For Dick Gregory, the Political Has Always Been Comical

NYTimes.com: "Forty-one years later Mr. Gregory, comedian, civil rights activist, health-food advocate and an early black candidate for president, spent Inauguration Day with the crowds in Washington, where he keeps an apartment."

For a Revival of ‘Dreamgirls,’ Pacific Overtures

NYTimes.com: "Several months ago, when John F. Breglio told fellow New York producers that he was not only remaking “Dreamgirls,” the 1981 Broadway hit musical based loosely on the career of the Supremes, but that he was also going to South Korea to do it, they were puzzled, to say the least."

'Hair' transplant on Broadway

Variety: "The question hanging over the Broadway transfer of 'Hair' isn't whether the 1967 flower-power tuner can still speak to contempo auds. The uncertainty hinges in part on whether the $5.8 million transfer about anti-war hippies retains the same urgency in the age of Obama as it had in the waning days of the Bush administration."

J-O-B - Festival

The Three Rivers Arts Festival is hiring for the 2009 festival. For more info on the festival, check out www.artsfestival.net. We are looking for a crew to start Mid-May and work with us through mid to late June, exact dates are to be determined. The work isn’t bad and the pay is good. So if you are staying in town for a part of this summer and are looking to make some money at a fun job, this is a great way to do it. If you are interested, please email Jen Owen at j.owen42@gmail.com for more information.

Talented cast makes 'World Go 'Round' at Public

Post Gazette: "There were two teams at work at Pittsburgh Public Theater Thursday night: Five Broadway-class vocalists matching one another for stage presence and comic timing and their silent but everpresent partners, the songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb."

PG ShowPlane puts "Broadway on sale," May 6-10

Post Gazette: "For its 89th ShowPlane, heading to Broadway May 6-10, the Post-Gazette offers an all-musical, all-Big Apple menu with a twist of limey, at the lowest price in five years."

Theatre needs a showcase

scena.org: "Repeat very slowly after me: The – Theatre – Museum – lives.
Ever since the facility was shut down two years ago as a result of declining attendances in Covent Garden there have been twitches of hope that a home might yet be found for the nation’s glorious performing arts collection."

The Wal-Marting of the American Theatre

Theatre Ideas: "'All I know is that if I want to work in Chicago, I have to be in New York; if I want to work in Seattle, which is a great theatre town, I have to be in New York; if I want to work in my home town of Raleigh, I have to be in New York.'"

Metropolitan Museum Cuts Staff, Closes Shops as Visitors Drop

Bloomberg.com: "New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art said it’s cutting 10 percent of its staff, about 250 jobs, as its endowment and gift-shop revenue shrink."

Museums cutting back due to recession

Reuters: "Museums in Philadelphia and New York including the Metropolitan Museum of Art are cutting stores, jobs and salaries as their endowments have been pounded by dwindling donations, government aid and financial markets."

Little House Tour to Feature Gilbert, Blanchard and Lindsay

Playbill News: "Following a five-week engagement at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ, the new musical Little House on the Prairie will launch an extensive national tour at the Ordway Theatre in St. Paul in October."

More swagger for THR's Key Art Awards

Hollywood Reporter: "The Key Art Awards is the only competition in which professionals honor their peers for designing and creating trailers, posters and other motion picture marketing materials. Under new leadership at THR and guidance from the creative community, the event will aim to reflect the style and imagination of the companies and individuals who serve as the inspiration behind movie marketing."

Milan Stitt, Author of The Runner Stumbles, Dies at 68

Playbill News: "Milan Stitt, a playwright who wrote the critical hit The Runner Stumbles and ran the play development program at Off-Broadway Circle Repertory Company, died March 12, his friend and colleague Andrea Lepcio said. He was 68."

