The Biennale is ticking along, and controversy remains: Some Venetians "feel that the Biennale, aided by the current city government, is monopolizing space that could be used by locals to create a sustainable, year-round cultural and economic life beyond tourism." - The New York Times
Sure, that's down from the last full season, which was 2018-19. (Think about that.) What's more, tourists, who used to account for up to half of sales, aren't back in their usual numbers, especially from abroad. Nevertheless, the Met got through the season without missing a single performance, despite Omicron. - AP
In the comics, Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel)'s "infectious charm and steadfast strength slayed her nemeses in vivid color through the pages, her character unapologetically bucking the negative stereotypes impressed upon Muslim Americans." The TV show may do the same. - HuffPost
Alongside free performances in Milan neighborhoods and cheaper tickets for young adults and families with children, the house has started discounts for people in their 30s. Says superintendent Dominique Meyer, "It is not as if one's salary suddenly becomes three times as big when you turn 30." - The New York Times
Those returns rank among the top 10 highest-grossing second weekends in domestic box office history. They also push “Top Gun: Maverick” to $291 million in North America, enough to overtake 2005’s “War of the Worlds” ($243 million) as Cruise’s highest-grossing film ever at the domestic box office. - Variety
The players have their moves; the half-time dance team is a troupe of grannies; the ushers and umpires dance; the first-base coach is a professional hip-hop dancer. The Bananas, a fave on TikTok with 2.5 million followers, are the rare collegiate baseball team with a national following. - The New York Times
Cinemark's Movie Club ($10 monthly for one movie) has 1 million active members, and AMC's Stubs A-List ($19.95 a month for 3 movies a week) has nearly that many. Regal Unlimited offers unlimited movies starting at $18 per month. Here's a Q&A with Cinemark's CEO about the program. - Yahoo! (Los Angeles Times)
If history musicals don't succeed this season, it won't be for sheer effort, or numbers. The doubt is always there: Hamilton made it, but can anything else? - The New York Times
The best thing at the Portland Art Museum isn't the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera show that's been traveling the country since 2018. It's the huge, collaborative murals in the museum's sculpture court. - Oregon ArtsWatch
Sure, ABBA are doing it now, but what's next - recreated Liszt concerts? (We'd probably need video for that - but who knows what the future may hold?) - The Observer (UK)
Perhaps it's the higher cost of living and inflation, but as Netflix's subscriber base drops, the ad-supported streamers rise. Streamer Tubi's chief: "The business model of free is working quite well." - Los Angeles Times
"As media habits change, the entire system is likely to be overhauled, and the networks are relying more heavily on Nielsen rivals, trying to gain more control over the process — before someone else does." - Variety
"(They are a) miracle that brings in throngs, as many as 3,000 or maybe more, of people out on a Saturday night" — in Miami Beach, no less — "to sit on aluminum chairs or picnic blankets and listen to music that is centuries old." - MSN (The Miami Herald)
Netflix offers a variety of payment tiers for streaming access; its most popular plan costs $15.49 a month. The new ad-supported tier will cost less. - The New York Times
