different things that promise extreme revolutionization, then you gotta check out the Roll Cam.

Hollywood Bowl Aims to Restore Annual Summer Musicals Following Starry JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

www.broadwayworld.com: The Hollywood Bowl is bringing back its tradition of staging large-scale summer musicals, a programming staple that had largely gone dark in the wake of the pandemic. This weekend's production of Jesus Christ Superstar, featuring Cynthia Erivo as Jesus and Adam Lambert as Judas, marks the venue’s first major musical since Kinky Boots in 2022.

Broadway Grosses Analysis: Hamilton Sees Summer High as 10th Anniversary Approaches

Playbill: That Hamilton is one of Broadway's top grossers is certainly nothing new. But the show has been seeing box office gains recently as it approaches its 10th anniversary performance, set for August 6 at the Richard Rodgers. Last week, it was the third highest-grossing show on the Main Stem, bringing in $2.24 million—the top sum the production has seen since the New Year's holiday.

Why AI Cannot Create Original Movies Ideas: It's a Consumer Product

www.indiewire.com: Like with all new tech innovations, AI promises the world. We are told AI will change filmmaking, bringing a new set of tools that will help creators iterate better and work faster. Putting speculation fueled by big venture capital dollars aside, one question many are asking is what can AI actually do now?

David Rockwell, Linda Cho, and More Join Design Team For ART Broadway Revival

www.broadwayworld.com: The design team has been announced for the first-ever Broadway revival of the Tony Award-winning ART by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton. The team includes David Rockwell (Set Design), Linda Cho (Costume Design), Jen Schriever (Lighting Design), and Mikaal Sulaiman (Sound Design).

Quantum's 'Seagull' Flies an Intriguing Path Through Human Space/Time

Entertainment Central Pittsburgh: Two things to know about Seagull, the new adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s classic, now in its world-premiere run at Quantum Theatre (through August 17). The first is that a play about frustration and despair cannot itself be a buzzkill. Not many theater fans want to pay to have the joie de vivre squeezed out of an evening. Chekhov knew this, it seems. He wrote The Seagull as a comedy—well, a tragicomedy—and the version at Quantum keeps the buzz alive.

21ten Theatre’s 2025 Summer Residency Program: Brand new stories, boldly told

Oregon ArtsWatch: 21ten’s month-long summer residency performances ended Sunday, July 27, and I’m bummed out. It was thrilling to have a new experimental show to look forward to every weekend in July, especially when the final one, Ajai Tripathi’s The Rainbow Passage, was such a loving and luminous production.

Notre-Dame to Receive Digital Twin Thanks to Microsoft

mymodernmet.com: On December 7, 2024, Notre-Dame finally reopened its doors, nearly six years after a devastating fire tore through the iconic gothic cathedral. During that time, more than 2,000 craftspeople, including architects, carpenters, and artisans, dedicated themselves to restoring the 862-year-old structure, returning it to its former glory.

Celebrate 100 years of the Rockettes with the 2025 Christmas Spectacular

www.timeout.com/newyork: The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes will turn 100 this year, and to quote a failed Rockette, the fabulously 50 Sally O'Malley, they still love to kick, stretch and kick.

New musical ‘Huzzah!’ from Nell Benjamin and Laurence O’Keefe will premiere at Old Globe

www.broadwaynews.com: The new musical comedy “Huzzah!” will take a world-premiere bow at San Diego’s Old Globe. The debut mounting, which is being produced by special arrangement with Tony Award-winning production company No Guarantees Productions, will begin previews on Sept. 13 and open on Sept. 25. The Annie Tippe-directed musical is slated for a limited engagement through Oct. 19.

With tariffs rising on Canadian lumber, home costs will go up. Or will they?

Woodworking Network: The Trump Administration is placing tariffs on Canadian softwoods exported into the U.S., and that means that the cost to construct new homes will increase, making homes already deemed too expensive for many even more unaffordable. At least that is the case for some groups, such as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

With a Deaf protagonist, ‘A Strange Loop’ finds more resonance and dissonance

DC Theater Arts: The opening number of Michael R. Jackson’s musical A Strange Loop has always plunged me into a dizzying mirror world: I watch cruel reflections of myself as a queer man of color in the theater, and then the people staring back at me transform wildly. The musical opens with Usher, who introduces himself as a fat gay Black man attempting to write a “BIG BLACK AND QUEER-ASS / AMERICAN BROADWAY SHOW.”

We Need To Talk About Tech

SoundGirls.org: This period of time has also been nicknamed Hell Week, which is one of the first things I discovered on my arrival into the drama school world. Doesn’t sound promising, does it? In fact, a quick look at the Wikipedia entry for ‘Technical week’ reveals this information

What Do We Know About the Earth? LubDub Theatre Co Invites You to Fill in the Blanks

HowlRound Theatre Commons: Miranda Rose Hall’s To Tell a Story About the Earth is part scripted play, part guided introduction to devising. The story follows a fledgling theatre company that, after a disastrous debut, has decided to call it quits. However, when the local librarian requests a new performance for Earth Day, the young artists have a decision to make.

