Photo Coverage: Times Square Gets Decked Out with Broadway Show Globes

www.broadwayworld.com: This holiday season, Times Square celebrates the creativity of Broadway designers and the power of live theater with four Show Globes. These globes feature designs inspired by some of the most-loved musicals on Broadway and invite passersby to admire the imagination and talent that give life to every show.

Documentaries Lead the Way for Gender Parity, but Challenges Remain

Variety: Women may be the gatekeepers of the documentary arm of the entertainment industry, but this year marks the first time they have helmed the majority of awards season’s high-profile documentaries.

Ask Casey About Church Sound: How Do I Use Compression?

ProSoundWeb: Think of compression being like an invisible finger on a volume control (fader) and you're already halfway there...

Spinal Tap Creators and Universal Music Settle Copyright Dispute

Variety: Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner, the creators of the iconic mockumentary film This is Spinal Tap, have resolved their dispute with Universal Music Group regarding the film’s soundtrack recordings.

Theatre for Development in Malawi

HowlRound Theatre Commons: Theatre is alive and well in Malawi, mostly in the form of theatre for development. Defined by Patrick Kabvina—a facilitator at the non-governmental organization the Story Workshop, which harnesses creative entertainment and social and behavioral change communication to improve the lives of Malawians—theatre for development uses theatrical performances to create a platform for debate on major issues that affect the community.

The "Vessel" in which Dance and Sculpture Meet

The Theatre Times: Now in its twelfth year, Adelaide’s OzAsia Festival is Australia’s only annual festival that focuses on contemporary work from Asia. Also programmed are works of performing and visual arts from anywhere in the world that reflect a deep and meaningful connection with Asian cultures. In this latter category was Vessel, perhaps the festival’s most breathtaking dance work this year, a collaboration between Belgian choreographer Damet Jalet, and Japanese sculptor Kohei Nawa.

9 Creatives on Their Most Valuable Career Lessons

Adobe 99U: We all dive into the unknown with plenty of excitement and a good measure of tenacity. The wisdom tends to come later, after a fair share of stumbles and tests of courage. Looking back at their careers so far, nine thinkers and creatives let us in on some of the most important learning moments that act as their touchstones when making decisions and planning for their future.

The Kathakar Festival Celebrates the Power of Storytelling

The Theatre Times: From grandparents’ tales to brand-building exercises and social media posts, storytelling is fast emerging as a tool that frames the narratives of our lives. A performance genre that entertains all age groups, it uses eclectic drama techniques, music, voice, and movement to draw audiences into an imaginative and immersive theatre of the mind. The ninth edition of the Kathakar Festival, from 11-13 October at Sunder Nursery in Delhi, hopes to harness the power of the medium to present a plethora of stories from across the world in a range of formats.

SMPTE and IABM Announce Collaboration to Share Knowledge

ProSoundNetwork.com: SMPTE®, the organization that is defining the future of storytelling, and IABM, the international association for broadcast and media technology suppliers, today announced a new collaborative agreement to share knowledge and expertise across their memberships. In the first stage of the agreement, members of each organization are now able to take advantage of the other's training courses at discounted rates.

Field Notes: Why It’s Time for “Retrocycling”

Immerse: Over the past decades, I have explored different approaches for repurposing outdated technologies, including video game consoles from the 1970s; TVs and slide projectors from the 1980s; CD players, computer supplies, and VR equipment from the 1990s; and so forth. One example of a now-obsolete device that has been part of my artistic practice since the mid-1980s is the Atari 2600. Such devices also hold promise for the makers of nonfiction narratives and experiences who read Immerse.

Designing Safer Social VR

Immerse: Imagine it’s your first time entering a social virtual reality experience. You quickly set up an avatar, choosing feminine characteristics because you identify as female. You choose an outfit that seems appropriate, and when you’re done, you spawn into a space. You have no idea where you are or who is around you. As you’re getting your sea legs in this new environment, all the other avatars look at you and notice that you’re different. Strange avatars quickly approach you, asking inappropriate questions about your real-life body; touching and kissing you without your consent. You try blocking them, but you don’t know how. You remove your headset fearing that you don’t belong in this community.

