The ensemble had been playing since 1974 in the north-central Massachusetts towns of Lancaster and Fitchburg under the name Thayer Symphony Orchestra; it re-christened itself the New England Symphony in 2016. Now it's moving a bit south to Worcester, with the name Worcester Symphony Orchestra. - Telegram and Gazette (Worcester, Mass.)
Partly because I am this strange thing called a linguist and partly because I am the kind of linguist who wants to know a little of every language on Earth, I have curled up with this book with a glass of wine countless times over the past couple of months just to savor the cornucopia that this dictionary is....
"The Nederlands Dans Theater has decided to suspend its collaboration with disgraced choreographer Marco Goecke. Earlier this month, (he) smeared dog feces in the face of a critic ... while in the foyer of the Hanover State Theatre after lashing out about a review." - NL Times (The Netherlands)
The normal thing to say about such experiences is that you’ve lost yourself in a book or song — lost track of space and time. But it’s more accurate to say that a piece of art has quieted the self-conscious ego voice that is normally yapping away within. - The New York Times
"Circus-Theater Roncalli, which was founded (in Germany) in 1976, introduced the holograms in 2019 when they partnered with a German firm specializing in augmented reality. Other acts have followed suit, including the French circus L'Écocirque, which features holograms of a lion, an elephant and beluga whales." - MSN (The Washington Post)
Despite the indignation of the critics and the high-mindedness of the revisers, the truth is that most of the edits to the Dahl books are of very little importance. Many are slight (replacing “old hag” with “old crow”) or inscrutable... - The New York Times
"All Chileans know Circo Timoteo," said manager Stéfano Rubio. More a cabaret in a tent than a conventional circus, Timoteo began in 1968 when a male dancer in a dress was a last-minute substitute for a woman. It has celebrated sexual diversity ever since — even through the Pinochet years. - AP
Looking at the eight years before and after #OscarsSoWhite, the USC study found that 8% of nominees between 2008 and 2015 were from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups. In the post-#OscarsSoWhite era between 2016 and 2023, that number increased to 17%. - Los Angeles Times
Neglected equipment, screens sagging or dusty with popcorn flecks, images that are too dark and sometimes bleed off the screen. "If a movie theater can't perform its most basic function and deliver a sharp, well-lit image, we might as well knock it down and put up a bank." - New York Magazine
"These changes ... are handed down in communiqués written by obscure 'experts' who purport to speak for vaguely-defined 'communities,' remaining unanswerable to a public that's being morally coerced. ... The liturgy changes without public discussion, and with a suddenness and frequency that keep the novitiate off-balance, forever trying to catch up." - MSN (The Atlantic)
"Vermeer's production was certainly larger, so the hunt continues. ... Art historians have found it particularly difficult to track down Vermeer's work for a number of reasons: ... only half his known works are signed, and, most importantly, he remained relatively unknown outside Holland until the late 19th century." - The Art Newspaper
The Tanesar sculptures were stolen from India circa 1961, ultimately ending up at such prominent locations as LACMA, the British Museum, and the Met. While many of the statues currently sit in legal limbo, Elizabeth Kadetsky went to find the rural temple that had once been their home. - The American Scholar
Journalist Hugh Morris managed to score the ultimate prize of a cheap-tickets-for-young-audiences scheme: £1 admission to the most expensive classical arts venue in London. It turned out to be standing room, midweek, at the back of the very top balcony. Here's his report. - Van
"Without a wider strategy, the worry for many is that the changes in Arts Council England grants won't come in conjunction with other kinds of spending – education, transport links, infrastructure, as just a few examples – that are needed to ensure new cultural investment actually helps an area." - PoliticsHome (UK)
"Leonard Cohen's children and heirs, Lorca and Adam Cohen, have filed a motion accusing the legendary singer-songwriter's former manager, Robert Kory, and his legal representatives of forgery and asking the court to remove him from the role of trustee and to compel him to turn over the estate's assets." - Variety