Disguise X1 offers the power of Disguise, on any device

LightSoundJournal.com: Disguise has today unveiled X1, a game-changing portable version of its industry-leading Designer software. X1 lets creators run stunning 4K visuals directly from their own laptop or hardware — no proprietary media servers required. It’s the first time Disguise’s powerful production engine has been made available in a flexible, software-only format, giving production teams total freedom to design, map and deliver wherever their vision takes them.

Ascendo claims the world's largest subwoofers

Sound & Video Contractor: Germany’s Ascendo Immersive Audio is claiming that its new The100 Sub Pro Passive Infrasonic Sealed subwoofers are the largest home cinema subwoofers in the world, and it’s hard to argue. Coming in at 100-inches, the massive woofers are released alongside the 64-inch The64 Sub Pro Passive Infrasonic Sealed model.

Best Laser Distance Measures 2025: Quick, Convenient Measuring

Pro Tool Reviews: Finding the best laser distance measure is like trying to identify the best work boots—one size most definitely doesn’t fit all. Since I got my first laser distance measure more than a decade ago, they’ve become more commonplace…. and complex.

Performer injured during youth circus show in Wrentham

turnto10.com/news: An 18-year-old performer was injured during a youth circus show in Wrentham Tuesday, leading organizers to cancel future performances. Officials said the incident happened during a show on Tuesday at Circus Smirkus.

How Acquiring Skupics Transformed Exhibit Studios

www.exhibitstudios.com: As Exhibit Studios celebrates its 25-year anniversary, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the moments that shaped who we are today. Over the years, we’ve expanded our services, added cutting-edge technology, and grown our team. A notable milestone in our history was the acquisition of Skupics Studios and expanding our warehouse to include a professional photography studio.

No Refunds, Did You Buy The Insurance?

Butts In the Seats: Last week Seth Godin made a post about how companies use technicalities in their terms of service (TOS) to generate more revenue after quoting a low initial price. There was one statement he made that started me pondering its applicability to refund policies many arts organizations have.

Choreographer Tricia Miranda on How Dance Changed Her Life

Dance Magazine: Dance changed my life at a very young age. It disciplined me, helped me focus, and kept me mentally and physically healthy. There was a point during my teenage years when I quit dance to be a so-called “normal kid.” I had time to hang out with friends, go to formal dances, and attend birthday parties. But I quickly realized that I needed dance back in my life. I felt empty without it.

That’s (Political) Entertainment

AMERICAN THEATRE: In the fall of 2023 I flew to Rochester, New York, for a workshop of my play about the 2012 massacre of 20 children and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

KV2 Audio Presents Open Day Demonstration Sessions In Jakarta - ProSoundWeb

www.prosoundweb.com: KV2 Audio recently hosted the first in a new series of open day events, presenting demonstrations and education sessions to audio professionals in Jakarta, Indonesia, organized in collaboration with distributor Goshen Swara Indonesia.

Portable triple-laser projector for home and travel

newatlas.com: Optoma launched an interesting ultra-short-throw projector for the European market back in February. Now we have more details and US release pricing for the battery-powered Photon Go tri-laser entertainment hub.

Equity Responds To BURLESQUE Cast Concerns Over Costumes and Work Environment

www.broadwayworld.com: According to a new report in The Stage, the West End production of Burlesque The Musical is facing reported backstage challenges, including concerns over working hours, conditions, and costume readiness since opening at the Savoy Theatre earlier this month.

Review Roundup: BURLESQUE THE MUSICAL Opens in London

www.broadwayworld.com: Burlesque has officially begun! Burlesque the Musical based on Steven Antin’s film starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, just celebrated its West End opening night at the Savoy Theatre.

ETC’s Physical Presence Pet Redefines VR Companionship

News - Carnegie Mellon University: Physical Presence Pet (PPP), a project developed by a team of Entertainment Technology Center students, began with a simple idea: making a VR pet that could substitute for the real ones they’d left behind to come to Carnegie Mellon University. What they ended up creating was much bigger: an unprecedented experiment in virtual companionship that cut across disciplines and anticipates new ways of integrating technology into our world.

Government partnerships with nonprofits shift under Trump

Fast Company: In the early days of his second term, President Donald Trump froze, cut or threatened to cut a huge range of social services programs from public safety to early childhood education to food assistance and services for refugee resettlement. Staffing cuts to federal agencies have also contributed to delays and uncertainty around future grant funds.

School of Drama Alumni Earn 20 Primetime Emmy Nominations

CMU Drama: John Wells’ new drama “The Pitt,” set in a fictional Pittsburgh emergency room, earned a total of 13 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. Wells, a 1979 graduate from the School of Drama, was nominated for Outstanding Directing of a Drama Series for his direction of the first episode, “7:00 A.M.” The series will return for a second season in 2026. Filming has begun in Los Angeles, and it’s likely that the production will film on location in Pittsburgh in the fall.

