Cirque du Soleil brings Big Top razzle-dazzle to corporate events

Washington Business Journal: At Cirque du Soleil, the adventure starts with an idea. Whether an organization is looking for an event to celebrate with its team, highlight the loyalty of a long-term client relationship or plan an unforgettable date – Cirque’s dedicated team can assist in creating a one-of-a-kind experience.

Festival Survival Guide

SoundGirls.org: As another season of festivals is here, I thought it useful to make a survival guide for those of us who work these chaotic events during the Summer months. As I found out all too soon in my career, there was no survival guide on how to make sure you got through it all in (mostly) one piece. For anyone who needs it, I hope this helps.

Broadway Across America announces new senior leadership team

www.broadwaynews.com: Broadway Across America (BAA), an industry leader in presenting touring productions in North America, has announced changes to its leadership. BAA is a subsidiary of the John Gore Organization, which is also the parent company of Broadway.com, BroadwayBox.com, “The Broadway Show,” Group Sales Box Office and Broadway Brands (including Broadway News).

Is College for Puppets?

www.chronicle.com: McClung, a professor and director of costuming at West Virginia University, also sees value in the inanimate. Cluttering her office are blocks of foam, sheets of tissue paper, bubble wrap, takeout containers, a bag of plastic party cups, and a small balloon that reads “Thank You.” It’s junk, but she might find a use for it. “I’m not a hoarder,” McClung said. “I know it seems a little questionable. But there’s a purpose!”

She’s made theater in Oakland for decades. Now Ayodele Nzinga finally has her own venue

Datebook: PianoFight Oakland, the 100-seat downtown theater previously known as the Flight Deck, has a new lead tenant in the Black Arts Movement Business District Community Development Corporation, also housing resident theater company the Lower Bottom Playaz.

Not your traditional clowns: ‘Drawn to Life’ performers talk unique artistry at Disney and Cirque show

www.clickorlando.com: When you think of a Cirque du Soleil show, you are likely to think about the groundbreaking acrobatics, beautiful costumes and some standing-ovation choreography. You also might think of some of the comedic acts that are brought to life through clowns.

Broadway Across America Announces New Exec Team With Rich Jaffe As CEO

Deadline: Broadway Across America, a leading presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, has announced a new executive team, with current co-CEO Rich Jaffe named sole CEO.

“The Notebook” Musical Heads to Broadway in Spring 2024

www.ticketnews.com: Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling novel The Notebook, which proved achievement with a-2004-film adaptation, as well, featuring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in the lead roles, is coming to Broadway next spring. Making its world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2022’s fall, the new musical bears credits of Ingrid Michaelson for music and lyrics, Bekah Brunstetter for the book, and Michael Greif along with Schele Williams for direction.

What an alpine rescue team can learn from the Cirque du Soleil

coloradosun.com: The margin of error is 5 millimeters. “Five millimeters is big for us,” said Andrew Barrus, technical director of the Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza” show. “It’s huge!” responded a volunteer from the Alpine Rescue Team, a three-county search and rescue organization based in Evergreen.

‘MJ’ on tour: Team behind Michael Jackson musical wants to be startin’ somethin’ great

Chicago Sun-Times: It’s nearly impossible to overstate the impact Michael Jackson had on pop culture. His dance moves alone remain indelible: He introduced the robot. He seemed to defy physics with the moonwalk, and gravity with the lean in. His groundbreaking, cinematic videos played like mini-movies. His work remains enshrined in his music catalog and shows up everywhere from NCAA gymnastics routines to Jeep commercials.

Edinburgh Fringe 2023: how to immerse yourself in the world's biggest arts festival

theconversation.com: When the Edinburgh International Festival launched in 1947, it was inevitable that a fringe event would follow. Beginning with just eight companies of performers in five venues, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (known as “the Fringe”) is now the biggest arts festival in the world, and welcomes tens of thousands of performers across over 250 venues every August. Given the scale of the Fringe – almost 3,000 productions this month – navigating the array of shows on offer can be a challenge, so a visit needs some planning to make the most of your time and budget.

Situation Project appoints Samara Berger as director of impact and expands strategic plan

www.broadwaynews.com: Situation Project has announced a broader vision under the leadership of its new director of impact Samara Berger. The nonprofit organization provides New York City students from underserved communities with the opportunity to experience Broadway and live entertainment. Berger assumed the role in January and has worked since then to create the new strategic plan, which now includes three core pillars: culture, community and career.

Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 pumps up Puerto Rico’s Latin Urban Music Awards

LightSoundJournal.com: Two Green Hippo Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers powered the visuals for multiple wraparound LED screens which formed the backdrop for this year’s televised Premios Tu Música Urbano. The Awards, which celebrate Latin Urban music, were broadcast live from Puerto Rico capital San Juan’s 18,000-capacity Choliseo, and streamed live to fans worldwide on YouTube.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe to Partner With Nouveau Riche Productions to Address Inequality

Playbill: The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe will strategically partner with Nouveau Riche Productions to address the barriers that BIPOC artists face when trying to participate in the annual theatre festival.

