Critic Zachary Stewart considers how the new immersive adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera (titled Masquerade), the drag-ball production of Cats (subtitled The Jellicle Ball), and director Jamie Lloyd’s unconventional revivals of Sunset Boulevard and Evita demonstrate how interesting the ALW shows we all thought were old chestnuts can still be. - TheaterMania
“Council members have declared city arts funding off limits for budget cuts next spring, even as they face a projected $111 million deficit. ... While the move falls far short of a long-unfulfilled council pledge known as ‘penny for the arts,’ council members said it’s a strong message.” - The San Diego Union-Tribune (MSN)
Continuing one of the more surprising comebacks of the digital age, vinyl album sales in the United States increased for the 18th consecutive year in 2024." While CD sales are on the decline, “Cassette tape sales jumped by 204.7% in the first quarter of 2025, hitting 63,288 units. - ToneArm
More than almost any other children’s show, Sesame Street seemed to crack the code on how to simultaneously educate and entertain children. - The Guardian
Production in the third quarter of this year was 18 percent lower than last year, and 40 percent lower than the five-year average, according to a new report from FilmLA, the local government organization that tracks production in the area. - The New York Times
“(A journalist) takes a deep-dive into all the facts of this fast-developing story, and why it’s brought the BBC to an inflection point.” - The Hollywood Reporter
A handful of rare and cranky antiques are powering the ungainly Hollywood resurgence of VistaVision. The format, developed in 1954 by Paramount, was once used to glorious effect by filmmakers such as Cecil B. DeMille. - The Wall Street Journal
In just eight years, it has become one of the art market’s biggest buyers. Its collection of 500 artworks is now valued at more than $1 billion and its platform has drawn 70,000 investors. - The New York Times
“(The house) is selling tickets for Siegfried, the third instalment of Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle, for up to £415 ($546). This is the priciest known ticket offered for sale in Britain by any publicly subsidised performing arts organisation. RBO receives a state subsidy of over £22 million each year.” - The Times (UK)
"This is the first permanent physical manifestation of Netflix for our fans," says the company's chief marking officer, Marian Lee. "They've been inviting us into their homes for years and years." - NPR
According to their union, they are offered pay deals so dire that many of them work multiple jobs and live in substandard housing. Seventy-one per cent of respondents to a union survey find their salary insufficient to meet basic needs. - The Guardian
To my shock, when I looked at the numbers, I found that not only are things not significantly better, 2025 has been worse than any moment in recent times; worse, in fact, than pre-#MeToo. - The Ankler
“How? The answer in (one) case was Velcro-covered suits, … just one form of technology that dancers are using to simulate the effects of weightlessness here on Earth. But for some, the end goal is to experience a true lack of gravity by bringing dance to space.” - Dance Magazine
Workers at all four galleries — Tate Britain and Tate Modern in London, Tate St. Ives in Cornwall, and Tate Liverpool — represented by the Public and Commercial Services Union voted 98% to 2% to walk out from November 26 to December 2 over a pay offer they insist is too low. - The Guardian
“With the (federal government) shutdown creating anxiety and uncertainty for those who depend on government aid, many independent bookstores took on a new role as hubs for food donations.” - The New York Times