New 'Seagull' Set to Fly at Quantum Theatre; Pittsburgh Blues and Roots Festival Kicks Off (Fri., 7/25/25)

Entertainment Central Pittsburgh: Few plays have been as famous and influential as Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. When it was staged in Moscow in 1898, audiences were transported by the story’s unique mixture of satiric humor, unrequited-love pathos, and realism ringing true to life. The Seagull came to be seen as a landmark in the development of modern theater. Stanislavski’s then-new Moscow Art Theatre, which had produced the play, chose the image of a seagull in flight as its company emblem.

Digital Forensics Expert Provides Helpful Tips for Spotting AI Generated Images

laughingsquid.com: During a truly informative TED talk, Professor Hany Farid of UC Berkeley shared his expertise as a digital forensics expert to give helpful tips in spotting whether or not an image was AI generated.

California’s Creative Class Celebrates Expanded State Investment Amidst Continued Production Challenges

FilmLA: Overall, on-location production in Greater Los Angeles declined by 6.2 percent to 5,394 Shoot Days (SD)* in Q2 (April-June) of 2025 compared to the same period a year ago according to FilmLA. Over those same months, a multi-party coalition of studio and independent filmmakers, entertainment union and guild members, film offices from around the state, entertainment vendors, business advocates and grassroots activists gathered in Sacramento to campaign forcefully on behalf of California’s signature industry and the creative livelihoods it sustains.

REVIEW: Hamilton Fringe Festival 2025

Intermission Magazine: Summer in Hamilton is the season of arts festivals. With Open Streets, monthly Art Crawls, and a plethora of live music festivals, nearly every weekend offers a new way to engage with the industrial city’s vibrant arts scene.

Why Hollywood Should Care About Arts Funding: Creative Coalition

www.hollywoodreporter.com: If you make your living in the arts — if you act, write, direct, produce, pitch, cut, compose or greenlight stories, then what’s happening to the National Endowment for the Arts isn’t just political noise. It’s personal

Cirque’s Music: High Wires & High Notes

Cirque du Soleil: Cirque du Soleil's music enchants audiences worldwide, adding a harmonious layer to their mesmerizing performances. First-time viewers are often captivated by the original compositions played live, enhancing the immersive experience.

Iconic Choreography From West Side Story, Pippin, and More Will Be Resurrected at York Theatre Company

Playbill: American Dance Machine and York Theatre Company are collaborating on a new dance show re-creating iconic moments in Broadway and movie-musical history with Gotta Dance, set to perform November 25-December 28. The production will reconstruct choreography from Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Gene Kelly, Michael Bennett, Susan Stroman, Billy Wilson, and more, featuring numbers that originated in West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Pippin, Singin' in the Rain, and White Christmas, among others.

Review Roundup: Betsy Wolfe-Led JOY: A NEW TRUE MUSICAL Opens Off-Broadway

www.broadwayworld.com: JOY: A New True Musical, starring Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe as 'Joy,' is now playing off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre. The show officially opened on Sunday, July 20

Chicago Playwright Amy Crider on Her Passion for the Stage

www.newcitystage.com: Dedicated, prolific, resourceful and utterly serious about drama as art and craft, Crider could well serve as a role model for those seeking a midlife entree to a theatrical career. Since writing her first play in her late forties, Crider has composed no fewer than twenty-two full-length works, as well as eighteen one-acters and short sketches.

LED Walls: Working with the LED Volume for Cinematographers

Filmmaker Magazine: The LED Volume is derived from the concept of Image-Based Lighting (IBL) invented by Paul Debevec in 1998, which refers to mapping an HDR image onto a photosphere enveloped around a subject to serve as primary light source in CGI.

Shoshana Bean, Kara Young and more join American Theatre Wing’s advisory committee

www.broadwaynews.com: The American Theatre Wing has appointed seven new members to the nonprofit’s advisory committee. The new members are Tony Award-winning actor Kara Young, Tony-winning producer Eric Kuhn, Tony-nominated performer Shoshana Bean, host of NY1’s “On Stage” Frank DiLella, artist and entrepreneur Ashley Longshore, theater scholar Monica White Ndounou and media strategist Nick White.

Netflix’s first show with generative AI is a sign of what’s to come in TV, film

Ars Technica: Netflix used generative AI in an original, scripted series that debuted this year, it revealed this week. Producers used the technology to create a scene in which a building collapses, hinting at the growing use of generative AI in entertainment.

WGA Calls on NY Attorney General to Investigate Colbert Firing

www.thewrap.com: The Writers Guild of America called on New York State Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show,” expressing “significant concerns” that the decision is “sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration” amid parent company Paramount Global’s impending merger with Skydance.

2025 Toronto Fringe Festival wraps with record revenue for artists

Intermission Magazine: The 37th annual Toronto Fringe Festival wrapped on July 13 with a reported $577,500 returned directly to artists — the highest payout in the festival’s history. Over 12 days, the 2025 festival sold nearly 49,000 tickets and presented 106 shows across 22 stages — approximately a 25 per cent increase in programming compared to the 2024 iteration, which featured 76 shows on 15 stages.