Change for the Better: On Indigineity at the Stratford Festival -

www.intermissionmagazine.ca: Stratford is changing for the better. At least, that’s according to Tara Sky (who plays Cordelia in this season’s production of King Lear) and Joelle Peters (Eugenia in Women of the Fur Trade). Peters, Sky, and I met on a sunny morning at the Festival Theatre to talk about the productions this season’s in the Stratford Festival in which they are starring, and what it’s like being young, hip, Indigenous artists balancing busy careers while acting in a small town. King Lear and Women of the Fur Trade are powerful productions for very different reasons.

Taylor Swift Urged to Postpone LA Eras Tour Dates Due to Strike

www.ticketnews.com: Taylor Swift is being urged to postpone her upcoming run of six sold out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, in solidarity with hotel housekeeping workers who are on strike. The calls for the singer to pause her shows – which kick off Thursday and close out the North American leg of The Eras Tour – were made via an open letter signed by more than a dozen politicians and other officials, including California’s Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis.

How can Competitions and Conventions Become Inclusive Spaces for Transgender and Nonbinary Dancers?

Dance Magazine: As a young student caught up in the whirlwind of the competition circuit, Micki Reynolds didn’t have many opportunities to think about gender. But by their sophomore year of high school, “I started questioning if I felt a different way about my gender identity,” they say. And they began to see competition stages in a new light. “I became more hyperaware of gendered categories and costumes,” Reynolds says.

Pioneer PRO AUDIO Takes Five at Extrema Outdoor

LightSoundJournal.com: First staged in 1996, the Extrema Outdoor festival is one of Europe’s most popular electronic music events. Staged in the beautiful grounds of De Plas in Houthalen-Helchteren, Belgium, the festival features seven stages on a site that includes deep forests, a clear lake with a beach, a campsite, and the luxurious Extrema Resort for those who prefer a glamping vibe. More than 150 artists appeared at the 2023 renewal which was attended by around 65,000 fans.

What Members Can Work On: Network Code vs. TV/Theatrical

SAG-AFTRA: This video lays out the differences between the Network Code and the TV/Theatrical Contract, detailing the types of TV programming that members are allowed to work on during the TV/Theatrical/Streaming Strike.

Immersed in the socio-political excesses of the Philippines’ Marcos regime in ‘Here Lies Love’ at the Broadway Theatre

DC Theater Arts: From the moment you enter the Broadway Theatre, your senses are bombarded with the sounds, look, and feel of a dance club of the disco era, and you are totally immersed in the glitz and glam of its excess. Whether you’re standing on the main floor of the now seatless orchestra section or sitting in the mezzanine, you are surrounded by the music, lights, projections, and players, and become an active participant in the phenomenal new musical Here Lies Love by David Byrne (concept, music, and lyrics) and Fatboy Slim (music), with additional music by Tom Gandey and José Luis Pardo.

The Complicated Triumph of ‘Here Lies Love’

AMERICAN THEATRE: In November 2014, I traveled to the city of Tacloban on the island of Leyte for research on a multidisciplinary project to understand the impact of communication during Super Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Yolanda). It was a full year after the deadliest typhoon in Philippine history made its landfall, killing more than 6,000 people and displacing 600,000 inhabitants. Parts of the city were growing steadily thanks to international aid; other parts remained wrecked and graffitied.

Aspiring fashion designers bloom at Billy Porter Phipps exhibit

Fashion | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens extended its Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter show due to high visitor rates. That means there is still time to see how local college and high school students became an active part of creating the exhibit’s dramatic, vibrant outfits.

Spirited Away: Stage production of Studio Ghibli classic to transfer to West End

The Independent: Spirited Away is the latest Studio Ghibli to transfer to London’s West End. Following the success of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of My Neighbour Totoro, which was the big winner at this year’s Olivier Awards, Hayao Miyazaki’s animated classic Spirited Away will also be given the theatrical treatment.

How Social Anxiety Disorder Can Impact Dancers

Dance Magazine: When Lydia Hance choreographed Oh, I have to wash my hair for her Houston-based dance company, Frame Dance, Kerri Lyons Neimeyer found a deep connection with the material. The piece explores experiences of social anxiety and the way it’s passed down through generations; Neimeyer, who serves as Frame’s education director in addition to dancing with the company, has been grappling with social anxiety disorder (SAD) since she was about 10 or 11 years old. Reflecting on her struggles, she recalls, “It just blew up by the time I was in high school. I couldn’t look at anyone going down the hall—it was really bad.”