City Theatre probes the mind of a conflicted bride in 'Mary's Wedding'

Post Gazette: "'Mary's Wedding,' a two-actor, three-character play told in a dreamscape of Mary's mind and memories, presents challenges galore for director Stuart Carden and sound designer/composer Andre Pluess. Not the least of those challenges is telling Stephen Massicotte's heartbreaking story of love and wartime loss without a safety net of 'post-modern cynicism,' as Pluess puts it."

Savoyards back in Carnegie for funny, absurd 'Iolanthe'

Post Gazette: "Among those who've added to the gaiety of nations and increased the public stock of harmless pleasure (thanks, Dr. Johnson), few rank higher than the team of W.S. Gilbert (words) and Arthur Sullivan (music), who together created 14 comic operettas, 1871-96, most of which have pretty continuously held the stage since."

Balletboyz return with works from top choreographers

Post Gazette: "The Boyz are back in town, proving that they weren't just a flash in the pan when they appeared with the Pittsburgh Dance Council five years ago. British dancers Michael George Nunn and William Piper Trevitt put together an intimate company and proceeded to 'stalk' some of the biggest choreographic names in dance to create original programming."

U.S. Theater Critics Name Finalists for Largest National New Play Award

Post Gazette: "The American Theatre Critics Association has announced six finalists for the 2009 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, which recognizes the best new scripts produced professionally outside New York City during 2008."

Stage review: Prime Stage does justice to '12 Angry Men'

Post Gazette: "Prime Stage Theater describes its worthy goal as 'to bring literature to life,' so the choice of 'Twelve Angry Men' as its current production is a puzzlement. The play was never literature, but started its life as a TV drama on 'Studio One' in 1954, hosted by the queen of the refrigerator, Betty Furness."

Public Theater pays tribute to Kander and Ebb

Post Gazette: "Break out the jazz hands: The songs of Kander and Ebb shimmy onto the stage tonight with the opening of Pittsburgh Public Theater's 'The World Goes 'Round.'
'A lot of people know their big numbers -- they're so exciting, they're so famous,' said Ted Pappas, the Public's producing artistic director."

Ballet Boyz hold true to entertainment philosophy

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Sometimes, circumstance provides just the needed push for a breakthrough. Case in point: Ballet Boyz.
Michael Nunn and William Trevitt had been lead dancers with the Royal Ballet for a dozen years when the company's home -- the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London -- was closed for renovations."

Playwright allows good heart of 'Wedding' to beat for itself

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "'Mary's Wedding' is the story of love between two young people -- Mary and Charlie -- in wartime. It's 1914, and the conflict is World War I. City Theatre will present the play starting tonight at the South Side theater."

Musical revue embraces 'The World'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "There's a challenge in staging any musical revue, says Marcia Milgrom Dodge, but it's even more of a challenge when it's one that was created by Susan Stroman."

Review: Lavish production sends ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ flying

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Each generation has its own iconic shows.
For those born in the mid-to-late 1960s, it's the movie 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,' which hit the silver screen in 1968.
Now in their 40s and with kids of their own, they're likely to get a kick out of seeing the national touring production of the live stage musical that's playing at the Benedum Center through Sunday.
The story hasn't changed."

Review: 'Prima' takes engaging look at opera creation

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Laughter, the most genuine applause at a comedy, rang out repeatedly Friday night at Opera Theater's presentation of Antonio Salieri, 'Prima la musica e poi le parole' (First the Music and Then the Words)."

'Chitty Chitty' actor enjoys being bad

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera audiences last saw the Irwin native and Broadway performer in 2007 as Bob Wallace in 'Irving Berlin's White Christmas'. He has also appeared in CLO productions as likeable lovers such as Adam Pontipee in 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,' Georg Nowack in 'She Loves Me' and Tommy Albright in 'Brigadoon.'"

Personality test: Mark Clayton Southers

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "When an e-mail arrives from Mark Clayton Southers, you never can be quite sure where it's coming from.
Could be the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Downtown, where he's the founder and producing artistic director."

