Today’s lunchtime news chum brings a few articles related to the arts:
- Making Sense of Relics. If you didn’t catch the author of the title of this post, it is Shel Silverstein. The Poetry Foundation has a very interesting article on the man and what he left behind: in particular, loads and loads and loads of writings. Evidently, Shel wrote everywhere. They are slowly going through it all, and determining what is suitable quality for publishing. This is where the latest Shel Silverstein book came from (which is still on my wishlist). A very interesting article to read.
- Learning to Play. The LA Times has a very interesting article on ArtistWorks, a program where artists provide online streaming lessons and feedback for students. This provides a way for instructors to make money, and students to interact with well-known instructors. It sounds fascinating. Makes me wish I could play an instrument (instead, I live by Tallulah Bankhead’s adage: “If you really want to help the American theater, don’t be an actress, dahling. Be an audience.”)
- Follies Casting. Speaking of American theatre, the first information about the casting for Follies at the Ahmanson is out. Victoria Clark will be in the production (in Bernadette Peters position). Also in the cast will be four-time Tony nominee Jan Maxwell as Phyllis Rogers Stone, two-time Tony nominee Danny Burstein as Buddy Plummer, three-time Emmy nominee Ron Raines as Benjamin Stone and Olivier Award winner Elaine Paige as Carlotta Campion. I’ll note that Paige and Raines have an interview on the first edition of the “new” Downstage Center.
Music: Country Pickin’ (Chet Atkins): The Bells of St. Mary’s