Kennedy Center's 'Spamalot' is headed to Broadway this fall

The Washington Post: When Josh Rhodes directed and choreographed the Kennedy Center’s starry production of “Monty Python’s Spamalot” this spring, the task of rapidly reviving the irreverent 2005 musical didn’t leave much time for additional ambitions. Still, the Kennedy Center has a history of transferring productions to Broadway — even if it hasn’t done so in more than a decade. And Jeffrey Finn, the arts center’s vice president and executive producer of theater, had already landed the rights to take “Spamalot” to New York.

Why drag restrictions and bans have failed to become law

NPR: In states across the country this year, Republicans have talked a lot about restricting drag performances in front of children. But that talk, and even their efforts, haven't amounted to much. Bills restricting drag have failed to pass, passed as watered-down laws, have been vetoed or, in the case of three states that did manage to pass meaningful restrictions, laws have been temporarily halted by federal judges.

Review Roundup: LET'S CALL HER PATTY Opens Starring Rhea Perlman, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer & Arielle Goldman

www.broadwayworld.com: Patty (Rhea Perlman) is an Upper West Side lady of more than moderate means who’s lived according to self-prescribed rules and routines: lots of exercise and very few calories. When her daughter Cecile (Arielle Goldman) experiences sudden whirlwind success as a sculptor and turns to cocaine to help cope, Patty, with help from her overextended niece Sammy (Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer), must navigate challenges that push her well outside her carefully curated comfort zone. LET’S CALL HER PATTY is a comedy about what it means to be a mother, a daughter, or anyone in the world doing their best to disentangle life’s mess.

Baz Luhrmann & ‘Moulin Rouge!’ Team Cheer Show’s Recoupment On Broadway, West End

Deadline: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, based on Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 luscious pop classic movie starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent, has recouped its costs — not only the $28 million Broadway price tag, but it also recouped sizable sums in London’s West End and Australia.

Outline chosen for the Wesley Methodist Church In Singapore

LightSoundJournal.com: A modern worship location which demands perfect intelligibility throughout a large and unusually-shaped space to deliver the Word, music and all elements of praise – the results of a blind listening test lead to the installation of an Outline system at Wesley Methodist Church.

On Campus With Harlequin Floors: Inside 2 Universities' Dance Facilities

Dance Magazine: College is a time for dancers to challenge themselves, but students take the best risks when they’re assured a safe place to land. With five decades of experience, Harlequin Floors provides dancers with the support they need to leap higher, dig deeper, and defy their technical limits. With versatile studio and stage floors, dancers can focus on developing their artistry and making the transition from college student to professional performer.

Report: Live Nation Could Face DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit This Year

www.ticketnews.com: Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster could be facing an anti-trust lawsuit before the end of the year, according to a report this week by Politico. The entertainment giant, which controls a huge percentage of venues, promotions, and ticketing for North America as well as worldwide, has been regularly accused of anti-competitive practices fueled by its overwhelming market share, but consistently defends itself against any wrongdoing.

Bastille Day 2023: 5 Lawo mc² consoles to mix the Concert de Paris

LightSoundJournal.com: The commemoration of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, which marked the beginning of the French Revolution, is the occasion for numerous events throughout the country. For this 11th edition of the giant classical music concert at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, Lawo once again met the live sound and live broadcast requirements of the French public broadcasters and Eurovision network.

In A Barbie World

seamracer.wordpress.com: I always loved how Barbie doll advertisements always showed all the proper matching accessories for every outfit. When I set to making my own version of a Barbie inspired outfit, it’s no wonder I felt the need to be in an equal measure of flawless co-ordination. Yet, I have a rocky relationship with gingham and was justifiably wary of making myself a completely matching set for my Barbie dress

Enjoy free admission to three Pittsburgh museums all through August

Pittsburgh City Paper: Three of the most popular museums in Pittsburgh are free for visitors all through the month of August, offering a way for individuals and families to escape the heat while taking advantage of fun activities, educational opportunities, art and cultural exhibitions, and more.

‘Josephine’s Feast’ is about a fed-up Black mother, and its star and director can relate

Datebook: Three decades ago, Margo Hall walked into an audition for the part of Anita Hill. The play was “Unquestioned Integrity” by Mame Hunt, being directed at Magic Theatre by Ellen Sebastian Chang, the company’s first director of color. Hall — who’s now one of the most sought-after actors in the region, with a recurring role on “Blindspotting” — was unknown then. It had been a year and a half since she’d moved to the Bay Area from New York, and she hadn’t booked a gig yet.

Consumer Groups Slam Striking Key Disclosures from TICKET Act

www.ticketnews.com: A consortium of consumer ticket advocacy groups issued a statement Thursday slamming changes to the proposed TICKET Act in the U.S. Senate, after the federal legislation saw key disclosure requirements struck during a procedural “markup” meeting in Washington. The bill, proposed by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), initially contained measures requiring disclosure on ticket prices and fees, plus requirements that sellers listing tickets for sale that they do not yet own – so-called “speculative” tickets – disclose the nature of those listings.