Opera Theater chooses personal setting for Salieri opera

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Opera Theater presents Salieri's short competition opera, 'Prima la musica e poi le parole' ('First the Music and Then the Words') on Friday and Saturday evenings at the Henry P. Hoffstot house in Shadyside."

Prime Stage presents classic courtroom drama

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The director of the '12 Angry Men' play opening Saturday at the New Hazlett Theater says he hopes it will inspire teens to look forward to the day they are summoned for jury duty."

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Feeling Economic Crunch

WDUQNews: "The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) has been forced to restructure nine positions within its administrative staff as a result of the floundering economy."

State cuts grant for amphitheater

Post Gazette: "Even the Steelers aren't immune to the effects of the recession.
Facing a massive budget deficit this year, the state has cut a proposed $4 million grant for the team's planned entertainment complex on the North Shore next to Heinz Field to $2.5 million."

Musical 'Heathers' Headed to Stage

Backstage: "Get ready for 'Heathers: The Musical.'
The influential 1988 teen dark comedy, which launched the careers of Winona Ryder, Christian Slater and scribe Dan Waters, is stagebound in a production being developed by Andy Fickman, director of 'Race to Witch Mountain,' who is making a return to his musical roots."

Recession Forcing Layoffs at Sesame Workshop

Backstage: "The crisis on Wall Street is plaguing Sesame Street.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit producer of Sesame Street and other kids' programs, is cutting about one-fifth of its work force because of the economic downturn."

Fonda, Gums Blazing, Wins Broadway Critics, Boosting Box Office

Bloomberg.com: "Jane Fonda, her star power strong as ever, dazzled ticket-buyers and critics alike in her return to Broadway after 46 years."

Use PDFVue To Fill Froms & Edit PDF Files For Free Online

MakeUseOf.com: "In my day-to-day 9 to 5 job I have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Pro. Yes it is expensive but it gets the job done quickly and properly when it has anything to do with PDF creation, modification and filling out forms. But not everyone has such an expensive software suite installed on their machine."

7 Tips for Efficient Meetings

WebWorkerDaily: "When you do hold a meeting with a client or with your teammates, either face-to-face or as a teleconference, you want to make it as effective as possible so you get the outcomes that you want, without wasting anyone’s time."

If You Duplicate That Virtual Sword In The Real World... Is It Copyright Infringement?

Techdirt: "Three years ago, in trying to discuss some of the thorny copyright issues that arise in virtual worlds where any 'good' is easily copied, we questioned whether copying a magic sword in a virtual world was copyright infringement."

The Week in Tools: Toolmonger Top 5

Toolmonger: "It’s been a busy week here at Toolmonger. If you’ve been spending time in the shop — you should! — and you haven’t had a chance to keep up with Toolmonger this week, we suggest you start with these posts, which our readers helped to select"

Moving Heavy Things

The Hardware Aisle: "After spending an hour reading and looking at the pictures in Moving Heavy Things by Jan Adkins, you'll have been amused, and you'll think to yourself, Hmmn, those old timers were pretty darn smart."

Build Virtual Lego Models On Your Computer With Lego Digital Designer

MakeUseOf.com: "LEGO is a timeless toy that generations have enjoyed around the world. Back in 2003, LEGO released a free software tool called LEGO Digital Designer. The easiest way to describe it is to say that it is a CAD tool that uses LEGO bricks to perform the design."

Props Properly Placed

WUWM: News: "Live theater has been a part of our cultural landscape for decades. For instance, Milwaukee Repertory Theater has been humming along for 54 years.
WUWM’s Susan Bence takes us through the back door, as the company prepares “Pride and Prejudice”, the production that opens tonight."

Cable Assembly Measurements

Technical Direction Tidbits: "I am planning on ordering a few stainless steel cable assemblies, and I wanted to make sure that I was specifying the lengths correctly. I found that Loos & Co had a handy reference picture."

Blogging to promote your show? Who’s in control of the message?