Broadway, Off-Broadway Tax Subsidy Dries Up Earlier Than Expected

Playbill: Troubling news is on the horizon for New York theatre investors. The NYC Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit, a post-pandemic relief program that has been providing up to $3 million in tax credits to Broadway shows, has reportedly run out of money far earlier than expected, according to reporting by The Broadway Journal and confirmed by Playbill.

Who Owns Mac Tools & Where Are Its Products Made?

www.slashgear.com: Looking over the numerous tool brands currently on the market, the bulk of them are quite versatile. The likes of DeWalt and Milwaukee have built their reputations on having the power and hand tools to tackle virtually any job. Meanwhile, others boast dense catalogues that shift the focus onto one discipline.

Feasting on Politics and Romance at the Iloilo Theater Festival

HowlRound Theatre Commons: Never before had I considered eating Filipino food while watching theatre. But there I was, my hidden dream realized as I munched on fishballs, siopao (fluffy pork buns), batchoy (fat-rich noodle soup with pork cracklings), and halo-halo (crushed ice with condensed milk and mix-ins) while walking from short play to short play in Halo-Halo at iba pa (atbp), one of the presentations of the eleventh annual Iloilo Theater Festival (ILOTF).

Labor Pains: Second City actors ratify new contract, avert strike

chicagoreader.com: This month in the Chicago union landscape, Second City actors and stage managers are enjoying the security of steady wage increases in their new contract.

How does a screen work?

Making Software: A comparison of an OLED and LCD display I understand the irony of starting this book about software, talking about hardware. But there isn't a more under appreciated technology in modern computing than digital displays. In fact, modern computing just isn't possible without them. If we developed the transistor before the CRT, I'm not sure you would even be reading this right now.

Alliance Unveils Goizueta Stage for Youth and Families

AMERICAN THEATRE: After a year of construction, the Alliance Theatre has announced the three youth and family productions that will open the new Goizueta Stage for Youth and Families, marking an investment to Theatre for Young Audiences with a dedicated space. Inspired by the massive construction project that uncovered the dirt floor beneath the Memorial Arts Building, the Goizueta Stage space will open with three productions all set underground and performing in repertory from January 2026 through the summer.

APAC VFX Industry Growth Prompts New Schools in Korea

www.indiewire.com: It’s no secret that big cinematic moments like a valiant Superman (David Corenswet) fighting a fire-breathing Kaiju in the most recent “Superman” or a courageous Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) avoiding the hungry jaws of a gargantuan Mosasaurus in “Jurassic World: Rebirth” wouldn’t be possible without jaw-dropping VFX.

Build a fabrication shop culture that embraces automation

www.thefabricator.com: As a leader, it is your responsibility to foster a culture that ensures the long-term sustainability of the company—for both shareholders and employees. That means cultivating an openness to change, innovation, and continuous improvement.

The latest in large-format laser cutting

www.thefabricator.com: Large-scale fabrication operations traditionally have relied on the oxyfuel or plasma torch, two thermal cutting workhorses that have dominated plate cutting for decades. Their domination isn’t likely to end any time soon, but another process has been making a significant splash: Ultrahigh-powered lasers are stepping up, and cutting into, some extremely large and extremely thick plates.

Tariffs continue to cloud steel business

www.thefabricator.com: It’s hard to write about U.S. trade policy these days because whatever I’ve written will probably be out of date by the time you read this sentence. The problem is a lot trickier for anyone moving steel (or any physical good, for that matter). Trade policy moves at the speed of social media. Steel moves at the speed of trucks, trains, and ships. But when you read this, this will still be true: President Donald Trump will continue to alter trade flows with the stroke of a Sharpie or a post on Truth Social.

ScrapFest: Sparking creativity and community

www.thefabricator.com: Festival season is heating up, but nowhere does the scene ignite imagination and community like ScrapFest in Lansing, Mich. In its 15th year, what began as a scrap metal sculpture competition has become a full-blown celebration of upcycled creativity.

Looking for the right metal fabricating software

www.thefabricator.com: If you’ve worked in a small to mid-size job shop like ours, you’ve probably heard the same sentence a hundred times: “We really need a better system.” That phrase has echoed through the walls of Barnes MetalCrafters for years, and I think we’ve all just gotten used to working harder than we need to. It's not for lack of trying, it’s because most of the systems out there have been more headache than help. We always end up with the old trusty pen and paper.

Seonmi Ahn | Your Interviews

Women in Lighting: Light is everywhere and fundamental to life—not just for visibility, but also for its environmental and biological effects. Designing with light requires balancing aesthetics with sustainability, and each project presents a unique challenge and an opportunity for growth.

L.A. County Board of Supervisors Votes to Streamline Filming Processes

www.hollywoodreporter.com: The L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a motion aimed at eradicating bureaucratic hurdles for filmmakers and preparing the region for a brave new world of entertainment production on Tuesday.