A Guide to Summer Theater Festivals in New York and the Berkshires

The New York Times: In summertime, a lot of stage talent heads for the Hudson River Valley and western Massachusetts, where curious audiences follow. Here is some of what theaters there have on tap this year.

Prison, hospital, burger joint, cathedral: Does…

Broad Street Review: In West Philadelphia, at the corner of 38th and Ludlow Streets, on the perimeter of Penn Campus, is the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral. From the outside it appears as any other large urban church—steepled and red brick, snug between the corner of Ludlow Street and an attached large modern office building. But I am surprised on entering. The cathedral’s interior expanse leaves urban spatial constraints at the door.

Workers at William F. Whites to Join the Ranks of the IATSE

IATSE: Yesterday, workers at William F. White International Inc., a division of Sunbelt Rentals of Canada, Inc., voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the IATSE. Concerns over job security, wages and a changing work culture inspired these workers to come together to improve their working conditions by forming a union.

WGA East Looks to Add Animation Writers to the Union After the Strike

collider.com: As the studios refuse to budge and give into the very understandable demands of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, the unions continue to brave the summer temperatures and take to the picket lines. The latest update in the fight for fairness comes with animation writers hoping that this already historic strike will prove to be doubly so as they seek to be added under WGA protection in the future.

OAKLEY® DESIGNS GROUNDBREAKING SOLUTIONS TO IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGES

oakley-media-hub.prezly.com: Defying limitations. Creating extraordinary moments. Reshaping the culture. It’s how many would describe the legendary role of Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in the upcoming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. It’s also how you could tell the story of Oakley® becoming the world’s premiere choice for performance eyewear.

‘Her spirit’s in you’: ‘Tina’ actors on inhabiting and mourning Tina Turner

Datebook: For decades, Tina Turner has been not just the Queen of Rock & Roll but a symbol of survival, at once the pinnacle of artistic achievement and an icon of clawing your way back from the bottom. So when the superstar died in May, at 83, her significance entered a new chapter for all of us — though perhaps especially for Naomi Rodgers and Zurin Villanueva, who alternate in the title role of “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical.”

‘Will we be blindfolded and led to a shallow grave?’: Alter by Kamchàtka takes immersive theatre to next level

Theatre | The Guardian: We have been instructed to turn up at a Milton Keynes car park at dusk and wait to board a bus that will take us to an undisclosed location. The scenario feels quite crime noir – will we be blindfolded and led to a shallow grave? But actually, this is next-level, site-specific theatre that unfolds over 90 minutes in gathering darkness. The audience around me exudes nervous excitement as the bus stops and we are directed to a dirt track leading into woodland.

The cast of ‘Here Lies Love’ open up about what it’s like to perform Filipino history on Broadway

www.broadwaynews.com: After more than a decade of development, “Here Lies Love” has made it to Broadway. The original musical opened July 20 at the Broadway Theatre; it tells the story of the rise and fall of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos and the People Power Revolution.

IATSE Reckons With AI: Members React to Core Principles Guide

The Hollywood Reporter: On July  5, the major crew union IATSE, which reps 160,000-plus entertainment workers from grips to animation to makeup artists, unveiled a set of “core principles” for applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in its members’ work ahead of its 2024 contract talks with studios. The list set off a debate among union members as the sprawling crew union scrutinizes how its workers are already encountering AI in their day-to-day work — and what to do about it in the future.

At Two Summer Theater Festivals, Reassuring Signs of Life

The New York Times: Suddenly, out of the darkness, came one of the most thrilling sounds an audience can make: a collective gasp. This is how you know that the crowd is rapt, that the storytelling has taken hold. And so it had the other night during a performance of “Blues for an Alabama Sky” at Barrington Stage Company, where a different plot twist elicited another welcome noise: a mid-scene eruption of delighted applause. Humans can be a lot of fun to see a show with.

5,000 Unionizing Commercial Production Workers Have Certified Majority, Will Win Voluntary Recognition

IATSE: Freelance workers in production departments for TV commercials across the United States are set to win voluntary recognition of their union after a neutral third party confirmed a majority of these workers signed cards indicating they wish to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

How ‘Barbie’ Set Designers Brought Those Dreamhouses to Life

The New York Times: While working on films like “Atonement,” “Anna Karenina” and “Darkest Hour,” the production designer Sarah Greenwood and the set decorator Katie Spencer, both Oscar nominees many times over, had to turn soundstages into period-accurate sets, using their extraordinary attention to detail to embroider these spaces with texture and soul.

Seattle Rep Names Dámaso Rodríguez Its New Artistic Director

AMERICAN THEATRE: Seattle Rep, the city’s 60-year-old flagship resident theatre company, has appointed Dámaso Rodríguez to be its new artistic director, starting on July 31. Rodríguez succeeds Braden Abraham, who left the Rep last winter after 10 years in the post to lead Chicago’s Writers Theatre.

Can Bay Area theaters make subscriptions sexy again?