Theatre and Entertainment Law: "As more and more producers are looking at innovative ways to promote and market their shows, legal question start to arise.
Yesterday, I read a report about Jane Fonda’s backstage blogging during performances of “33 Vacations” on Broadway. It seems the blog is generating some real buzz… and several others shows, “South Pacific”, “Chicago” and “Phantom of the Opera” among them, have blogs on the web.
So, what happens if a member of your cast, crew or staff is blogging, and for some reason expresses discontent, or artistic “concerns”?"

Can You Copyright A Chess Move?

Techdirt: "Stephen S. Power alerts us to an ongoing debate in the chess world over the question of whether or not you can copyright a chess move. Specifically, the current debate arises from a demand by the Bulgarian Chess Federation that certain websites stop 'live broadcasting' a chess match"

Copyright And Classical Music: The Exact Opposite Of The Intended Purpose

Techdirt: "Earlier this year, we discussed a recent article about the impact of copyright on classical music, where it was noted that the music that is still considered the absolute best of that particular era mostly came from countries that did not have strong copyright protection. That article noted that there were a number of composers in France (strong copyright protection) who became rich, but that the music they produced has not stood the test of time. Meanwhile, Giles Thomas pointed us to a review of one chapter in Boldrin and Levine's Against Intellectual Monopoly that discusses how the introduction of copyright correlates almost exactly to the end of successful classical music composition in England. It is only a correlation -- the reasons could be many -- but it is worth noting."

Lincoln Center’s July Festival Features International Theater and World Music

NYTimes.com: "International theater and world music will be front and center at this year’s Lincoln Center Festival, which will run from July 7 to 26 with visitors from Russia, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Israel and Africa."

Despite the Economy, Broadway Is Holding On, for Now

NYTimes.com: "Preview performances of the new Broadway revival of “West Side Story” have lifted spirits across New York theaters: drawing gross revenues of more than $1 million in each of its first two weeks, the show demonstrates that the appetite for plays and musicals is alive and well despite the recession."

Merkerson Among 2009 Matrix Award Honorees

Playbill News: "The New York Women in Communication's Matrix Awards honor the outstanding achievements of women within the communications industry. 'Today Show' co-host Meredith Vieira will emcee the awards."

Mean Girls of Hit Film "Heathers" to Sing in New Stage Musical

Playbill News: "Legally Blonde composer Laurence O'Keefe is penning the score for a stage musical adaptation of the 1988 film 'Heathers,' which is aiming for a 2010 regional debut."

New York nixes live theater tax

Variety: "Legiters can breathe a sigh of relief now that New York state leaders have announced that $1.3 billion in proposed tax increases will be dropped from consideration -- including a potential levy on live theater."

Taking a Break

Be back next Thursday.

Public Theater pays tribute to Kander and Ebb

Post Gazette: "John Kander and Fred Ebb worked together for more than 40 years, writing such stage classics as 'Cabaret' and 'Chicago,' as well as the 1977 film 'New York, New York.' But they also wrote a lot of material in the early days for specific singers, such as Barbra Streisand, Chita Rivera and a teen-aged Liza Minnelli."

Personality test: Mark Clayton Southers

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "When an e-mail arrives from Mark Clayton Southers, you never can be quite sure where it's coming from.
Could be the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Downtown, where he's the founder and producing artistic director.
Could be while he's on a break from his day job as a steelworker with U.S. Steel or while working on his latest play at his Schenley Heights home.
Or maybe he's just chilling with his fiancee, Lorill 'Neicy' Readie, and their 18-month-old son, Marcus Carl Southers, or with his 15-year-old daughter, Ashley."

Opera Theater chooses personal setting for Salieri opera

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Opera Theater goes exploring again this weekend when it presents a parody of opera and skips the theater.
The music was written for a composing competition between Antonio Salieri, the king of opera in late-18th-century Vienna, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the posthumous winner hands down. The premiere of both operas took place not in a theater but on specially constructed stages in the huge gardens of Schonbrun Palace, home to the emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire."

