What caught our eye this week…

FUNDING
Philadelphia‘s city council beefs up its cultural fund budget by $1.3M in a triumph of arts advocacy…

PUBLISHING
Self-published authors can sometimes earn more than those signed by big-name publishing houses…

TOWN AND CITY
Scranton, PA is apparently the new Brooklyn…

@artsinamerica thx for the award! :)Nice to meet you I live in Scranton PA but Philly Arts fan.&Scranton is the new Brooklyn for artists.:)

— Maureen (@mcguiganm) July 22, 2014

THEATRE
Dialect coaches are in the spotlight this week as they work on their Shaw with Pygmalion in San Francisco and My Fair Lady in Minneapolis…

As she adjusts to parenthood, a Seattle playwright breaks up with her theatre community…

OPERA
In addition to The Metropolitan Opera‘s labor woes, which may lead to a lock-out next week, its revenue from HD broadcasts in movie theatres took a dive last year and has been stagnant for three years…

FILM
Some early buzz makes us want to see a much-anticipated new movie…

Judging by the 50 SHADES OF GREY trailer, I guess that's a book about a sociopathic businessman who sacrifices virgins to his Satanic cult?

— Thom Dunn (@thomdunn) July 24, 2014

VISUAL
Although we spend much of our time talking about Detroit Institute of Art‘s role in that city’s bankruptcy, they’re doing some pretty cool things outside of that…

DANCE
ICYMI, getting your groove on can help ease hip and knee pain…

ROCK
A Rhode Island band is taken off a US Airways flight for carrying…a guitar…

CROWD
From Kickstarter: An 11-year old aspiring trombonist from Raleigh, NC wants lessons and his own instrument, even though right now his playing “sounds kinda like farts”…

From Indiegogo: A Tuscon, Arizona troupe needs a full orchestra and rehearsal pianist for its Les Miserables, performed for low-income communities…

Got an item we missed? Email, tweet, or Facebook us…

What caught our eye this week…

CLASSICAL
Members of the Cleveland Orchestra, in an attempt to kill us with cuteness, serenaded cows at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary…

THEATRE
Philly shows us how Bastille Day is done…
Video: Bastille Day With a Philly Twist

Apparently things can get exciting hanging around Seattle Repertory Theatre…

"I like your red pants." "Oh thanks. I love colorful pants." "Me too! We should have a pants-off! …Oh. That came out wrong." #overheard

— Seattle Rep Theatre (@seattlerep) July 16, 2014

OPERA
If opera is dying (as many suggest), someone forgot to tell opera…

A Seattle Times columnist slaps down what she sees as a “yellowface” production of The Mikado and the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society slaps her right back…

POETRY
North Carolina’s governor bypasses the state’s arts council to appoint a poet laureate without many laurels. She has since resigned…

VISUAL
Corcoran Museum of Art fires back at critics who filed a legal challenge to the planned merger with National Gallery of Art and George Washington University. Meanwhile, said merger will force layoffs of 1/3 of the museum’s staff…

Change.org + Wikipedia + MySpace + art = something new?…

In a study whose results surprised exactly no one in our business, making art may keep your brain healthy…

DANCE
The first American dancer to join Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet wants to expand the dance world beyond the Swan Lakes and Sleeping Beautys…

PEOPLE WHO GET IT
Cincinnati‘s mayor gets it…

CROWD
From Kickstarter: An indie recording artist from Capistrano Beach, CA wants to tour Europe and end racism…

From Indiegogo: The independent film version of Netflix wants to bring the best-movies-you’ve-never-heard-of to your phone…

Got an item we missed? Email, tweet, or Facebook us…

What caught our eye this week…

THEATRE
While San Jose Repertory Theatre fades away, Palo Alto’s TheatreWorks thrives…

Rochester Shakespeare Players stages what may be the first-ever American Sign Language/English production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in North America…

Boston will lose one of its most valued fringe theatre spaces…

OPERA
Metropolitan Opera‘s ongoing labor disputes reveal the financial realities of daily life at the Met…

A globetrotting mezzo-soprano finds a bicycle essential we all could use:

Hilarious find of the day, while shopping for a bicycle pump for @angela_brower @visitmunich @ulipluta pic.twitter.com/GI3K86Itjk

— Tara Erraught (@TaraErraught) July 9, 2014

FILM
After almost 40 years since its release, Richard Dreyfuss’ kids realize that Jaws makes no sense…

“Jaws” Is Ridiculous, Say Kids Who Are Now Out Of The Will http://t.co/vgptPeT7KA via @motherjones