First look: Peek inside the newly renovated Delacorte Theater in Central Park

www.timeout.com/newyork: Central Park's newly renovated Delacorte Theater doesn't just look better; it feels better and even smells better. After an 18-month renovation, the beloved venue run by The Public Theater is set open on August 7 for Shakespeare in the Park's free performances of Twelfth Night. We got a sneak peek inside the freshly updated space today.

How Disneyland's New Walt Animatronic Helps Celebrate the Past

gizmodo.com: Walt Disney—A Magical Life finally joins the Disneyland 70 anniversary festivities at the Disneyland Resort. The long-anticipated docu-style attraction featuring Walt Disney himself in audio-animatronic form is set to become a permanent feature at the Opera House on Main Street, USA, at the park’s entrance. io9 was on hand for the media preview of the show ahead of its premiere July 17, the day the park turns 70.

5 Underrated Tool Brands That Are Worth Reconsidering

www.slashgear.com: Heading out to the garage or shed tends to bring people into contact with a collection of implements and gadgets that are designed to handle a huge range of needs. Regardless of where you live or the kind of place you call home, it's helpful to have at least a few key tools in your collection.

Saturday Night Live VFX Workers Unanimously Ratify Historic First Union Contract

IATSE: Visual Effects workers at Saturday Night Live (SNL) unanimously ratified their first union contract in July 2025. All fifteen eligible voters voted YES, marking a significant milestone for VFX artists and leads at the legendary sketch comedy show, now celebrating its 50th season.

What the Collapse of David Venn Enterprises Means for Australian Theatre

OnStage Blog: In the world of live performance, the show must go on. But what happens when it can’t? When the lights go out, not because the final note has been sung, but because the producers can’t pay the power bill?

Outdoor theatre charter latest Equity bid to end poor touring practice

www.thestage.co.uk: An outdoor theatre charter created by Equity is seeking to put an end to sub-par working conditions and overlong hours for performers, who the union claims are otherwise at risk of being exploited

Walt Disney Returns as a Surreal Animatronic for Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary

gizmodo.com: Through the audio-animatronics technology Walt Disney introduced when he opened Disneyland 70 years ago, the evolution of the show robots has gone from static positioning with some movements, as first seen on the singing birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room, to a roaming animatronic of Uncle Walt.

When one software program was discontinued, Broadway musicians panicked — why it matters and how they fixed it

www.broadwaynews.com: In August 2024, MakeMusic Inc. sent an unexpected email announcing the sunsetting of its music notation software Finale and all associated products. To most people — even those in entertainment — this notice meant nothing. But it sent shockwaves through the music industry — particularly the departments on Broadway. Emily Grishman, a veteran music copyist who has worked on over 200 Broadway shows, described the reaction among her music colleagues as “sheer terror, panic.”

Drill Like a Pro: Complete Guide to Bits and Materials (DIY)

Family Handyman: There is a difference between a drill/driver, an impact driver and a hammer drill. Impact drivers focus on driving screws and do it better than a standard drill by using higher torque and a rotational strike. A hammer drill combines drill and driver functions with an optional hammer feature that delivers a downward strike.

Elizabeth Gillies Was a Little Shop 'Super Fan,' Now She's Starring in the Hit Revival

Playbill: Elizabeth Gillies, who made her Broadway debut in 2008 in Jason Robert Brown's 13, is back on stage playing the lovable Audrey in the long-running revival of Little Shop of Horrors at Off-Broadway's Westside Theatre.

Mini multitool features swappable toolset

Sound & Video Contractor: Roxon makes multitools with a modular design, allowing owners to swap out what they might need on any given day, or for specific work site scenarios. The company’s new Mini Flex Companion is a shrunken-down of last year’s Flex multitool, and is designed to be a convenient EDC option.

Second Lavender Fest at Out Front Theatre packs in more of the ‘rainbow aspect'

ARTS ATL: In the five years that he was able to travel around the world with his plays A Southern Fairytale and At Birth, actor and playwright Ty Autry was fortunate enough to be part of several performing arts fringe-like festivals. Now he hosts his own here in Atlanta: Lavender Fest, which opens next week with five nights showcasing LGBTQ+ artists and performances. Season Two, titled Celebrating Every Letter, runs at Out Front Theatre Company July 16 through July 20.

Director Adapts 'The Seagull' Through a Queer Lens

onstagepittsburgh.com: Before Joanie Schultz brought her gender-swapped adaptation of The Seagull to Quantum Theatre, another work attracted the attention of Karla Boos, the company’s founder and artistic director. Schultz first came to Pittsburgh as director of Frida … A Self Portrait, and then left for other artistic endeavours, with Boos in pursuit.

‘Heathers: The Musical: Why Fans Are Losing Their Collective Minds

www.thedailybeast.com: How to describe a significant part of the audience’s response to Heathers: The Musical? Think Beatles-level hysteria—collective shrieking, whooping, high-volume, delirious adoration. Plus, for many it’s also a night of cosplay, so if you show up in knee-high socks, plaid, and ruffled, mini mini-skirts you will be among friends.