Datebook: The audiences for live theater simply aren’t back, the conventional wisdom goes. Same for season subscriptions, on which the industry has long depended. They’d already been waning for decades, and then the pandemic sent them plummeting.

Jujamcyn Theaters Finalizes Deal to Merge with Ambassador Theater Group

www.broadwayworld.com: Jordan Roth, President of Jujamcyn Theaters, has sold a 93 percent stake in five Broadway theaters, finalizing a previously announced deal to merge with UK theatre company Ambassador Theatre Group.

Review Roundup: THE COTTAGE Opens On Broadway With An All-Star Cast!

www.broadwayworld.com: Set in the bucolic English countryside in 1923, The Cottage is a rollicking tale of sex, betrayal and love which explodes when one woman decides to be wildly indiscreet about her indiscretions and expose her latest affair to both her husband - and to her lover's wife. The true meaning of fate, identity and marriage are called into question as an unpredictable and hilarious web of secrets begins to unravel.

DiGiCo keeps control steady for Maroon 5 on tour and in residency

LightSoundJournal.com: Three-time Grammy Award winners Maroon 5 took off on a concise but intense tour this year. UK + Europe 2023 was the 15th concert tour by the band, who have also won eight Billboard Music Awards and all 27 of their BMI Pop Awards nominations, in support of their seventh studio album, 2021’s Jordi. The tour began on June 13 in Lisbon, Portugal and traveled through Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, and France before concluding on July 4, 2023, in Birmingham, England.

More Funding, But For Status Quo Or Difficult Change?

Butts In the Seats: There was a lot of chatter on the Twittersphere last week (which I guess is the X Corp-sphere now?) over a NY Times editorial that Isaac Butler wrote advocating for the federal government to do a big bail out of theater in the face of so many theater organizations failing.

Why Musicians Aren't Striking

consequence.net: Esteemed colleagues, it’s time for another Consequence Chat — because as I’m sure you’re aware, it’s been a wild time here in Hollywoodland, as major film releases happen to coincide with the shutdown of all of entertainment production. The WGA and SAG are now on strike — in fact, recently our own Maura Fallon and I spent some time on the picket line talking to some of the actors and writers currently protesting major studios about why things have reached this point.

Writers Strike Diary: SAG Glams Up the Picket Line

The Hollywood Reporter: I showed up last Friday to Disney and it was (cue the music): “A whole new world!” The Actors have joined us …and taken all our signs. Which is fine! They need us and we need them! It’s reinvigorated the picket lines and upgraded the tents. Day one/seventy-three the check-in tent at Disney looked like a French pharmacy; La Roche Posey sunscreen in every SPF and a variety of lip balm!

Disney CEO's Strike Comments Draw Backlash Over His Pay Package

www.businessinsider.com: Disney CEO Bob Iger, who came out of retirement for his reinstatement to the position last November, has drawn criticism and scrutiny around his pay package following his recent comments on the Hollywood writers and actors strike.

Pittsburgh Shakespeare In The Parks 19th Season Continues with an All-Female 'Cleopatra & Antony'

onstagepittsburgh.com: Founding Artistic Director Jennifer Tober takes a twist on Shakespeare’s classic, examining and highlighting the strength and passion of the female characters—putting Cleopatra first. Tober stages PSiP’s first production of the history play in four different City of Pittsburgh parks and at The Frick’s Clayton Mansion grounds.

That Ultra-White Paint That Helps Cool Surfaces? Make Your Own!

Hackaday: It started with [KB9ENS] looking into paints or coatings for passive or radiative cooling, and in the process he decided to DIY his own. Not only is it perfectly accessible to a home experimenter, his initial results look like they have some promise, as well.

Why the SAG Strike Could Help Filmmakers Make Better Movies

IndieWire: This week, lost in the chaos of the SAG-AFTRA strike and its impact on the fall movie season, the Canadian investment studio BRON struck through the news cycle with a major update: They’re going bankrupt.

The Hollywood Labor Strikes; Plus, the Latest on Current Labor Disputes in America

Houston Public Media: On July 14, 2023, the labor union SAG-AFTRA began a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), joining the Writers Guild of America (WGA). This marks the second time since the 1960s that two Hollywood labor unions are striking simultaneously.

Union for Broadway Crew Members Reaches Tentative Deal, Averting Strike

The New York Times: The union representing a segment of Broadway crew members reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with theater owners just as its members were voting on whether to authorize a potential strike, the organizations announced Thursday.

Live Nation Gets Fresh Scrutiny at Vertical Merger Senate Hearing

www.ticketnews.com: The market dominance of Live Nation and its ticketing subsidiary Ticketmaster got a fresh round of scrutiny at the highest levels of government this week, during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights. Wednesday’s hearing, which took a look at “Trends in Vertical Merger Enforcement,” was led by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), who also led the January senate hearing on the company’s enormous market power and whether or not it’s harmful to consumers and in need of structural remedy.

