Anya Wassenberg

Recalibrating: A Look At Opera InReach

When it comes to Opera InReach, the organization’s name says it all. Pre-pandemic, breaking apart opera’s white hegemony was on the minds of its co-founders Daevyd Pepper and Andrew Adridge.

“Opera InReach was born out of the BLM movement,” explains Adridge.

There’s no denying that opera, as the pinnacle of Eurocentric high culture, carries with it all manner of colonialist and classist baggage. For centuries, it was seen not only as the exclusive preserve of white performers and audiences, but of a certain upper class of the same.

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INTERVIEW | Brad Fraser’s ‘All The Rage’ Documents The Rise Of Canadian Theatre’s Ultimate Iconoclast

All The Rage, the new book by internationally acclaimed Canadian playwright Brad Fraser, bears the subtitle A partial memoir in two acts and a Prologue.

“I don’t even use the word autobiography — it’s hardly exhaustive. That’s why I call it a memoir,” he explains. As a point of fact, it covers Fraser’s early life until the dawn of the 21st century.

Read more at the link.

The Vision of Escaflowne & 9 Other ’90s Anime That Deserve A Reboot

From Cowboy Bebop to Sailor Moon, the 1990s was a pivotal decade for anime. The Ghost in the Shell manga had just launched and, within the same decade, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dragon Ball, Lupin, and many other anime series now considered classics first hit movie and TV screens.

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INTERVIEW | Cellist/Composer Peter Gregson Talks About His New Album ‘Patina’ — And That ‘Bridgerton’ Placement

Scottish cellist and Deutsche Grammophon artist Peter Gregson has managed to carve out a career with about equal exposure to both his performing and composing talents.

The last few years have seen a steady rise to his profile as a composer of music for film with projects like Blackbird (starring Kate Winslet and Susan Sarandon), and music for the video game Boundless. He’s also known for his dance scores, having worked with the Joffrey Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, and Ballet BC, among others.

Read more at the link.

10 Ways The Street Fighter II Anime Is Still The Best Video Game Movie Ever

Anime movies based on video games can be a hit or miss proposition. In some cases, the anime actually came first, but when the video game is the source material, there may not be much other than fighting to construct a decent storyline with.

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FEATURE | Was Beethoven Black?

Was Beethoven Black? The contention seems to come up in social media every few years, sparking debate and deeper questions about culture and race.

Interview: Director João Paulo Miranda Maria Illustrates Afro-Brazilian Narratives in “Memory House”

In the filmmaker’s intimate film about colonialism and issues of identity, the silence often says more than the dialogue.

My Roommate Is A Cat: 10 Things You Need To Know About Haru

Haru is the fluffy roommate of the protagonist writer, Subaru. Here’s what you need to know about the adorable cat.

There are other anime or manga that feature cats, like Inkblot #1, or the pet-related antics of With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun, and even video games where players can pet stray cats, but My Roommate Is A Cat takes fans into the life of cat and owner in a new way.

RECORD KEEPING | Stewart Goodyear Offers Pristine Technique And Sensitive Interpretation Of Beethoven Concertos

Beethoven: The Complete Piano Concertos (Orchid Classics)
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Stewart Goodyear has always worn his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Beethoven, and his love of the material emerges as a technically polished and musically graceful interpretation of all five piano concertos on Beethoven: The Complete Piano Concertos, an Orchid Classics release.

Interview: Dieudo Hamadi on His Heartbreaking Documentary “Downstream to Kinshasa”

The Congolese director talks about bearing witness to a community’s fight for justice.