Local and Industry News
Theater groups are monitoring Governor DeSantis' reprimands of drag show performances.
The governor has threatened to revoke liquor licenses at the Wynwood restaurant R House, the Hyatt Regency in Miami, and the Plaza Live in Orlando for hosting drag shows. Next season, Broadway Across America is presenting Mrs. Doubtfire, the musical based on the Robin Williams comedy which has the lead male character dressed us as a nanny. In the past, they have also presented Kinky Boots, My Fair Lady, and other frequently-performed shows that include characters in drag.
The Broadway box office was up 12 percent in the week leading into Easter. 33 shows grossed over $38 million. Attendance was also up four percent. The Phantom of the Opera was the chart-topper in the final weeks before the show closes, followed by The Lion King.
President Biden has tapped a number of musicians to serve on the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, including Jon Batiste, Joe Walsh, and co-chair Lady Gaga. The committee advises the President on cultural issues.
Regal Cinema parent Cineworld hopes to emerge from bankruptcy by the middle of the year. They hope to reduce their debt by $4.5 billion by getting their lenders to swap debt for equity in the company.
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Park Associates projects that streaming video providers will lose $113 billion to piracy by 2027. Piracy rates are currently 22 percent and are expected to rise to 24.5 percent by 2027. Password sharing accounts for some of the piracy and is an area that providers are expected to focus on.
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The Punta Gorda Symphony has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Its final concert was cancelled at the last minute as the conductor was told to leave the property or be arrested. Shortly before the concert, musicians received notice that if they would like to continue performing with the orchestra, they must submit an audition tape within four days. Rumors have been spreading that the Symphony had planned to outsource all of its future concerts to the nearby Venice Symphony.
Musicians of the New Jersey Symphony have ratified a new five-year agreement. Wages will rise seven percent in the first year and three percent in each of the final four years. The season length will also increase from the COVID-reduced 26 weeks to the pre-COVID 29 weeks.
The BBC has decided not to cut the BBC Orchestras by 20 percent after pressure from musicians, politicians, and the public. They have also decided not to end the BBC Singers. They will instead begin talks with the Musicians Union to explore ways to save money.
Alexander Shelley has been named the new Artistic and Music Director of the Naples Philharmonic, succedding Andrey Boreyko. Shelley has served as the chief conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony and music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Canada). This will be his first position in the U.S.