Update: IATSE Strike Averted With Tentative Agreement; Broadway and National Tours to Continue as Scheduled

Playbill: IATSE and The Broadway League have revealed in a joint statement that a tentative agreement has been reached between the League (and Disney Theatrical) and the backstage union on the latter's Pink Contract. Details of the agreement will be released to IATSE members in the coming days, after which union members will vote on ratifying the new contract.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Reveals a Spanish-Language Translation of HAMILTON is in the Works

www.broadwayworld.com: The worldwide phenomenon Hamilton has played around the world, notably with multile runs in Puerto Rico, most recently this June to benefit the Hispanic Federation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund. However, the show's creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has revealed that the next time the musical is performed in Puerto Rico, he wants it to be in Spanish.

IATSE Calls Strike Authorization Vote, Could Halt Broadway and Touring Shows as Soon as Friday

Playbill: The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) has called a strike authorization vote following protracted, unsuccessful negotiations with The Broadway League and Disney Theatrical, collectively representing Broadway and national tour producers. Members have until 2 AM ET July 21 to vote, which could result in a strike being called as early as Friday morning, according to IATSE representatives.

10 Tips On How To Sew Handwoven Fabric

Sew Historically: In fact, handwoven fabric doesn’t fray more than for example store-bought velvet fabric or loosely woven wool fabric. However, don’t handle handwoven fabric unnecessarily after cutting and before sewing. Because then handwoven fabric might fray – like any other fabric actually! 😉

Attack Theatre to present 'Blurred Bodies A concert for the voice and the body' on August 4

onstagepittsburgh.com: Blurred Bodies brings Grammy®-winning vocal band Roomful of Teeth and Pittsburgh’s Attack Theatre dance company together at Carnegie Mellon University’s Chosky Theater for an evening that expands the expressive potential of vocal music and dance.

LA Film production plummets to pandemic numbers

Reel 360 News: We’ve been here and before and didn’t like it then either. The film production industry in the Greater Los Angeles area experienced a significant decline in the second quarter of 2023, according to an update from FilmLA, the partner film office for the City and County of Los Angeles and other local jurisdictions.

Choreographer-Educator Kiesha Lalama Named to Lead Point Park's Pittsburgh Playhouse

onstagepittsburgh.com: Point Park University Professor of dance and accomplished choreographer Kiesha Lalama has been appointed Managing and Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, the school’s 5-year-old performance and instructional hub.

TikTok: Opportunity and Risk

AMT Lab @ CMU: The latest controversies surrounding TikTok are no secret: biased algorithms, censored content, & intensive personal data collection, to name just a few. But how exactly are these controversies posing risks for arts organizations and users? Why should the arts industry care? Buckle in (especially YOU, arts marketers) because the impacts may change the future of social media and marketing moving forward.

Can ‘Miss Saigon’ Be Saved? Two British Shows Disagree.

The New York Times: Claude-Michel Schönberg’s musical melodrama about an ill-fated romance between a Vietnamese sex worker and an American G.I. during the Vietnam War has polarized opinion ever since it was first staged in 1989. In that original West End run, Jonathan Pryce donned yellowface to play a mixed-race pimp, and the show’s critics have continued to raise concerns about its portrayal of East Asian people, particularly its tawdry sexualization of Vietnamese women.

Almost 300 Robe moving lights for spectacular Nick & Simon finale concerts at Ahoy Arena

LightSoundJournal.com: Phenomenally successful Dutch singer-songwriter duo Nick & Simon (Nick Schilder & Simon Keizer) played 6 sold-out nights at Rotterdam’s famous Ahoy Arena in The Netherlands, the culmination of their “Nu of Ooit” (Now or Someday) tour which also was the last time they will appear in this format, as after 17 years of performing together, both artists now intend to pursue solo careers.

Wild Adventures expands Great Pumpkin LumiNights

Amusement Today: On Tuesday, Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Ga. announced major additions to the park’s Great Pumpkin LumiNights event, including a pumpkin carving gallery and a new area with activities for kids.

Inside the immersive United Airlines Airshop innovation lab

www.avinteractive.com: United Airlines has opened an Airshop innovation centre that showcases the future of aviation with 270° immersive projection mapping and interactive content. The airline worked with the Next/Now experiential agency at the venue in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Here’s what venues can do to become fat-friendly spaces – and spare a lot of pain

Stage | The Guardian: I have to call places before I visit them. I never know if I should say “I’m fat” (a term I embrace, as it’s technically correct and not a derogatory word) or if I should go for something less tension-provoking like “larger person” or “plus-sized”.

'Here Lies Love': Immerse yourself — literally — in this Broadway show

NPR: On Thursday, a new $22 million musical opens on Broadway and it may be a bigger risk than most. Here Lies Love, with a score by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, literally turns the Broadway Theatre into a disco, with many members of the audience on the dance floor, surrounded by the actors. It tells the story of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos' rise and fall in the Philippines. At a time when Broadway ticket sales are down, is an immersive new musical a way to bring audiences back?