Prime Stage presents classic courtroom drama

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The director of the '12 Angry Men' play opening Saturday at the New Hazlett Theater says he hopes it will inspire teens to look forward to the day they are summoned for jury duty."

Friendships at center of 'Steel Magnolias'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "When the stage play 'Steel Magnolias' debuted on Broadway, one New York critic called it 'the theatrical equivalent of a chick flick.'
Rachel Dillinger of Greensburg, who plays M'Lynn in Greensburg Civic Theatre's production of the Robert Harling comedy-drama, might disagree."

'Amish Burlesque' blends genres in name of parody

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "A venture between a couple of Point Park graduates will bring the cleanest dirty show to town.
'Amish Burlesque,' a cabaret-style performance, will take stage at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg, beginning Friday."

Cirque du Soleil's reported new show will start in Chicago

chicagotribune.com: "It will be called 'Vaudeville.'
And the new Cirque du Soleil show in the works will both rehearse and start in Chicago—most likely at the Chicago Theatre.
According to information circulating in New York, Cirque du Soleil is preparing a major new proscenium-style show under the direction of David Shiner ('Kooza') and written by Larry O'Keefe ('Bat Boy' and 'Legally Blonde')."

Distraction: Avoid Distraction, Get More Done with a Tangents Log

Life Hacker: "Distractions are looming around every corner of the internet. Rather than succumb to the tempting quick Google search or blog refresh, writer Dan Koeppel suggests sticking the diversion in a Tangents Log and getting on with work."

Programmatic vs. Institutional Marketing

Arts Marketing: "I admire Mr. Kaiser not only for his expertise in arts management, but also for his tremendous passion for helping struggling arts organizations. Most arts organizations are looking inward during this moment of economic downturn, trying to figure out how to adjust what they are doing to address anticipated future challenges. Mr. Kaiser on the other hand has made it clear that the Kennedy Center has a responsibility as a leader in the field to reach out and help other struggling organizations."

Rooms - Animal House - Backstage at ‘The Lion King’

NYTimes.com: "At the first costume change of “The Lion King,” the Disney show on Broadway, one of the zebras came offstage announcing he was ready for a drink. Moments later, at the second change, a hyena mocked the star of the show — he was out there in the footlights — with a torturous falsetto and a wink."

Horton Foote, Playwright and Screenwriter Who Chronicled America, Dies at 92

NYTimes.com: "Horton Foote, who chronicled a wistful American odyssey through the 20th century in plays and films mostly set in a small town in Texas and who left a literary legacy as one of the country’s foremost storytellers, died on Wednesday in Hartford. He was 92 and lived in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and Wharton, Tex."

Oscar-winner Horton Foote dies

Variety: "Horton Foote, the Oscar-, Emmy- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright known for his richly detailed characters and tart observations of human foibles, died Wednesday in Hartford, Conn. He was 92."

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

Jay Leno Mainstreams 3D Printing

Toolmonger: "I could hear the Jetsons theme playing in my head while I wrote this — the future is here. In a video on his website, Jay Leno demos a consumer-level 3D scanner, showing how it can be used in real-world applications"

Posted by David at 3/03/2009 01:35:00 PM

Schools of Art, Architecture should work together

The Tartan Online: "Sometimes, I take things to their extremes.
I don’t just stay up late; I pull two all-nighters in a row. I don’t cheer patiently at the finish line on race day for Buggy; I scream louder than anyone else standing along the side of the course on Frew Street. And I don’t just self-define a major; I take on a disparate secondary major and an involved minor as well.
Good or bad, many Carnegie Mellon students are like me in this way."

Posted by David at 3/02/2009 03:42:00 PM

A Tail Tale: Weta Workshop Designs Mermaid Tail Prosthetic For Amputee

Jezebel: "'A prosthetic is a prosthetic, and your body has to be comfortable with it and you have to mentally make it part of yourself,' says Nadya Vessey, who now has the prosthetic of her dreams."