New managing director Brandon Kahn looks forward to building on the Alliance’s legacy

ARTS ATL: On August 1, Brandon Kahn begins working as the new managing director of the Alliance Theatre, replacing longtime leader Mike Schleifer, who left after 11 years to become the next managing director of Lincoln Center Theater. In a recent Zoom interview, Kahn spoke about his enthusiasm for the new job at Atlanta’s Tony award-winning professional theater.

Spotlight: Marie Farsi

Intermission Magazine: There is a discreet, repeated bit of sorcery in Tarragon Theatre and the Musical Stage Company’s world premiere production of After the Rain, when the scuffed black floor of a raised stage in the centre of the space is suspended like the lid of a grand piano. A spotlight hits the scuffs, creating a puddle of late-afternoon sunlight, those whitish streaks fuelling the impression of a luminous, dappled surface.

NYC’s ‘Broadway in Bryant Park’ opens its 25th season with stars and songs from current hit musicals

DC Theater Arts: The free lunchtime concert series Broadway in Bryant Park, presented on four Thursdays in July, from 12:30-1:30 pm, by 106.7 LITE FM with iHeartRadio Broadway, opened its 25th anniversary season this afternoon (Thursday, July 10) with stellar performances of a selection of songs from current Broadway musicals by the stars and members of their casts. And though the weather was hot, the show was even hotter!

Begun the Clone War Has, Here as to Cloning of Voice-Over Actors' Voices

Reason.com: Ultimately the Court concludes that, for the most part, Plaintiffs have not stated cognizable claims under federal trademark and copyright law…. [But] claims for misappropriation of a voice, like the ones here, may be properly asserted under Sections 50 and 51 of the New York Civil Rights Law [New York's right of publicity statute], which, unlike copyright and trademark law, are tailored to balance the unique interests at stake. Plaintiffs also adequately state claims under state consumer protection law and for ordinary breach of contract…

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a Showcase LED display

AV Magazine: Out of home (OOH) media company Ocean Outdoor has launched a freestanding “3D” LED Showcase which is designed to be installed almost anywhere. Each Showcase unit has two three-metre-high curved LED screens, which together span almost six metres.

WildBrain Animation Workers Overwhelmingly Voted to Ratify Their Collective Agreement With IATSE Local 938

IATSE: Animation workers at WildBrain have voted overwhelmingly to ratify their collective agreement with IATSE Local 938, The Canadian Animation Guild. After over a year of bargaining, these workers will join their peers at Titmouse Vancouver who already have the benefits of representation through the IATSE.

Best Musical Winner Maybe Happy Ending Will Host Autism Friendly Performance

Playbill: 2025 Tony-winning Best Musical Maybe Happy Ending will kick off the 14th season of TDF's Autism Friendly Performances with a relaxed edition of the musical August 17 at 1 PM. The performance will feature adjustments to sounds and lights that could be jarring, plus staffed areas in the lobby for mid-show breaks. Tickets will be available through TDF exclusively to families, groups, and schools whose members include those on the autism spectrum, and at a discount.

People to Watch: Kimie Nishikawa

AMERICAN THEATRE: New York-based scenic designer Kimie Nishikawa, who was nominated for a 2024 Tony for best scenic design of a play for An Enemy of the People as part of the design collective dots, also played her part in dots’s design for the world premiere of the musical A Wrinkle in Time at Arena Stage (through July 20).

Student Stagehand Workers at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) Vote Unanimously to Join IATSE Local 357

IATSE: Student stagehand workers at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) have voted unanimously to join IATSE Local 357. These student workers will join the other stagehands and wardrobe crew at WLU who already had the benefits of representation through the IATSE. With this successful vote, the 27 workers at WLU will be able to work collectively to improve their working conditions with the strong union support providedby IATSE Local 357.

Finishing carbide saw blade

Woodworking Network: Diablo's Wood Demon Ultimate Finish saw blade sets a higher standard for quality and precision that on-the-go fine carpenters demand. It delivers sandpaper-like finish cuts and boosts productivity up to 10X longer than standard blades.

Production Sound Mixer Daniel McCoy Deploys DPA For "LA Fridge"

ProSoundWeb: Daniel S. McCoy, a production sound mixer and sound consultant for cinema, commercial and live events who’s utilizing microphones from DPA for more than 25 years, recently expanded on his DPA collection with the new 2061 miniature omnidirectional microphone and AIR1 universal miniature windscreen that he deployed for the 2024 Solvan Naim film “LA Fridge” and the recently released “Captain America: Brave New World.”

Record numbers seen for Wood Pro Expo

Woodworking Network: At the time of this writing, the Closets Conference and Wood Pro Expo happening in Florida is hitting record numbers for attendance and exhibitors. Coming up in October, the Wood Pro Expo Lancaster in Pennsylvania is expected to achieve similar success. It shows the woodworking industry is adapting and finding a way to navigate uncertain waters, using these focused, regional events for powerful targeted marketing and dynamic networking.

