The week ending January 2, 2011 was Broadway's highest grossing week in recorded history. The 27 open shows averaged 80 percent attendance, a 3.8 increase over last year, and gross income was up 3.6 percent over last year.
The Library of Congress has begun collecting and digitizing about 200,000 recordings from the first half of the twentieth century, thanks to a donation from Universal Music. The collection includes recordings of Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and others. The library will take physical possession of the recordings, but Universal will retain copyright ownership.
Sy Sugar, founder of the Sy Sugar Pops Orchestra, has passed away at age 99. He formed the orchestra of retired musicians in the 1970s.
Patroness of the arts Delores Ziff has passed away at age 85. Ziff and her husband Sanford are supporters of Miami City Ballet and Florida Grand Opera, among other organizations, and donated money to build the Ziff Opera Ballet House at the Arsht Center in Miami.
The Republican Study Committee, a group of 165 House of Representative Republicans, has proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The three organizations together receive $765 million in federal funding, or less than 1/10 of 1 percent of the federal budget.
The growth of digital music sales has slowed significantly, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures. For 2010, digital track sales were up 5 percent, only about one third of the increase digital sales saw last year. And the roughly 8 million additional digital album-equivalents sold pales in comparison to the 47 million fewer physical CDs sold in 2010.
SoundExchange is expected to disburse $252 million this year, and increase of over 60 percent from the previous year. SoundExchange is charged with collecting and distributing royalties to performers when their music is played over satellite radio, cable TV, or the Internet.
The Supreme Court is allowing a price-fixing lawsuit against the major recording labels to proceed. The lawsuit claims that Sony, Universal, Warner, and EMI colluded to keep the price of downloaded music high.
For the first time, cable TV last summer reported a loss of customers. Movie theater attendance, DVD sales, and home video rentals were also down. Industry experts believe consumers are turning to cheaper and easier ways to get entertainment, or are doing without.
A federal bankruptcy court has told the Louisville Symphony that it must abide by its collective bargaining agreement with musicians. The orchestra must continue to pay its musicians through the end of the contract on May 31. The orchestra filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on December 3. Since then, musicians have formed Keep Louisville Symphonic to help keep orchestral music a part of the city's future. The organization is planning monthly concerts and fundraising initiatives.
The New World Symphony has opened its new $154 million Frank Gehry-designed home. The 6-story building includes a 7000-square-foot projection field on the exterior of the building to project performances in high definition to audiences in the adjoining park.