Posted by David at 3/02/2009 03:34:00 PM

Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham is Broadway's new doll

Post Gazette: "At Lauren Graham's first rehearsal for her Broadway debut in 'Guys and Dolls,' the star of TV's long-running 'Gilmore Girls' felt a twinge of insecurity when the actors were asked how many times they've been cast in a Broadway show."

Posted by David at 3/02/2009 03:43:00 PM

Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who's Doing It Best

Edutopia: "'Art does not solve problems, but makes us aware of their existence,' sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz has said. Arts education, on the other hand, does solve problems. Years of research show that it's closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity."

Posted by David at 3/01/2009 11:07:00 AM

CAPA student wins Wilson Monologue Contest

Post Gazette: "The winner was Carter Redwood (CAPA), with Imari Payne (West Mifflin High School) and Leneece Patterson (CAPA) as first and second runners-up. The alternate is Dezmick Matthews (Westinghouse High School), who also received an award from the August Wilson Center."

Review: 'Seussical the Musical'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "'Seussical the Musical,' which showed this weekend at the New Hazlett Theater, is as zany as you would expect a Dr. Seuss story to be. Teenagers from Pittsburgh Musical Theater's Richard E. Rauh Conservatory did a fine job of acting out the Broadway musical, which blends several of Seuss' books into an oddball storyline that often is difficult to follow and understand, but entertaining nonetheless."

Arts groups paint a bleak picture

Post Gazette: "A bare majority of arts groups in Allegheny County report they have enough funding to make it through the year, but the prospects for 2010 and beyond are growing bleaker due to the economy."

Mattress Factory's groundbreaking foray into social media

Pop City: "Where art and technology meet come two new social media experiments, pushing the boundaries again of where the Mattress Factory is willing to go."

Exploring the reasons it's called a 'green' room

chicagotribune.com: "Some possible origins for the term 'green room,' gleaned from various theater-related Internet sites"

Live Nation Rivals See Hard Rain From Dylan Data

Bloomberg.com: Arts and Culture: "Concert promoter Seth Hurwitz has mined data from performances of Bob Dylan, the Who and Fall Out Boy for use when bidding against rivals like Live Nation Inc. to host gigs in the Washington area."

Arts Get Whacked by Rich as Companies Face Losses in Endowments

Bloomberg.com: Arts and Culture: "Corporations and wealthy individuals are donating less to nonprofits, with arts groups taking the biggest hit, according to two new studies."

Russia drama classic in NY rings new amid money woes

Reuters: "A family throws money away like there's no tomorrow, ignoring sound financial advice on how to salvage its finances. Harsh reality arrives and the family finds itself broke and homeless."

Zombie makeup from George Romero's Day of the Dead

Boing Boing: "It's fun to watch this guy test out and then peel off this great zombie makeup from George Romero's Day of the Dead."

The Cult of Done Manifesto

Bre Pettis Blog: "I present to you a manifesto of done. This was written in collaboration with Kio Stark in 20 minutes because we only had 20 minutes to get it done."

If I Ran the NEA

Theatre Ideas: "Yesterday, I inveighed against the arts community for their superficial response to the LA Times' question 'What would you do if you ran the NEA?' In case you haven't had an opportunity to click through the faces on the LA Times website, and running the risk of drawing Isaac's ire for 'cherry picking' (apparently, to be fair, I should either quote everyone, or alternately, quote only those who say nice things), here are a few samples"

Accomplish More: Work At Your Peak Times Of Day

Dumb Little Man: "All of us have peaks and troughs of energy at particular times of day. There will be some hours when you can storm through work, block out distractions, and feel on top of the world. And at other times, all you’ll want to do is curl up on the sofa with a mug of coffee."

Feast your eyes on our prop room!