Broadway Cares Awards $2.1 Million More in Support Nationwide

www.broadwayworld.com: Broadway Cares has awarded a record $2,126,000 in grants to 263 more organizations nationwide, supporting direct services, emergency assistance, harm reduction and quality-of-life programs.

Live Nation Asks Trump Administration to Put Price Caps on Resales

variety.com: Live Nation is addressing concerns about the company’s practices and industry more broadly with a new packet of material meant for President Donald Trump’s administration and other government agencies, principally the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Site-Specific Textiles by Rachel B. Hayes Radiate Within Vast Landscapes and Sunlit Interiors

Colossal: From myriad swaths of vivid, translucent fabric, Rachel B. Hayes conjures striking installations that transform our experiences of both interior spaces and expansive natural landscapes. The Tulsa-based artist suspends large-scale patchwork compositions in spaces ranging from barns and greenhouses to open fields and lakes, experimenting with scale, color, pattern, light, and movement in joyful installations.

New Research Suggests Art Could Be The Key To Stress Reduction

TwistedSifter: With over three quarters of adults reporting feeling regularly stressed, it’s no wonder that our social media feeds are packed with ways to reduce the pressure on our minds.

The American Theatre Wing's 2025 Gala to Honor the Unsung Heroes of the Theatre Industry

www.broadwayworld.com: The American Theatre Wing's 2025 Gala Celebration will be held on the evening of Monday, September 8, 2025, at 6:30PM, at Cipriani 42nd Street. For the third year, the Wing’s gala will honor the “Unsung Heroes of the Theatre Industry,” with stage stars shining a spotlight on their own personal Unsung Hero.

Bess Wohl Is Manhattan Theatre Club's Next Playwright in Residence

Playbill: Playwright Bess Wohl has been named Manhattan Theatre Club's 2025-2026 Judith Champion Playwriting Fellow, a program that will see Wohl commissioned to write and develop a new play with the company. The fellowship also includes a living allowance, access to office and rehearsal space, a ticket stipend, and a developmental workshop.

Splice CAD: Cable Harness Design Tool

Hackaday: Cable harness design is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of electronics design, just as essential as PCB design. While numerous software options exist for PCB design, cable harness design tools are far less common, making innovative solutions like Splice CAD particularly exciting. We’re excited to share this new tool submitted by Splice CAD.

Harlem's Historic Apollo Theater Is Getting a Renovation

Playbill: Harlem's historic Apollo Theater is getting a full-scale restoration, renovation, and modernization that will take the venue on hiatus through summer 2026. The theatre, first opened in 1914 and named the Apollo since 1934, is one of the country's cultural centers, and has been the preeminent epicenter of Black culture and entertainment for more than three decades.

Inside Roald Dahl's THE WITCHES with Dave Malloy and Lucy Kirkwood

www.broadwayworld.com: In 1971, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory burst into theaters, thus marking the first major musicalization of the work of writer Roald Dahl. In the years since, audiences have been privy to many more Dahl musicals, including two stage versions of Charlie's story, Pasek & Paul’s James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda the Musical, to name just a few.

The Doris Duke Theatre Reopens at Jacob's Pillow

dancemagazine.com: In 2020, Jacob’s Pillow was struggling. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the beloved Becket, Massachusetts–based dance organization was forced to cancel its summer festival for the first time in its 88-year history. Then, in November of that year, the Pillow was dealt another blow: The Doris Duke Theatre, one of its two main theaters, burned to the ground.

Your Chicago outdoor theater guide for summer 2025

Chicago Sun-Times: Outdoor theater is a favorite local tradition, and theaters in and around Chicago are bringing plenty of shows to parks around the area. Bonus: Many of these shows are free. Ready your blankets, picnic baskets and summer beverages — here are eight performances under the stars to check out this summer.

Does Your PC Need A Dedicated Sound Card?

www.slashgear.com: If these were the early 2000s. We would have said that having a sound card is a flex. With good reason, too. You'd slap one into your PC, crank up a media player, and pretend you were mastering audio. But today, most motherboards come with a pretty solid built-in audio system. So, do you really need a sound card anymore? The short answer is no, you probably don't. But the longer answer is more interesting.

Experience the Thrills of Back to the Future: The MusicalReview: High-Octane Effects Power 'Back to the Future: The Musical'

onstagepittsburgh.com': From the first appearance of the iconic DeLorean time machine on the Benedum Center stage, Back to the Future: The Musical takes off with the whoop and wow of a theme park attraction, powered by high-energy performances and crowd-pleasing special effects wizardry. Just as in the original 1985 movie, there’s magic in the DeLorean’s journey to the past, with the added thrill of seeing it all happen live, courtesy of the national tour presented by Pittsburgh CLO.

Hall of Presidents speeches: Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden

attractionsmagazine.com: We transcribed the speeches in The Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World orated throughout history by robotic likenesses of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.

