Which Monet is covering THIS?

I was en route to 33 Variations two Friday nights ago, and was stopped in my tracks by the presence of a Metropolitan Museum of Art BILLBOARD in TIMES SQUARE:

What the deuce? Didn’t anyone tell The Met that the world economy collapsed and the arts are dying a slow and painful death? How the Pierre Bonnard Late Interiors can they afford a billboard in Times Square?? More power to ’em, I say, but what about the 74 recently fired employees?

The ad appears to be the result of a recent Flickr photo contest, which is equally awesome.

Speaking of 33 Variations, I was dismayed that there were 1. no performances of the Diabelli Variations in the city in conjunction with the production (although incorporating a live pianist throughout the play was very cool) and 2. no advertisements or inserts cross-promoting classical music performances of any kind in the program. [But on a happier note, see the two Times reviews in the music section and the theater section, which is the subject of my very first blog entry.]

My missed-promotion-opportunity annoyed state was somewhat assuaged by the New York Philharmonic‘s March e mail, which included a discount ticket offer for the play:

A Special Offer from our friends at 33 Variations

Save over 40%
now through April 12th only!

Written and directed by Moisés Kaufman (The Laramie Project, I Am My Own Wife), 33 Variations
tells the story of modern-day musicologist Katherine Brandt (played by
two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda), who sets out to discover the root of
Beethoven’s obsession with Diabelli’s waltz. The production features
concert pianist Diane Walsh performing the music of Beethoven.

For tickets: visit http://www.33variations.com/specialoffer2.html

Location: Eugene O’Neill Theatre

230 West 49th Street
(Between Broadway and 8th Avenue)

Similarly, MoMA is offering museum members a discount to the play Impressionism on Broadway.