— Richard Dreyfuss (@RichardDreyfuss) July 4, 2014

VISUAL
The Bay Area loses an inspiring photographer found dead in his apartment…

With all of the support flowing to aid Detroit Museum of Art‘s recovery (whose collection is newly valued at $4.6 billion), some smaller cultural groups worry about dwindling funding for them…

DANCE
The NYPD cracks down on that most dangerous of threats – subway acrobats…

CLASSICAL
The world’s most-used musical sequence has a fascinating history and a really odd name…

The World Cup is an opportunity to remember how hard our national anthem is to sing…

CROWD
From Kickstarter: A Georgia photographer wants to shoot breastfeeding mothers from around the country…

From Indiegogo: A Jersey shore dinner theatre needs a sound system…

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What caught our eye this week…

FUNDING
A self-proclaimed statistics nerd makes her case that failing arts organizations should be allowed or encouraged to die…

THEATRE
The winner of this year’s Elliott Hayes Award for dramaturgy gives an inspiring speech recounting how a week at the lake became a movement for change…

A New York theatre artist heads to Kenya to interview survivors of sexual assault in preparation for a play confronting rape culture in America and Kenya through the lens of the Medusa myth…

What can be done about the commodification of the Broadway musical? Nothing…

A Massachusetts high school looking to cut costs makes the difficult choice between acting or tech theatre classes…

OPERA
Wolf Trap‘s swanky new supertitle technology allows you to follow the translation of an opera from your smartphone, tablet, or Google Glass…

American Airlines knows how to treat opera singers right…

@larowley1 3G has your name on it, Jennifer! Just please if you warm up your opera-soprano voice, do mind our our crystal wine glasses.

— American Airlines (@AmericanAir) June 27, 2014

VISUAL
The fight to save DC’s Corcoran Museum of Art has moved to the courts as an advocacy group calls for a judge to halt the planned takeover of the gallery by the National Museum of Art and George Washington University and one critic weighs in on why the group’s petition should be heard…

A Los Angeles artist will literally connect neighborhoods with his work as he designs a replacement for the city’s Sixth Street Viaduct…

We don’t think this painting that sold at Christie’s for over two million pounds has quite enough blue in it…

Not blue enough. MT @ArtObserved: Lot 8: 1962 #YvesKlein Blue Monochrome sells for £2,042,500 @ChristiesInc London pic.twitter.com/i7Bkn7i8zJ

— Arts in America (@artsinamerica) July 1, 2014

CLASSICAL
Chicago Chamber Musicians announce that they may or may not be closing their doors for good…

A Salt Lake City violinist finds a way to practice while canoeing…

And if anyone wants to get us an early birthday present…

https://twitter.com/artsinamerica/status/483680815600377856

CROWD
From Kickstarter: A musician from El Cerrito, CA needs an accordion to go with his Lederhosen…

From Social Seam: America’s oldest community theatre needs to update its fire alarm and suppression systems…

Got an item we missed? Email, tweet, or Facebook us…

Hello all,

It seems the Week in Review has skipped out early to avoid the holiday traffic. We’ve been assured she’ll be back Monday.

Thanks for your understanding and happy 4th!

Best,

Team Arts in America

What caught our eye this week…

THEATRE
Two stunning examples of artistic overreach this week, when a director in Houston rearranges significant portions of the musical Hands on a Hard Body and a Milwaukee company casts a female lead as male in David Mamet’s Oleanna…

The closing of San Jose Repertory Theatre may lead to larger economic ripples in the city’s downtown economy…

And we all mourn the closing of our favorite shows in different ways:

@artsinamerica @nytimesarts I SHALL FIGHT! I announce now that I will be taking over every role in Newsies in August so it does not close!!!

— alessia (@makeamessia) June 22, 2014

ROCK
In honor of this week’s 30th anniversary of the release of Prince’s Purple Rain, we were treated to two congressmen showing their love for the seminal work…

OPERA
Drama continues to follow the Metropolitan Opera, this time with graffiti sprayed in its administrative offices. Although it appears the perpetrator had access to the building, officials deny a connection to the opera’s ongoing acrimonious labor talks…

VISUAL
The Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro, NC and the Detroit Institute of Art make their way onto Buzzfeed‘s “18 Hidden Gems Around the World That You Need to Visit” list..

