The museum's director calls museums "empathy machines" and says the mission goes "beyond caring for objects and collections to 'caring for beliefs and ideas and relationships.'" - The New York Times
The trials and tribulations of the large streamers seem somewhat petty - and yet the Mouse just announced plans to cut 7,000 jobs. Will some of those jobs come from one of the OG streaming sites? - Vulture
"Great advertising does not create success. Great shows do. But advertising can expand success from a limited audience and make it larger. Much larger. But today's advertising needs to understand today's market" — which is not the market of three years ago. - Broadway News
Record tickets sales in Chicago's Theatre Week may indicate - finally - something's going OK for the COVID-bitten profession. - Daily Herald (Illinois)
In Edinburgh, for instance, "On a small number of occasions, they become aggressive, start shouting and swearing at our staff and it ends in violence. ... The reaction is 'I have paid for my ticket, I don't care if other people can't see or hear'." - BBC
"They have been verbally and physically assaulted by a small number of audience members while trying to do their job. Two weeks ago one of my staff was punched. This week one of them was pushed and spat on." - The National (Scotland)
"The mega-exhibitor is following music concerts, sporting events and other entertainment venues in setting its ticket pricing strategy to sightlines for seating selections. AMC patrons attending cinemas after 4 p.m. will be able to pay different prices based on their proximity to the movie screen within the auditorium." - The Hollywood Reporter
Few viral stars, and ... whew, what, is this 2023? "This year’s best artist category – which replaced the gendered best male/female categories – has been criticised for its all-male nominees." - The Guardian (UK)
Sure, people are mostly back to live theatre - but " a newly formed nonprofit organization is collaborating to bring nonprofit Broadway ... into homes, schools and community centers." With high-quality streaming, at that. - Los Angeles Times
"In many ways Beetlejuice, which closed Jan. 8, encapsulates life on the bifurcated Broadway of 2023 — a place where the hits are still boffo but the misses tank quicker than ever, and even successes are complicated by fast-changing trends in post-lockdown economics." - Variety
She's on TikTok, of course - or at least, her new fans are, and they're heading to Bath in droves. One academic even suggests that "Austen is the most memed writer after Shakespeare." - The Observer (UK)
There's the obvious - cap the prices, end hidden fees - and then some less-obvious, but useful, ideas, like upgrading ticket-buying software to eliminate those hellish queues. - BBC
A new Some Like It Hot musical tries to balance painful depictions "and the rich reality of drag as art, self-expression, and everything in between. But can a revision of an old story featuring harmful stereotypes ever truly be a vehicle for authentic representation?" - The Takeaway
The pandemic accelerated a generational shift: "Past program choices are not adequately energizing younger audiences. They want the experience to be new and different, on their feet, immersed in the experience and socially connected." - Seattle Times
Their reasoning: "Patronising claptrap. So, young people will only accept opera if it’s put on in a car park. The lower orders can make do with an aria in a pub. And the rich and middle-aged have their country-house operas. It is deeply depressing." - The Independent (UK)
