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Fans File BBB Complaints Over Confusion in Multiple “Immersive” Van Gogh Shows

Nearly 200 complaints have been filed on the BBB site against Fever, the ticketing company for the event, with at least two dozen about this specific exhibit. Customers have cited their frustration over mistaking Fever’s version for a similar exhibit from a different company, called “Immersive Van Gogh” and wanting a refund, but not being able to get one...

A New “Golden Era” For The Arts When Things Reopen?

Antonio Pappano, music director at the Royal Opera House, said he expects “an explosion of desire” from audiences when they return to theatres, concert halls, museums and galleries. - The Evening Standard (UK)

HarperCollins Buys The Trade Division Of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Narrowing Publishing’s Ownership Again

And, in this case, narrowing it to give more power to Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. "The acquisition will help HarperCollins expand its catalog of backlist titles at a moment of growing consolidation in the book business. Houghton Mifflin publishes perennial sellers by well-known authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, George Orwell, Philip Roth and Lois Lowry, as well as children’s...

The Queen Of England’s Houses Cannot Be Searched For Looted Cultural Artifacts

Wait, are palaces like Sandringham likely to host stolen cultural artifacts? We'll never know - at least not from the police, who are barred by a 2017 law from searching the royal residences. - The Guardian (UK)

Merry Clayton’s Unstoppable Voice

Mere months after her star turn in 20 Feet from Stardom, the singer was in a car accident so terrible that she spent five months in the hospital and years undergoing rehab. "Clayton said her family sat by her bedside crying profusely while a team of doctors came into the room. 'I wondered, ‘What the heck is going on?’'...

Charlotte Rampling Is 75 And Still, As She Says, Pinging

The actor started performing when she was 14, feeling like most 14-year-olds - awkward and unlovable ... until she got onstage. "I felt so great on stage. We wore fishnet tights, macs and berets, and sang a series of sweet French songs. I knew I was good, because I was absolutely in tune with myself at that moment." -...

Alberta Badly Wants TV And Film Productions To Film In The Province

The province used to have a cap "that limited film and television productions to a maximum $10-million tax credit claim." That cap is now gone. - CBC

An Online Museum Brings Home The Sights And Sounds Of War Letters

The Museum of American War Letters is offering not just glimpses of the letters, but audio of tapes and other communications sent back home by soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. Right now, it's mostly focused on Vietnam, but it plans to expand, and it's open to anyone who wants to visit, virtually. "The institution has no street address —...

The Choreographer Behind Those Dancing Robots

Monica Thomas: "I spent time watching the robots move to get a sense of joint flexibility, etc. I then made a dance on my body to act out each part. I hired dancers to learn this choreography, which allowed it to be put together in one sequence for filming. I gave a video of the whole dance to Boston...

Idea: Put London’s Bandstands To Good, Musical Use

Small-scale, outdoor productions could take place in nearly every park that has a bandstand. They just need some attention, and the concerts need some intention. "They are structures unlike any others: halfway between the outside world we crave and the domestic interior to which we have been urged to retreat. They are often beautiful – flashing their finials –...

Will Lawmakers Finally Reconsider Conservatorship Laws In The Wake Of The Free Britney Movement And Documentary?

It's not just the documentary, of course, but ... "Public scrutiny of the court-ordered guardianship has exploded with the #FreeBritney movement backed by fans turned activists and the recent New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears." - Los Angeles Times

Scholastic Stops Distribution Of A Graphic Novel By The ‘Captain Underpants’ Author

That's because, well, look at the image of the cover. Author Dav Pilkey said of The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung Fu Cavemen From The Future, "It was brought to my attention that this book also contains harmful racial stereotypes and passively racist imagery. ... I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly apologize for this. It was...

The Booze-Fueled Battle For Oscars Buzz

The streamers battled it out with crates of artisanal food, top-drawer scotch, and other gifts to draw voters' attention to their movies. When Nomadland "premiered" (or rather re-premiered) on Hulu, for instance, "Fox Searchlight announced a virtual global premiere. ... Invitees to the event were sent the aforementioned crate—stuffed with gourmet cheese, 'humanly raised' salami, and trail mix—to enjoy...

Disabled Performing Artists Are Imagining New Worlds On – And Off – Stage

What has to change: "Disabled people may be artists, musicians, singers, or actors, our experiences and stories rarely find their way to the stage. When we do appear in scripts or on stages, almost invariably those stories focus on the non-disabled people around us and cast us as villains, punchlines, or charity projects for the protagonists. Ableism runs...

Who’s In Charge Of Reviving London’s Neglected Caribbean Cultural Hub?

"The West Indian Cultural Centre (WICC) in Wood Green was constructed in the 1980s, becoming a vibrant hub for cultural events and debates on subjects such as the struggle for racial equality. It drew huge numbers of visitors who came to hear speakers including the Nobel prize-winning poet Derek Walcott, the American civil rights activist Al Sharpton and the MP...

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