And the Denver Art Museum has a little lobby scuffle on its hands:

You’re a formidable foe, @joephilipose MT: I thought Godzilla would be way more intimidating. pic.twitter.com/Resej1vtaE

— Denver Art Museum (@DenverArtMuseum) June 24, 2014

FUNDING
Milwaukee bucks the national trend and announces that it will revive school art, music, and gym programs in order to attract families fleeing the city for better options…

Los Angeles was the place to be this week: the LA Board of Education approves a large budget increase hailed by Arts for LA as a positive step towards giving students tools to enter the “creative workforce” and the city council says yes to a plan to fund the creation and preservation of street murals…

CROWD
From Kickstarter: A dancer in Maui wants to buy 25 waterproof iPods for an epic Beach Dance this December…

From Indiegogo: A Long Island chorus wants to put on a concert and record an album to benefit veterans in their community…

And we’ll leave you with this morsel of truth, brought to our attention by a Twitter friend:

Amen, sister. RT @Things4Strings: pic.twitter.com/8XrYfsG6qt

— Arts in America (@artsinamerica) June 24, 2014

Got an item we missed? Email, tweet, or Facebook us…

What caught our eye this week…

THEATRE
While die-hard Sondheim enthusiasts get up in arms over changes to the upcoming film version of Into the Woods, one voice suggests directing that outrage to help prevent censorship of student productions…

A theatre artist tells a tale of unsafe practices and lack of responsibility at the renowned Double Edge Theatre training program…

CLASSICAL
The International Beethoven Project announces a fourth annual festival in Chicago but with some musicians still unpaid from last year’s event…

Bucking the national trend, Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera agree on a contract extension with their musicians – 14 months early…

OPERA
On the heels of San Diego Opera‘s near collapse, Palm Beach Opera‘s remarkable turnaround is being cited as an example of positive change…

We had a double shot of The Metropolitan Opera this week with a tax filing revealing the general manager’s $1.8M annual compensation amid tough contract talks and a cancellation of the simulcast of the controversial John Adams opera Klinghoffer due to concerns about rising global anti-Semitism, a move that leaves Adams less than thrilled…

And a Tweep shares her stylish audition wardrobe:

I didn't realize until I left the house for my audition, but my dress, purse, and suitcase are all pink. I guess I'm #pinkalicious today!

— Jennifer Rowley (@LaRowley1) June 16, 2014

VISUAL
One of the world’s leading practitioners of rozome (Japanese textile art) leaves her New Hampshire home next month to embark on a one-year solitary retreat in New Zealand…

The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) takes the rare step of sanctioning the Delaware Art Museum following its sale of art to pay off debts. In addition, the AAMD asks its members to refrain from loaning art or collaborating with the museum…

And the National Gallery of Art makes us happy (and hungry) with this Tweet:

In honor of Eat Your Vegetables Day: Adriaen Coorte's "Still Life with Asparagus and Red Currants" (1696) pic.twitter.com/NllHKtgWvU

— Nat. Gallery of Art (@ngadc) June 17, 2014

CROWD
From Kickstarter: A Long Beach, California dancer wants help finishing his children’s book where a snake learns lessons through dance…

From Indiegogo: A Lake Dallas, Texas student wants to keep his afro while raising money for the local band…

Got an item we missed? Email, tweet, or Facebook us…

What caught our eye this week…

THEATRE A production of Tennessee Williams’ classic A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof got more than a little heated when an actor got into a kerfuffle with an inebriated, gay-bashing audience member. In fact, the Repertory East Playhouse production closed that very night after the actor was fired and a co-star resigned in protest…

And Sunday’s telecast of the Tony Awards prompted some on Twitter to reach for the stars…

#TonyAwards one day ill be there.

— Itsbrandie (@BrandiesBrain) June 9, 2014

I just wanna accept an award at the #TonyAwards someday….to much to ask for? #smalltownUSA

— Steven M. Crawford (@crawford93) June 9, 2014

OPERA
One of our Tweeps this week introduced us to the concept of Opera fan fiction. Like Twilight fan fiction only much, much better…

And another Tweep introduces us to a new bonus word…

'Polished vocal technique, the body of a rock star, and the ability to transform oneself into a member of the opposite sex' #mezzosexual

— Ilana Walder-Biesanz (@ilana_wb) June 3, 2014

VISUAL The Big Three automakers pledge $26 million to prevent Detroit Institute of Art‘s collection from being sold as part of that city’s bankruptcy… Meanwhile, the lack of a bailout discussion for the Wright Museum demonstrates a far different climate for Detroit’s “black museums”…

A Queens building’s reputation as an arts haven is put in jeopardy as a landlord begins a series of evictions…