Relatable Situations: When Mixing Monitors Is Similar To Fighting Fire

ProSoundWeb: Volunteer firefighting is a long-lasting and proud tradition in my country – more than 5 percent of the entire population of Slovenia actively contributes to this phenomenon, and I’m no exception. In addition to working as a sound engineer, I’ve been an active service member of a local firefighting company for more than two decades.

DC's Director of Nightlife and Culture Reflects on First Year

On Tap Magazine: To embark on any new endeavor – creative, personal or professional – can be a daunting hill to climb for anyone, and DC government is no exception. Even with the support of Mayor Muriel Bowser and others, Shawn Townsend, who became the first-ever director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture (MONC) early this year, has a lot on his plate.

At L.A.'s Santa Fe Art Colony, artists face rising rent

Los Angeles Times: The Santa Fe Art Colony may sit next to a recycling plant and a tow yard in an industrial zone southeast of downtown L.A., but for 30 years the former furniture factory has been heaven for artists — an affordable place for an intergenerational community to live and work.

'Joker' fans flocking to a Bronx stairway highlights tension of media tourism

theconversation.com: New York’s newest tourist attraction isn’t a museum, park or art installation.

It’s a stairway.

Sandwiched between apartment buildings in the Bronx, it’s been dubbed by moviegoers the “Joker Stairs,” earning its name and fame after being featured prominently in “Joker.” Since the film’s release, fans have flocked to the stairs, where they’ve been posing for photos – much to the annoyance of some local residents – and uploading them to social media.

On the Road with Jovanotti

ProSoundNetwork.com: Italian singer-songwriter and rapper Lorenzo Cherubini—better known as Jovanotti—first hit it big in the 1980s and he’s still at it to this day. Currently on tour, his production carries three SSL Live L550 consoles. The arrangement of the production to have a live band that plays Jovanotti hits in between a live DJ set, creating a musical flow where there is no distinction between, as FOH engineer Pino Pischetola puts it, 'the two souls of the show'.

The Making of A Vixen’s Tale

Immerse: We started Arcade in London in 2017, and, after some early high-profile work with the likes of Merlin (SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds) and the Roald Dahl Museum, we were accepted onto Digital Catapult’s Augmentor programme, which brought us to the attention of WNO. When we got WNO’s call inviting us to pitch for their latest immersive installation, we were thrilled.

Cultural Participation Policies: A Poverty of Ambitions

The Theatre Times: In many countries, it is not unusual to hear of cultural organizations attempting to diversify their audiences by reaching out to those who are often described in English as “non-participants” or “non-attenders.” While some organizations may undertake this work of their own volition, for many it responds to the implicit or explicit expectations of their funders.

Representing UK Inclusive Dance in the United States

Disability Arts Online: I first heard of Step Change Studios in 2018 through media coverage of their London show at Sadler’s Wells: ‘Fusion’. I knew this was something I’d like to be a part of, so I contacted Rashmi Becker, the founder, to ask about applying for their next production ‘Fairy Tales’ in 2019. We met in person a few weeks later to talk through the details of the project and what would be expected of me.

STAR WARS Is Getting A Kabuki Adaptation To Celebrate THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

Nerdist: One of the most beautiful Japanese traditions is that of kabuki theater. The dance dramas are known for their elaborate and colorful makeup and costumes, stylized performances, and broad postures, creating a heightened experience for the audience. The performances are usually set in the samurai era, but sometimes extend into other time periods—or even in a galaxy far, far away. To celebrate the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, a kabuki performance of Star Wars will take place in Tokyo later this month.

TAIT acquires Brilliant Stages bring TAIT technology + Assets to Europe

www.taittowers.com: TAIT, a leader in designing, engineering and operating solutions for live experiences, announced today its completed acquisition of the entire share capital of Brilliant Topco Limited (Brilliant), a premier provider of staging and design capabilities for live events. The acquisition brings together over four decades of complementary live event expertise to create an even more competitive platform capable of deploying a truly global suite of live event technology and solutions.

