| Good morning: The ticketing industry is rife with scams, fake tickets, outrageous fees and frustrating service. Customers get lured to websites that aren’t official but pretend to be. And TicketMaster’s lock on the industry as well as its monopolistic behavior in owning venues and controlling ticketing make for a mess. This report from the excellent independent arts site CultureOC in Orange County, California, heaps more logs on the dumpster fire. Worth the read. And here are more highlights from today’s haul: Well-Known UK TV Actor Comes Up With Scheme To Save Small Theatre Funds would be raised by selling tickets to the performances of winning entries, with the theatre’s president Suranne Jones providing on-stage critiques. “It will combine a search for community talent with being a money-maker,” she said. – BBC Sandra Cisneros Is Turning “The House On Mango Street” Into An Opera The beloved author is crafting her own libretto, with music by composer Derek Bermel. The work just had its first performance, unstaged, at the University of Michigan, and will have its fully staged world premiere next July at Glimmerglass Opera in upstate New York. – Chicago Tribune How Quincy Jones Became The Ultimate Artistic Collaborator
Renowned for his rhythmic intuitiveness and skillful composition, Jones’ approach has allowed him to seamlessly blend genres and showcase artists in unique ways, redefining modern music in his collaborations. – The New Yorker Raygun, The Notorious Olympic Breakdancer, Retires From Competition And Public Performance After facing social media scrutiny and challenges in the spotlight, Rachael Gunn (aka Raygun) steps away from competitive dance, continuing her academic career in breakdancing and popular culture. – AP Why Abu Dhabi Is Shoveling Cash At Sotheby’s And Art Basel
Both companies are relieved for the financial support amid debt problems. Sotheby’s aims to expand as a luxury brand, while Abu Dhabi pursues its cultural aspirations alongside Dubai’s luxury consumerism focus. – ARTnews As usual, skip down to see all the stories we’ve collected in the past 24 hours. More arts, less politics! See you tomorrow. Doug
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