Patrick Marber to direct Nachtland, a play about Hitler’s art and ‘rise of the new right’

Theatre | The Guardian: Patrick Marber is to direct a new play at London’s Young Vic theatre in which a family argue over what to do with a piece of art that may have been painted by Adolf Hitler.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Returns to Stability—And Its Roots

www.dancemagazine.com: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago performed to sold-out crowds in New York City last February. Audiences similarly flocked to the Museum of Contemporary Art a month later for their packed spring series at home. The resounding message, across the country, was that Hubbard Street is back.

Set and Story: April Bartlett and The Art of Scenic Design

Pace University New York: For 15 years, April Bartlett was the art director overseeing the production design team that made sure The Today Show went on air, and looked good, every single day.

Is Broadway affected by the SAG strike?

The Independent: The film and TV industry was rocked last week by the news that the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) is going on strike. The strike comes amid an ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike, with issues of pay, streaming residuals, and regulation around the use of AI (artificial intelligence) proving key factors in both instances.

Update: Benedum Center Marquee, Greer Cabaret Are Closing In on Openings

onstagepittsburgh.com: It won’t be long before one of the busiest corners of the Pittsburgh Cultural District is fully illuminated again, with present technology lighting the way to the past. Planned to be ready for the next Broadway in Pittsburgh season in September, the scaffolding and banners will come down and the new Benedum Center for the Performing Arts marquees will once more light the way on Seventh Street and Penn Avenue.

Vari-Lite VL3600s treat Morgan Wallen fans to ‘sensory experience’ on stadium tour

LightSoundJournal.com: Chart-topping Country singer Morgan Wallen has set off on a career-defining tour of arenas, stadiums, and amphitheaters across North America. At the heart of the design for the shows are an army of VL3600 Profile IP fixtures from Vari-Lite, the originators of the modern moving head and a Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) entertainment lighting brand, which are rigged center stage and creating an array of high intensity effects and rich colors.

Six winning plays about ending gun violence to premiere at Kennedy Center - DC Theater Arts

Six winning plays about ending gun violence to premiere at Kennedy Center - DC Theater Arts: These six plays will debut on November 6, 2023, in Washington, DC, at The Kennedy Center’s Theater Lab as the cornerstone event to a larger series of readings staged coast-to-coast on the same evening. This collaborative effort between Kennedy Center Social Impact, Kennedy Center Education, and led by Event Producer Shanara Gabrielle, will feature a coalition of professional theaters, including Signature Theatre, Arena Stage, Round House Theatre, Imagination Stage, Olney Theatre Center, 1st Stage, The Theatre Lab, and Mosaic Theater.

Armando Iannucci to adapt Stanley Kubrick’s film Dr Strangelove for stage

Dr Strangelove | The Guardian: Stanley Kubrick’s classic film Dr Strangelove is to be adapted for the stage for the first time. The 1964 apocalyptic comedy, about a rogue US general who triggers a nuclear crisis and puts the world on the verge of catastrophe when he orders an attack on the Soviet Union, will be adapted by Armando Iannucci, the writer and broadcaster known for political satires including the TV series The Thick of It and the film In the Loop, and the Olivier award-winning actor Sean Foley. Foley will also direct.

Writers Strike Diary: How the “AMPTP F***ed Up” as Actors Join Fight

The Hollywood Reporter: But thank you, whoever you are. Because those quotes turbocharged us. They reminded every writer why we’re doing this. Why we can’t give up — and now, you better believe there is not a single writer who doubts this is possibly the most important strike in the history of our craft and our industry. Nothing unifies like a Big Bad. Nothing makes heroes like an unrelenting villain.

SAG Votes to Strike After Negotiations Fail, Joining WGA

collider.com: The movement has been hinted at for the last few weeks but now it's official: Actors are joining writers on a nationwide strike this Thursday July 13, effective at midnight. The announcement was made this afternoon via press conference at the SAG-AFTRA Plaza in Los Angeles, which was held immediately after the guild's National Board vote.

'Gladiator 2' Set Accident Leaves Several Crew Members Injured

Variety: Several crew members were injured on the Morocco set of the sequel to “Gladiator” on June 7 while filming a stunt sequence for the action film. “While filming a planned stunt sequence on the set of the ‘Gladiator’ sequel, an accident occurred during which several crew members experienced non-life-threatening injuries,”

New York’s Public Theater Lays Off 19 Percent of Its Staff

The New York Times: The Public Theater, one of the nation’s most prestigious and successful nonprofit theaters, laid off 19 percent of its staff on Thursday as a financial crisis sweeps across the field. The move, which cost about 50 people their jobs, followed a 13 percent layoff at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and a 10 percent layoff at the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles.

