Commentary One of the great problems that we have here in Australia is that within our arts institutions, artistic decisions are increasingly being made not by artists but by administrators. Take, for example, the symphony orchestra. Where a conductor once largely curated his own artistic affairs, an “artistic planning team” of three to four bureaucrats,…
There Is No Beauty in Bureaucracy
May 22, 2023
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artArts & CultureArts & TraditionAustraliabloated bureaucracyBrightInternationalmusicOpinionorchestraViewpointsWorld
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Theater Review: ‘You’re Perfect, I Love You, Now Change’: Nostalgic Musical of Couples in Love
GLENVIEW, IL—Although times were different when “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” first opened in 1996 Off-Broadway, and the dating game it depicted has since changed, romance is still very much the same. As the musical, now playing at the Oil Lamp Theater in Glenview, Illinois, demonstrates, love is timeless, still very funny, and…
Documentary Review: ‘Close to Vermeer’: The 17th-Century Artist Remains a Mystery
NR | 1h 18min | Documentary, History, Art | 26 May 2023 (Netherlands) Other than possibly Rembrandt, none of the painters to produce art during the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age is as well-respected and revered by experts and collectors as Johannes Vermeer. Depending on the source, Vermeer created just 40 works between 1654 and 1670. Of those, six are presumed lost…
Treasures From the Past: Our Libraries, Public and Private
May 22, 2023
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Arts & CultureArts & TraditionbooksBrightLibrary of CongressOur LibrariesTraditional CultureWidener Library
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Whether it’s a special trip to the Library of Congress or a 10-minute drive to the local library, when true lovers of books hear the words “Let’s head for the library,” they experience the same stab of excitement produced by the words “ice cream parlor” in a 5-year-old. For bibliophiles, the Magic Kingdom isn’t in…
Rewind, Review, and Re-rate: ‘All Through the Night’: A Light-Hearted Angle on Serious Matters
1942 | NR | 1h 47m | Action, Comedy, Crime A year after establishing himself as a household name in 1941’s “The Maltese Falcon,” actor Humphrey Bogart starred in director Vincent Sherman’s 1942 comedic crime caper, “All Through the Night.” Bogart is supported by outstanding character actors who have great chemistry together. Bogart steps into…
Book Review: ‘President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier’: A Triumph of a Biography, Even-Handed and Finely Written
James A. Garfield, the 20th president, only lasted 200 days in office before an assassin’s bullet ended his tenure. Aside from being fateful, his presidency may seem all but forgetful. This may be true. But there was a life that led to that presidency and the egregious moment on July 2, 1881; and it is…
The American Exploring Expedition That Changed How We See the World
May 21, 2023
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American EssenceArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightexpeditionHistoryLt. Charles WilkesWilkes Expedition
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The 19th century was the Age of American Expansion. Twenty years after signing the Treaty of Paris in 1783, America signed the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the size of the new nation. A year later, the Lewis and Clark Expedition began. Thirty years after this expedition, a journalist and explorer by the name of J. N….
Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’: The Wife of Bath: A Character With Surprising Views
One of the most recognized characters of Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” the Wife of Bath, is known for her novel ideas on marriage and love. Chaucer created a character that inspired future writers of Western literature. One of the 30 pilgrims featured in these 24 tales, the Wife of Bath represented the changing views about…
Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘On a Wing and a Prayer’: Faith Isn’t an Incident, but a Journey
PG | 1 h 42 min | Drama | 2023 It’s Easter in 2009, and 56-year-old pharmacist Doug White (Dennis Quaid), wife Terri (Heather Graham), and their teenage daughters are returning in a small, private plane to their Louisiana home, after mourning the sudden death of Doug’s older brother Jeff in Florida. Ten minutes in,…
Embracing Everything: The Music of Gustav Mahler
The classical symphony—a piece for orchestra, generally in four contrasting sections or movements—was so perfected by Mozart and Joseph Haydn in the late 18th century, that Beethoven, when he came along, had to shake things up to make his mark. Beethoven’s symphonies broke the classical mold—or rather, extended it with sudden shifts of mood and…
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