“So we have to be a bit careful with that word, right? Because I do think words are important. And that word has been overused and applied to all sorts of things.” Q: “Which type of feminist are you?” “The kind that’s interested in equality under the law.” - AP
The Muppets’ long-overdue Broadway debut is over almost as soon as it began, the show now closing this Sunday. It was originally scheduled to run until Jan. 18, 2026; instead, at the time of its closing, Playbill reports, it will have played just 20 preview performances and four regular ones. - The Daily Beast
In addition to staff furloughs and suspended or canceled programs, the 2018-2019 shutdown resulted in a loss of some $5 billion, according to the American Alliance of Museums. - NPR
Researchers looked at data spanning a decade and involving more than 10,000 relatively healthy people, aged 70 and older, in Australia. People who listened to music most days slashed their risk of developing dementia by 39 percent compared with those who did not regularly listen to music, the study found. - Washington Post
For a decade, See Saw has reigned as the app for art world denizens, but the last year has seen the arrival of new apps and influencers — curator types, reviewers and spirit guides whose mission is to get you to discover art shows, exhibitions and events in New York, even internationally. - The New York Times
Not one of the 25 dramas and comedies that movie companies released in North American theaters over the past three months has become a hit, certainly not in the way that Hollywood has historically kept score. - The New York Times
There has already been a clear increase in the number of Japanese-style listening bars across the UK, but the visual arts trend is also harnessing sound system culture, which originated in Jamaica in the 1950s and was initially a cheap, democratic way for neighbourhoods to listen to the latest releases. - The Guardian
The results from the three-year pilot were clear: artists were able to make work and less dependent on other government assistance, and every €1 in cost returned €1.39 in value to the Irish economy. Even so, the government, though it made the program permanent, is keeping it small-scale. - Novara Media (UK)
“’The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher – August 6th 1983’ was published in The Guardian in 2014 and gave the title to Mantel’s collection of short stories that year. … Billed as a psychological thriller, the adaptation is by Alexandra Wood and will be directed by John Young at (Liverpool’s) Everyman Theatre in May.” - The Guardian
“The institution has announced an experimental art lending program that coincides with its new exhibition ‘Letters for the Future,’ created in collaboration with the artist-organized group Department of Transformation, which opened earlier this month.” The effort mirrors an art lending initiative the library had in the 1950s and ‘60s. - Artnet
“Fans of the popular danmei same-sex romance genre, written and read mainly by straight women, say the Chinese government is carrying out the largest crackdown yet on it, effectively neutering the enjoyment. In the world of fantasy, danmei is relatively straightforward: Two men stand in for idealized relationships, from chaste to erotic.” - AP
“The BBC says it has apologized to President Donald Trump over an edited interview clip that suggested he encouraged violence ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. The news corporation also said it would not offer compensation in the wake of Trump threatening a $1 billion lawsuit over the edited video.” - Variety
The entertainment behemoth is increasing its spending on content to $24 billion for fiscal 2026. Does this mean more work for underemployed creatives? Actually, most of that spending will be on broadcast rights for sports. - The Hollywood Reporter
Grigorian and Brownlee took male and female singer of the year honors; Theater an der Wien is company of the year; Agnes Baltsa was recognized for lifetime achievement. The Dallas Opera’s women conductors’ institute was awarded for equal opportunity; Glimmerglass took the musical theatre category for Sunday in the Park with George. - Opera Now