Extended cut: Incoming OSF artistic director aims to build bridges, strengthen bonds

Ashland News - Independent, Nonprofit, Community News: William Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” For incoming Oregon Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Tim Bond, apparently a lot. “Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve built bridges and tried to find that interconnectivity between the theater and the community wherever it is, but also just between people,” Bond said in a Zoom interview with Ashland.news on July 6. “It’s built into my name — Bond,” he added warmly.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES Producers Reach Confidential Settlement

www.broadwayworld.com: The two musicals: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES - THE MUSICAL, featuring a book by Donald Harron and music by Norman Campbell, originally produced in 1965 on Prince Edward Island; and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: A NEW MUSICAL, book and lyrics by Matte O'Brien and music by Matt Vinson, which ran at Goodspeed in 2022, have been in a legal battle over the use of the words ANNE OF GREEN GABLES in the new musical's title.

AI and Virtual Production: The Past Meets the Future

AMT Lab @ CMU: Technology has influenced the film industry since its inception, as advances in the film industry are always closely related to technological advances and how they can be applied in the filmmaking process. Technology has had a deep impact on revolutionizing every aspect of filmmaking, from pre-production to post-production, from digital cameras, editing software, sound and music, distribution, and exhibition, to special effects. Almost every aspect of filmmaking, if not all, has undergone major changes and has evolved over the last 50 years.

Public Theater BIPOC Critics Lab Welcomes 12 New Journalists

AMERICAN THEATRE: The Public Theater has selected 12 future arts journalists for the 2023-24 cohort of Jose Solís’ BIPOC Critics Lab. The selected participants are Maria Paz Alegre, Zuhdi Boueri, Cynthia L. Dorsey, Jhaunay-Amanie Hernandez, Zoë Kim, Strella Leal, Francisco Morandi Zerpa, Noran Morsi, Alex Paredes-Ruiz, Nina Slowinski, Eliseo Valerio, and Octavia Washington. Find out more about the new cohort members here.

How To Make The Most Of The 2023 Picklesburgh Festival

Pittsburgh Magazine: The No. 1 specialty food festival in America is taking over Pittsburgh with a week of pickle-themed programming leading up to the Picklesburgh festival on July 21-23. The festival’s new location on the Boulevard of the Allies is larger than past years’ spaces and will host live entertainment, more than 50 food vendors and not one, but two, giant Heinz pickle balloons. Picklesburgh will open at noon daily, rain or shine.

Disney CEO Bob Iger: Writers, Actors Not Being 'Realistic' With Strike

Variety: During an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday morning, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the writers and actors unions going on strike in Hollywood are not being “realistic” with their expectations. Speaking to CNBC’s David Faber from the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho, Iger commented on the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike and imminent decision for SAG-AFTRA to join them.

Twins’ summer concert series keeps Stagehands out in cold

Union Advocate: Beyonce’s concert next Thursday at the University of Minnesota football stadium will create jobs for about 300 union stagehands – or about 300 more than will be working the Twins’ two-day rock festival at Target Field this weekend.

Hollywood Studios Anticipate Writers Strike Lasting Until October

Deadline: Regardless of whether SAG-AFTRA goes on strike this week, the studios have no intention of sitting down with the Writers Guild for several more months. “I think we’re in for a long strike, and they’re going to let it bleed out,” said one industry veteran intimate with the POV of studio CEOs.

Sarah Silverman is suing OpenAI and Meta for copyright infringement

Salon.com: Comedian and author Sarah Silverman is one of the three lead plaintiffs filing class-action lawsuits against OpenAI and Meta each over dual claims of copyright infringement. Alongside Silverman are authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, who all allege that OpenAI's ChatGPT and Meta's LLaMA illegally obtained text from their literary works — namely Silverman's 2010 best­selling memoir "The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee," Golden's book "Ararat" and Kadrey's book "Sandman Slim" — using "shadow library" websites (like Bibliotik, Library Genesis, Z-Library, and more) without the consent of — or compensation to — the authors.

How Do You Sustain the Theatregoing Habit? (It’s Complicated…)

brianeugenioherrera.substack.com: The last few weeks have amplified the rising thrum of precarity within the theatre industry — what with another legacy institution closing or pausing or canceling every week or so — all while some sectors of the broader entertainment industry are on strike (or might soon be), while others are under attack by policymakers or local scolds, and while corporate media mega-mergers indulge in a spree of platform-killing and content-dumping, suggesting that the streaming bubble might have actually burst.

Signature Reduces Programming As Hundreds of Non-Profit Theaters Scale Back or Worse

www.broadwayworld.com: Last month, Signature Theatre announced three pretty exciting offerings for its 2023-2024 season. What slipped a little under the radar was that it was a complete season announcement—the off-Broadway company will only be producing three shows this season. That is down from four last season and at least six productions per season prior to the pandemic. The constriction is another sign of a theater world in crisis. If we don’t turn the tide, millions will miss out on the joy of live theater.