Anybody remember where we put our beached whale? Oh, there it is…

LEGAL
After years of music industry complaints about outdated federal regulation, the Justice Department announced it will review the agreements that govern Ascap and BMI. Nearly 3/4 of a century old, these “consent decrees” determine who can get paid what for music and have clashed with the modern business practices of streaming services like Pandora and Spotify…

DANCE How a choreographer’s successful company died – he killed it…

CROWD From Kickstarter: A community in Paragould, Arkansas wants to start a teeny, tiny free library…

From Indiegogo: A controversial Floridian judo Olympian wants to sell you her art so she can return to the Olympics…

Got an item we missed? Email, tweet, or Facebook us…

What caught our eye this week…

THEATRE
Kindness and generosity won the Internet on Tuesday as word spread about DC-area actor Frank Britton being assaulted at a cab stand outside the Forum Theatre. A friend set up a GoFundMe site with a modest goal to raise $3,000 for the uninsured Britton’s medical bills. Within just a few hours, that goal had been blown away and has now racked up over $47,000.

Now there are two places you'll run into everybody eventually- the HHAwards, and Frank Britton's hospital room. #teamchailatte

— Bill Largess (@LargessBill) May 27, 2014

In a little-noticed moment, the average price for a Broadway show creeps above $100 for the first time…

LITERATURE
As we mourn the passing of Maya Angelou, writers from the Twin Cities, South Bend, IN, Asheville, NC, and many others pay tribute and talk about her influence on their careers…

CLASSICAL
Thanks to two generous donors, the Cleveland Orchestra has big ambition – to have the youngest audience of any orchestra in the country by its 100th birthday in 2018…

They had to  jump through many hoops but the Colorado Symphony pulled off its “Classically Cannabis” pot-friendly concerts…

VISUAL
Mosaic artist Jim Bachor has decided to give Chicago a hand filling its potholes (not that they asked him to)…

An ongoing dispute between the city of North Miami and its Museum of Contemporary Art heated up this week when a candidate to lead the museum was rejected following a dispute over whether or not the city had his social security number…

DANCE
What do you get when Yale’s director of dance studies teams up with a researcher at the Large Hadron Collider? The Higgs boson explained in a whole new way…

JAZZ
Debunking the myth of the “jazz police“…

CROWD
From Kickstarter: A children’s theatre troupe in Martinez, CA wants wireless mics so their Peter Pan cast can be heard…

From Indiegogo: A Lawrence, Kansas author wants to give his marriage memoir away for free…

Got an item we missed? Email, tweet, or Facebook us…

What caught our eye this week…

OPERA
The larger cultural conversation about gender parity blew up the opera world this week when five male critics blasted up-and-coming Irish soprano Tara Erraught‘s body rather than her voice in a recent performance. Needless to say, the internet reacted, including open letters by mezzo-soprano Alice Coote and bass baritone Trevor Bowes…

After months of turmoil, San Diego Opera had a special announcement this week:

News of our death has been greatly exaggerated. http://t.co/RU963aZLmp

— San Diego Opera (@SDOpera) May 19, 2014

The company has signed on for a scaled-down 50th anniversary season, staving off closure with an impressive crowdfunding campaign. Fellow music BFFs San Diego Symphony will donate concert space while Houston Grand Opera will lend the Nixon in China sets at no charge. A day after the announcement, California’s AG announced an audit of the company…

A strike could be looming for Metropolitan Opera‘s orchestra musicians should contract talks not improve…

VISUAL
Detroit’s state house of representatives voted that  Detroit Institute of Art cannot renew a property tax millage once it expires in 2022. A key source of support, the millage allows for free museum admission, among other benefits…

Through “credible sources” the FBI has confirmed sightings of  long-missing Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art stolen during a notorious 1990 heist…

JAZZ
A Syracuse-area couple designs a home inspired by the music of jazz guitarist Pat Metheny…

THEATRE
One of our Tweeps schools the Twitterverse on how little Off-Broadway actors actually get paid…

A friend who worked constantly a couple of years ago & nabbed an award made $19K from acting that year. That's considered a success story(8)

— Isaac Butler (@parabasis) May 23, 2014

LITERATURE
To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee is reinstating a lawsuit against an Alabama museum for using the author’s trademarks without permission…

SCIENCE (yes, science!)
Surprising exactly no one in the music industry, a British Psychological Society has shown that musical training can increase blood flow to your brain…

CROWD
From Kickstarter: An independent cinema in Hudson, Florida needs help converting to digital…

From Indiegogo: A musician in Emporia, Kansas wants to start a free music and arts festival in town…

Got an item we missed? Email, tweet, or Facebook us…