Prolight + Sound Shanghai 2019 - Show Report

LightSoundJournal.com: Prolight + Sound Shanghai – together with its sister event Music China – certainly represents one of the most important events for the eastern market within its specific sector.
The Shanghai fair has historically been more “biased” towards the MI (Music Instrument) world, whilst the Guangzhou fair (which will open its doors next February) is more focused on professional entertainment. Both editions belong to the ever-growing Prolight + Sound and MusikMesse family, who’s head office is located in Frankfurt.

Composer (and Tiny Fey's Husband) Jeff Richmond on How Fey's 'Mean Girls' Became a Broadway Musical

www.citybeat.com: Like films Heathers and Clueless, Tina Fey's 2004 comedy Mean Girls spoke to the confusing, sometimes alienating experience of being a teenage girl. Filled to the brim with snappy one-liners, it managed to be funny, relatable, empathetic and warm, all rolled into one pink-hued plastic package. And if you grew up in the 2000s, you likely watched it a dozen times at sleepovers.

Everything to Know About Disney on Broadway!

www.broadwayworld.com: Disney has officially been making magic on Broadway for 25 years! As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Disney on Broadway is partnering with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS to put on a special benefit to celebrate the momentous occasion. We're getting in on the celebration by looking back at Disney's show-stopping productions, from classics like Beauty and the Beast and Newsies to current favorites like Aladdin and Frozen.

She’s Putting Her Mark on the Kennedy Center

The New York Times: The Kennedy Center’s first expansion in its nearly half-century history had just opened, and its new spaces were being put through their paces for the first time.

A mid-September breeze swept over the lawn, where a free outdoor screening of “The Black Panther” on a giant new video wall had drawn an audience of hundreds the previous night. In the nearby Moonshot Studio, middle schoolers were making zoetropes inspired by the children’s book author and pigeon portraitist Mo Willems.

‘Blackout’ Celebrates 10 Years of Freakouts

noproscenium.com: While some modern haunts may be more extreme in terms of scenarios and level of contact, none have the history and legacy of the first breakout haunt success, Blackout. I remember pangs of jealousy when reading about its terrified audience as a teenager. I desperately searched for more information about the experience (in vain) and occasionally happened upon a terrifying snippet online. Without concrete specifics, my mind filled in the blanks with potential shackles and staple guns.

#92 Olivia Sebesky

in 1: the podcast: This week we are sitting down with Projection Designer and bespectacled wonder-woman Olivia Sebesky! She is currently a Knight of Illumination nominee for her work on the lastest Aerosmith concert and she’s here to tell us the journey of that design including a 35-minute preshow retrospective of the band and the massive undertaking of clearing all the rights for every frame of footage.

It’s a Funhouse for Selfies, But Is It a Museum?

CityLab: When the Museum of Illusions opened in Greenwich Village last fall, it drew lines down the block to get in. Visitors flocked to photogenic exhibits that make it look like you have lost your head or can walk on walls. Following in the footsteps of other viral-experience purveyors like the Museum of Ice Cream, Museum of Pizza, and Color Factory, the Museum of Illusions’ takeover of a prominent corner building seemed to assert that the age of the pop museum—or “museum”—is only beginning.

All We Need is Audience Development?

The Theatre Times: The audience question is haunting the world of arts. A question without an answer, a troublesome relation, a world unexplored. How do they feel? Why do they come? What do they think? Flocks of critics, philosophers, researchers, and producers have looked for an answer for millennia, producing numerous insights and theories that were only to be displaced by new ones. But the desire to capture the essence of audience behavior is as strong as ever. Welcome to audience development—the newest attempt at capturing and influencing audience behavior.

Radical French Novels Welcomed to German Stages

The New York Times: Some of France’s most provocative recent fiction has found an enthusiastic audience in Germany, where theatermakers are fond of bringing contemporary international literature, much of it challenging, to the stage. Munich has hosted one of the most formidable of these efforts: A trilogy of novels by Virginie Despentes that paints a riotous portrait of contemporary French life has been adapted into “The Life of Vernon Subutex” at the Kammerspiele, the city’s most envelope-pushing theater.