The Martha Blog: "The people who work in this department are called prop librarians and they know exactly where everything is located. And just like a good library, every single object in this room is labeled with a description, the size, the quantity, and a bar code. Each piece has been logged into a computer and must be checked out when it is borrowed."

Rock Musical Memphis to Arrive on Broadway in Fall 2009

Playbill News: "Memphis, the new rock 'n' roll musical penned by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, will arrive on Broadway in the fall of 2009 at a theatre to be announced."

Carnegie Mellon Artists Working Across Disciplines and in The Community

Carnegie Mellon University: "The idea of an “interdisciplinary” arts education seems like a contradiction. Classical arts education comes from a tradition of intense conservatory study that explores creative production within a closed studio setting. However, today’s artists are challenging themselves more than ever, crossing disciplinary boundaries and influencing other sectors and industries with their creative skills."

If I ran the NEA...

Los Angeles Times: "When Congress voted on President Obama’s $787-billion stimulus package, fiscal conservatives slammed the NEA’s $50-million allocation. It wasn’t the first time the agency, whose 2008 budget was about $144 million, had been thrust under the microscope."

Jay Leno Mainstreams 3D Printing

Toolmonger: "I could hear the Jetsons theme playing in my head while I wrote this — the future is here. In a video on his website, Jay Leno demos a consumer-level 3D scanner, showing how it can be used in real-world applications"

'Sleepless' to wake up Broadway

Variety: "Composer-lyricist Leslie Bricusse ('Stop the World -- I Want to Get Off') and book writer Jeff Arch, who penned the story and co-wrote the screenplay of the 1993 romantic comedy, are at work on a stage musical adaptation of the TriStar feature. Joel Zwick ('My Big Fat Greek Wedding') will helm."

Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham is Broadway's new doll

Post Gazette: "At Lauren Graham's first rehearsal for her Broadway debut in 'Guys and Dolls,' the star of TV's long-running 'Gilmore Girls' felt a twinge of insecurity when the actors were asked how many times they've been cast in a Broadway show."

Waffle Shop

Carnegie Mellon University: "A common college experience: late night waffles and coffee. An uncommon college experience: creating a Waffle Shop and turning it into a reality talk show with the community."

Schools of Art, Architecture should work together

The Tartan Online: "Sometimes, I take things to their extremes.
I don’t just stay up late; I pull two all-nighters in a row. I don’t cheer patiently at the finish line on race day for Buggy; I scream louder than anyone else standing along the side of the course on Frew Street. And I don’t just self-define a major; I take on a disparate secondary major and an involved minor as well.
Good or bad, many Carnegie Mellon students are like me in this way."

24th Annual Back Stage Bistro Awards Gala

Backstage: "NEW YORK –More than 30 of cabaret’s brightest stars will be honored at the 24th annual Bistro Awards, which will take place on Tuesday, April 28 at Gotham Comedy Club. International singer-songwriter-actor Charles Aznavour will be honored with the Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award. Liza Minnelli, Tony-, Oscar-, and Emmy-winning performer, will be recognized in the category of Enduring Artistry. Each of these stars will present the Award to the other—a Bistro first."

‘Guys and Dolls’ Returns With Spectacular Crap Game

Bloomberg.com: Arts and Culture: "Well into the second act of the high-voltage Broadway revival of “‘Guys and Dolls,” something exhilarating happens onstage. It’s just a game of craps set in the sewers beneath Times Square, but it’s magic."

A Tail Tale: Weta Workshop Designs Mermaid Tail Prosthetic For Amputee

Jezebel: "'A prosthetic is a prosthetic, and your body has to be comfortable with it and you have to mentally make it part of yourself,' says Nadya Vessey, who now has the prosthetic of her dreams."

Lucky Sixes? Des McAnuff Rolls Dice Opening Sixth Broadway Guys And Dolls

Steve On Broadway (SOB): "Later today, the ultimate Broadway-based musical fable Guys And Dolls will open for the sixth time on the Great White Way. Helmed by Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys), this fifth revival opens at the newly refurbished Nederlander Theatre, a block south of 42nd Street."