The Harvey Fierstein Theatre Lab to Present SPRINGBOARD TO DESIGN Theatrical Mentorship

www.broadwayworld.com: Springboard to Design, a groundbreaking tuition-free theatrical design mentorship and education program for students from underrepresented communities, will be hosted at The Harvey Fierstein Theatre Lab housed in The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in the heart of Lincoln Center, from July 6-12, 2025.

Ride Roller Coasters At Home With A Seated Motion Simulator & Haptics

www.uploadvr.com: Growing up, I always looked forward to our annual family vacation to one of the Six Flags amusement parks in Texas, Astroworld in particular being a standout. That park had one of the biggest and fastest wooden coasters in the 80s, the Texas Cyclone. Each year we would go, and I would get in line to ride it only to nope out… until the one year I didn't. That ride changed everything for me, and suddenly I couldn't get enough of these twisted monstrosities of wood and steel. This ignited a passion that over the years had me seeking faster and more extreme roller coasters in each new place I would visit.

Post Malone Tumbles Off Stage While Toasting a Fan at Arizona Show

consequence.net: Much like the road to hell, an artist falling from the stage during a performance is often paved with good intentions. Such was the case for country star Post Malone, who took a major tumble during a recent Arizona performance on his “The BIG ASS Stadium Tour” while attempting to toast a well-meaning fan.

Toronto Fringe is getting ready to send in the clowns | Intermission Magazine

www.intermissionmagazine.ca: With a largely uncurated lineup of over 100 shows, it’s virtually impossible to sum up an event as diverse and expansive as the annual Toronto Fringe Festival. That said, if there’s one notable 2025 trend, it’s that the festival will feature more clowns than you can fit into a very small car.

HAMILTON and Ron Chernow to Receive National Constitution Center’s 37th Annual Liberty Medal

www.broadwayworld.com: The National Constitution Center will award its 37th annual Liberty Medal to the Broadway hit Hamilton, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and the historian and biographer Ron Chernow, whose book inspired the musical. The recognition honors their impact in bringing the story of the U.S. Constitution to life for generations of Americans and inspiring a deeper public engagement with the principles of the founding era.

As far as Beatriz Pizano is concerned, every theatre artist already has a Dora

Intermission Magazine: At the 2025 Dora Awards, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) honoured Beatriz Pizano with the Silver Ticket Award. It’s an honour reserved for those who have been the architects of our community: artists who have excelled in their own careers while nurturing the work of others.

InfoComm 2025 Highlights

LightSoundJournal.com: The 2025 edition of InfoComm, held June 7-13 in Orlando, Florida, set a new attendance record, confirming it as one of the most relevant international events for the professional AV industry. With nearly 31,000 verified attendees from 97 countries and more than 800 exhibitors in attendance (according to official figures), the event offered a comprehensive overview of the latest technological innovations and trends that are transforming the world of audiovisual, IT and broadcasting.

‘Grammys Of AI Music’? New Global Awards Launch, Now Accepting Entries

www.forbes.com: A global contest called the Future Sound Awards launched on Tuesday to recognize creators of music made with the help of artificial intelligence. Entries will be judged on elements including inspiration, process, vocals, lyrics and beat, along with listens on a dedicated chart. Amid intensifying ethical and legal debates around AI, contest rules stipulate that music found to contain copyrighted material will be disqualified. The top three winners will split $10,000 in prizes.

Alicia Graf Mack Returns to Ailey as Its Fourth Artistic Director

dancemagazine.com: Last November, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater announced that Alicia Graf Mack would become its next artistic director. Graf Mack’s trajectory seems to have prepared her for this role. During a brilliant career as a dancer with both Dance Theatre of Harlem and Ailey, she acquired two academic degrees on the side, in history and arts management.

For the Sake of Her Kids, Safety of Fans, Beyoncé Should Stop With the Flying Car

www.theroot.com: Even with a reputation as a consummate professional, Beyoncé’s need to be just that maybe causing her more trouble than she realizes. There was Bey or Sis or Mother, depending on your POV, smiling lovingly to her fans as her flying car dangled dangerously in the air in Houston.

The résumé is dying, and AI is holding the smoking gun

Ars Technica: Due to AI, the traditional hiring process has become overwhelmed with automated noise. It's the résumé equivalent of AI slop—call it "hiring slop," perhaps—that currently haunts social media and the web with sensational pictures and misleading information. The flood of ChatGPT-crafted résumés and bot-submitted applications has created an arms race between job seekers and employers, with both sides deploying increasingly sophisticated AI tools in a bot-versus-bot standoff that is quickly spiraling out of control.

'Hamilton' producer traces his journey to Broadway

NPR: Theater producer Jeffrey Seller has been a key behind-the-scenes figure for some of Broadway's biggest hits including, Hamilton and Rent. But he got his start on a much smaller scale with a play called Popcorn Pete.

Everything to Know About Immersive THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, MASQUERADE

www.broadwayworld.com: As BroadwayWorld reported last week, details have been quickly coming together for the immersive theatre experinece based on The Phantom of the Opera, Masquerade. Tickets for the much anticipated return on Andrew Lloyd Webber's mega-hit musical are available starting today, June 30, 2025.