Translating Trojan Horses

The Theatre Times: In 2019, Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi was asked to translate Trojan Horse, a play by Lung Theatre based on the ‘Trojan Horse’ affair that brought a number of Birmingham schools to the attention of the media in 2014 over the alleged radicalization of their students. In this personal response to the piece, she explores here the complex and contradictory feelings that arose as she set about translating the text into Urdu.

Nancy Baker Cahill turns New Orleans into art 'Battlegrounds'

Los Angeles Times: L.A. curator Nancy Baker Cahill and 24 New Orleans painters, sculptors, photographers and video artists revisit contested sites using augmented reality.

What You Can (and Can't) Bring Into a Broadway Theatre

www.broadwayworld.com: So you're going to a Broadway show! Congrats! You're about to experience theatre at its very finest- the pinnacle of performance in New York City, or as some might argue, the world.

Before you head to the theatre, it's important to keep in mind that certain items that you might have on hand will not be permitted inside. Which ones might cause trouble? We've got you covered. Check out a full list of items that may or may not be allowed into a Broadway show.

NFTRW Weekly Top Five

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

How to stay out of crisis mode at work

www.fastcompany.com: If you feel like you’re constantly flying by the seat of your pants, perhaps one (or more) of the following habits is the cause. If these sound familiar, don’t worry—I have some suggestions for how you can get back on track and breathe a little easier.

Posted by David at 10/31/2019 10:56:00 AM

Life@CMU report finds campus is indeed stressed out

The Tartan: During the first-ever Tartan Community Day, students attended a presentation on the results of a multi-year study on personal well-being among the Carnegie Mellon student body, gathering together and enjoying ice cream sandwiches in the Rangos Ballroom. The presentation was given by David Creswell, a professor in Dietrich College’s psychology department and principal investigator for the project they call Life@CMU.

Posted by David at 11/01/2019 11:25:00 AM

How to Strip Paint from Hardware

This Old House: Good painters remove or cover door hardware before they paint. The other kind of painter just slops it over any exposed metal and ruins the door's appearance. Fortunately, any knob, escutcheon plate, or hinge can easily be made to shine again without the need for noxious chemicals, expensive tools, or uncomfortable gear.

Posted by David at 11/01/2019 11:14:00 AM

Minor Offenders Can Substitute Jail Time for an Art Class at the Brooklyn Museum

hyperallergic.com: A new program in New York City allows people arrested for minor offenses to avoid jail or court appearance by enrolling in an art course. A pilot run of the program has shown a reduction in recidivism and an improved view of criminal justice agencies among participants, a study by the Court Center for Innovation says.

Posted by David at 10/30/2019 11:05:00 AM

Most Haunted Places in America: Scariest Places to Visit in Every State

Thrillist: October’s the only time of year when people applaud you for showing up to a party with an ax in your head. It’s an entirely themed month, in which normally mousy drugstores fill with Dracula puppets shriek-laughing like the Count on an endless loop, and when fun-sized Snickers constitute legit breakfast. It’s also the best time of year to step beyond mere horror movies to try and scare yourself silly, just ‘cause you can.

Posted by David at 11/01/2019 11:19:00 AM

How To Create Creepy Halloween Scenery That Will Survive To Haunt Again

Rosco Spectrum: For some people – Halloween is the most important holiday of the year. It’s the time of year to pull out all the stops and celebrate the haunted and the macabre. Such is the case for one residence in Washington D.C. who opened up their home to host what they’re calling the “Chesterfield Circus.” As guests enter this haunted home-attraction, they walk through an archway of foam skulls that is coated/protected by a variety of Rosco Scenic Products.

Darkness is Spreading celebrates its two-year anniversary, back where it all started

Music | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Halloween might be artist/DJ sarah huny young’s favorite holiday, so it was disheartening when, two years after moving to Pittsburgh from Harlem, she had yet to find a Halloween party that she felt comfortable attending. Her cousin, the writer Damon Young, had the name recognition and connections to get an event started, and worked with huny, who had the event planning and graphic design experience, to throw a Halloween bash, Darkness is Spreading, in 2017.

