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Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Who Choreographed Footloose And Brought Dance To A Wide Audience, Has Died At 78

The choreographer of exuberant musicals said, “My goal as a dancer and choreographer is to be understood. … Dance should not be a cerebral experience that the dancers have and the audiences watch. I want dancers to communicate something and have the audience receive the same thing.” - The New York Times

Andrew Lloyd Webber Will Teach These Soccer Fans To Sing Opera

No, this is not The Onion: “A group of Bradford City fans will go from singing on the terraces to performing as a choir for a BBC programme called ‘Bantam of the Opera.’”- BBC

The Thriving Publishing Renaissance In Africa

The continent doesn’t need the West to “discover” writers. Instead, “a radical shift is underway, transforming the region’s literary landscape from within and opening up possibilities unimaginable to previous generations of writers.” - The New York Times

Without Reality TV, We’d Never Have Arrived At Today’s Inauguration

“The idea that blandly macho host would become one of the most influential figures in American life would have seemed as ridiculous as, well, Donald Trump getting elected president. Twice.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)

How Did Popcorn Become Such A Movie Staple?

You can praise (or blame) a saleswoman in Kansas City who "built a concession empire in the middle of the Great Depression.” - and changed popcorn’s status from banned in cinemas to practically synonymous. - NPR

Playwright, Director, And Composer Claire Van Kampen Has Died At 71

Van Kampen, married to actor Mark Rylance, not only "was the first female musical director at both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre,” but she also composed original scores for Broadway musicals and British productions alike. - BBC

Sex Might Be Back In Movies, But It’s Not Very Sexy

In a lot of awards-discussion movies from 2024, "The directors are using the moments to explore complex power dynamics between characters. These scenes are meant to engender discussion, not arousal.” - The New York Times

Los Angeles Art Fairs Decide To Keep Going

Because now, of course, artists and the arts really need money. And then there’s hope. “It’s an important moment to give people a sense that we’re rebuilding, that there’s something to show up for. … It’s crucial.” - Hyperallergic

Prince Harry’s Case Against British Tabloids Is Rapidly Reaching Its Most Vital Days

“This will be the first time that News Group Newspapers has had to defend itself against allegations that its journalists and executives across the whole organisation were involved in or knew about unlawful newsgathering techniques.” - BBC

Grand Theft Hamlet Got Its Start From Actors Out Of Work During The Early Days Of The Pandemic

So began “a ludicrous journey to making one of the weirdest versions of one of the most performed pieces of literature: a staging of Shakespeare’s Hamlet entirely within the universe of Grand Theft Auto.” - The New York Times

A Marvel Card Game Goes Dark Along With TikTok

“‘Marvel Snap’ players were shocked to wake up on Sunday and find themselves unable to access the speed-battle card game. They were greeted instead with a brief message about the game’s future when they opened the app.” - Washington Post

This Movie All About A Fantasy Winnipeg Is Shortlisted For The Oscars

Those watching the movie should “expect to see a film that displays the city in a way it has never been seen before — a place where the official languages are Farsi and French ... and the local Tim Hortons serves up its hot beverages in a samovar.” - CBC

The World Of Movies Has So Few Black Women Buddy Comedies

In the past thirty years, there have been two - possibly three, if you include Waiting to Exhale. - HuffPost

This Law Course Takes Students To Art Museums To Help Them Understand How To Build Arguments

“Both activities involve storytelling. Both involve putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. And both depend on properly balancing evidence and emotion, comprehensiveness and concision, provocation, and restraint.” - Fast Company

Hollywood Is Playing A Strong Part In Brutalism’s Redemption

And not just with The Brutalist, either. Recall: “There was a time, in the 1980s, when a writer in a national newspaper demanded that practitioners of brutalism be ‘taken out and shot.’”- The Observer (UK)

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