How copyright term extension really works -- video rebuts record companies demand for more copyright in Europe

Boing Boing: "Here, for your delectation is, 'How copyright term extension really works'. It includes the sad fact that most artists could receive as little as 50 (euro) cents from sales associated with the extended term, and may even be worse off when it comes to royalties from radio airplay. And yet the major labels - who continue to tout this flawed policy as a way to help starving artists - will pocket millions."

Mind Hacks: Doodling Increases Focus and Recall

LifeHacker: "It turns out that your daydreaming doodles of infinite awesomeness not only help with long meetings, but can also help you remember what goes on during the meeting."

La Times and the NEA -- Kill Me Now

Theatre Ideas: "If you want to understand why the artistic life of this country is so superficial and unoriginal, I invite you to read the 'contributions' of these assembled mental midgets. Let me summarize the lot: 1) more money; 2) more arts in schools; 3) more money; 4) money to individuals; 5) more money; 6) the WPA lives; 7) more money."

Broadway Shows Will Go On Despite Blizzard

Playbill News: "Despite the snowstorm that is blanketing the New York metropolitan area, the few Broadway shows that offer Monday-night performances will go on as regularly scheduled."

Anxiety is a death knell for theatre

guardian.co.uk: "Last week, I did some work with a group of sixth-formers through the excellent Mousetrap scheme. The scheme is designed to encourage young people to become independent theatregoers; it was providing cheap tickets for youngsters long before the government came up with its PR wheeze to offer freebies to those under 26. Most of the students had very little experience of going to the theatre, and one of them said that her experience made her feel quite anxious."

Basic PTM - Calendar & Critical Path

For the Critical Path/Calendar assignments, you say assume (2) people, but we may have a third if necessary. Lets say we had budgeted for (4) on the Elements sheet. Should we alter the Elements sheet to reflect a maximum of (3) people, or just make that change on the Critical Path/Calendar and have the documents be out of sync? Basically, if we need to make a change, should we track changes backwards or not.

You can, should you so choose to rejigger your original estimate to reflect no more than the 2(sometimes+1) people available for the calendar assignment in order to force consistent lin times. If you do so, you do not have to update the earlier assignment.

Or you can do nothing and have the assignments not match, they are being evaluated individually.

Showcase 2009

NBC Universal Joins ETCP Council

PLSN: "NBC Universal has accepted a seat on the Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) Council. The Council is the governing body which manages the development and implementation of ETCP, the industry-wide certification program for entertainment technicians."

Sean Savoie 2009 USITT Rising Star Winner

Live Design: "Lighting designer Sean Savoie is winner of the 2009 USITT Rising Star Award, sponsored by LDI2009 and Live Design, and presented at the USITT banquet in Cincinnati on March 21."

Cheap Seats, Staff Cuts Are on Tap for U.S. Nonprofit Theaters

Bloomberg.com: Arts and Culture: "U.S. nonprofit theaters are cutting staff and expanding discounts as they anticipate disappointing ticket sales and fundraising, according to a new survey by the Theatre Communications Group."

Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who's Doing It Best

Edutopia: "'Art does not solve problems, but makes us aware of their existence,' sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz has said. Arts education, on the other hand, does solve problems. Years of research show that it's closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity."

Art Directors Guild Is Restructured Following Merger With Two Other IA Locals

Yahoo! Finance: "The Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800 (ADG) has announced a complete restructuring following the merger with Locals 790 and 847 (Set Designers and Model Makers; Illustrators and Matte Artists), forming a larger and more visible union local representing nearly all the Art Department crafts. (Previously, in 2003, the Scenic, Title and Graphic Artists merged with the Art Directors Guild to form the Art Directors Guild & Scenic, Title and Graphic Artists.) Total membership now numbers 2,000."