ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

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Theatre Critics, Tear Down That Wall

A regular rotation of theatre articles and criticism from daily papers (whatever those are) isn’t coming back. So it’s up to theatre makers to keep writing, posting, blogging, making video about the process and the products - and critics need to deal with it. - The Stage (UK)

What Happens When A Theatre Critic Physically Can’t Sit Down

It’s edifyiing, truly: "Gazing over hundreds of heads and shifting my weight around in the dark, I was reminded time and again that theaters are just rooms full of people whose vulnerability, uncertainty and imperfections — including my own — are what bring them alive.” - Washington Post (Yahoo)

Under-35s Are More Likely To Listen To Orchestral Music Than Older People: Study

"Surveying 2,000 people, the 2022 report shows that 65 percent of people aged 18–34 listen to orchestral music regularly, compared to 57 percent of people aged 55+ and 56 percent for those aged 35–54." However, "older people are more likely to listen to orchestral music in a concert hall." - Limelight (Australia)

US Book Industry Seriously Contemplates Life After BookTok

"While acknowledgment of the platform’s marketing and publicity power is overwhelming, many also assert that any concern over a drop in sales is overblown … (and) that another social media platform would come along to fill any BookTok-sized hole." - Publishers Weekly

Italian Museums Try Offering Free Dog-Sitting Services For Visitors

"Normally, a paid version of the service operates at 290 museums across Italy. One of the company Bauadvisor's dog-sitters meets the owner outside the museum and takes the dog for a walk. … This promotional, free version of the service will take place for one day every month … in a different Italian city." - CNN

Movie Audiences These Days Are Laughing At Some Pretty Intense Stuff

"(Chuckles) ripple through the crowd when Nicole Kidman laps up milk from a saucer on her hands and knees in Babygirl, when Lily-Rose Depp contorts herself inhumanly in Nosferatu, when Mikey Madison is bound and gagged in Anora, when Daniel Craig is shooting heroin in Queer." - The New York Times

Britain To Put 30% Cap On Markup Of Event Tickets

"(The move) follows years of campaigning by politicians, musicians and the theatre industry to stop professional 'resellers' hoovering up tickets at the expense of fans and selling them on for huge mark-ups in alliance with platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub, which take a cut of the profits." - The Guardian

Airports Have Started Putting Real Thought Into Their Background Music

Some — London Heathrow, Nashville, Phoenix, Seattle-Tacoma, both Chicago airports — have stages with live musicians. Others — Detroit, Austin — have specially curated playlists. Singapore-Changi even commissioned piano music for its famous waterfall. - AP

Consuming Arts And Culture Is Good For Your Health, Says Major UK Study

"Consuming culture is good for your health and wellbeing – and generates £8bn a year worth of improvements in people’s quality of life and higher productivity. That is the conclusion of the first major UK research to quantify the impact the arts and heritage can have on physical and mental health." - The Guardian

How Low Do Classical Music Ticket Prices Need To Be To Attract Skeptical Newcomers?

For many of Jeremy Reynolds's friends, $40 was too much for taking a chance on the unfamiliar. "It’s the low end of ticket prices that will keep out the casual listener, the friend of someone who wants to go, the young couple interested in trying something new for date night." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Highest Theatre Ticket Prices In Britain Went Even Higher In 2024; Lowest Were Slightly Lower

"In 2024 the average most expensive ticket outside of London was £56.46, compared to £49.19 last year. This is 63% cheaper than the average top-price ticket across West End theatres, which was £154.56. The average cheapest ticket in theatres across the UK was £20.96, a 1.5% decrease on 2023." - The Stage

Good News From Cleveland Orchestra: Finances And Audience Numbers Are Healthy

The orchestra's 2023-24 annual report shows a sixth consecutive year of a balanced budget as well as endowment growth of 11% to $296 million; audience numbers have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. - Ideastream Public Media (Cleveland)

Historic Town Halls In Australia Are Becoming Low-Cost Performance Venues

"Beautiful brick early 20th-century town halls were once venues for council meetings, award nights and country dances. But in recent decades many have been under-used or left entirely empty." Now municipalities are offering them to strapped arts organizations, often without rental fees. - The Guardian

The Blue Man Group Is Leaving New York, And Chicago Too

It’s been more than three decades and more than 17,000 performances Off-Broadway. But apparently, it’s time to head to Florida. - The New York Times

“Understanding Opera’s New Audiences”: A New Research Report From Opera America

"The project responded to ongoing reports of record-breaking levels of first-time attendance. Since full houses are central to the artistic and financial health of opera companies, OPERA America set out to uncover ways to retain and convert these newcomers into a sustaining audience for the future." - Opera America

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