The story behind Andy Warhol’s transformation into a zombie by Pittsburgh’s renowned makeup artist Tom Savini

Features | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: When people think of Pittsburgh, two things often come to mind: Andy Warhol, born and raised in the Steel City before leaving for New York City after graduating from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University); and zombies, because of the Night of the Living Dead movies, filmed just outside of the city and adopted by Pittsburghers as their own.

Life@CMU report finds campus is indeed stressed out

The Tartan: During the first-ever Tartan Community Day, students attended a presentation on the results of a multi-year study on personal well-being among the Carnegie Mellon student body, gathering together and enjoying ice cream sandwiches in the Rangos Ballroom. The presentation was given by David Creswell, a professor in Dietrich College’s psychology department and principal investigator for the project they call Life@CMU.

Meet Lucy Stewart: Associate Curator of Education, Carnegie Museum of Art

Backstage | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: I connect people to what we have on view, give them inroads, meet them where they are, and bring them into our conversation. I also develop and facilitate programs for people with different kinds of abilities.

Inclusivity and connectivity are the goals of Hauntsville: A Higher Realm

Music | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Halloween is often associated with immaterial fears of hauntings, ghost stories, and things that go bump in the night. Anthony Resch, fka Royal Haunts, and Joshua Orange are instead doing the spooking themselves with their Halloween event, Hauntsville: A Higher Realm.

Most Haunted Places in America: Scariest Places to Visit in Every State

Thrillist: October’s the only time of year when people applaud you for showing up to a party with an ax in your head. It’s an entirely themed month, in which normally mousy drugstores fill with Dracula puppets shriek-laughing like the Count on an endless loop, and when fun-sized Snickers constitute legit breakfast. It’s also the best time of year to step beyond mere horror movies to try and scare yourself silly, just ‘cause you can.

Meyer Sound Supports Sonic Crystals Project At Roskilde Festival

ProSoundWeb: More than just another summer rock festival, Denmark’s Roskilde Festival is a broad meeting ground where music, visual arts and technology come together to form a dynamic creative community. As one example, during the 2019 event Meyer Sound partnered with the festival’s creative team and students at the Danish Technical University to design and construct an intriguing “Sonic Crystals” demonstration project.

Audio Design at the Heart of the Multi-Award-Winning Hadestown on Broadway

Stage Directions: Currently one of the hottest tickets on Broadway, the musical Hadestown has won no less than eight prestigious Tony Awards. One was for Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz’s sound design, which features 28 Alcons Audio V-series pro-ribbon monitors. The Tony was the icing on the cake for Steinberg and Paz, who also won a Drama Desk Award for the Hadestown sound design, as well as being nominated in the Outer Critics Circle Awards.

How to Strip Paint from Hardware

This Old House: Good painters remove or cover door hardware before they paint. The other kind of painter just slops it over any exposed metal and ruins the door's appearance. Fortunately, any knob, escutcheon plate, or hinge can easily be made to shine again without the need for noxious chemicals, expensive tools, or uncomfortable gear.

Lowe's: Pros Planning to Spend on Tools During the Holiday Season

Remodeling: The holiday season isn’t just a busy shopping time for consumers. Pros plan to shop heavily in November and December, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Lowe’s. Pros who are planning to participate in holiday sales shopping expect to make purchases in an average of eight product categories, according to Lowe's. Almost half of pro respondents are likely to purchase products from the drill, tool set, or cutting tool categories.

All About Tin Ceilings

This Old House: A plain white ceiling hardly rates a cursory glance. But cover it with richly patterned metal panels, and instantly it becomes an eye-catching feature. Tin ceilings originated in the 1880s as an affordable way for people to dress up a room's fifth wall. Tin was not only an aesthetic upgrade, meant to emulate high-end decorative plaster, it also offered a measure of fire protection—a big concern at a time when home cooking, lighting, and heating were largely done with open flames.