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Morning fallout

Neither the Globe nor the Herald reveals a smoking gun on Robert Woodruff's departure from the ART, although Louise Kennedy's Globe story does touch on the possible issues, which range from declining attendance (a widespread problem) to a hint of dissension within the ranks over out-of-town casting choices. In an era when crowd-pleasing is a survival mandate for many arts groups, the ART's steadfastly serious - or should we say, relentlessly highbrow - approach may not be helping at the box office. Even bringing on the Dresden Dolls for a production was a move to the avant garde, not a mere publicity grab. The black-clad Woodruff, a dead ringer for comedian Richard Belzer, looks the embodiment of that approach. Of course if relentlessly highbrow doesn't work on Brattle Street, it may not work anywhere.

It's pretty clear the ART didn't want to talk about it. Yesterday's big announcement was made via email (you read it here first!), with Woodruff declining further comment and relevant officials out of the office for the holidays; box offices figures were not immediately available,  Kennedy wrote. With Woodruff and Nicholas Martin leaving town soon, though, we're clearly in a turbulent period for local theater and that could be a good thing.

Another example of a local arts institution making a survival move (and the gleeful punishment thereof) comes in this morning's Globe, as Ken Johnson just kicks the crap out of the MFA's latest exhibit of a wealthy supporter's collection. "So, rather than tell him that many of the paintings and sculptures in his collection would be prime candidates for deaccessioning if ever they were bequeathed to the MFA," Johnson writes, "the museum is giving him a nice, ego-boosting kiss of gratitude in the form of this depressingly uneven, mixed bag of an exhibition." All together now: Ouch.

Woodruff leaving ART

Local theater brain drain? Less than a month after it was announced that Artistic Director Nicholas Martin will leave the Huntington Theatre Company in 2008 comes this from the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge:

ROBERT WOODRUFF TO LEAVE HIS POST
AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE A.R.T.
AT THE END OF THE 2006-07 SEASON

Cambridge, Mass. — The American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.) announced today that Robert Woodruff, Artistic Director of the Theatre since 2001, will step down at the conclusion of his contract this year.  Woodruff intends to return to New York where he will continue to direct and to teach.

Robert Orchard, executive director of the A.R.T., said, in announcing Woodruff’s departure: “Robert has programmed five seasons of some of the most distinguished productions in our history.  His own work as a director — including Highway Ulysses, Sound of a Voice, Oedipus, Olly’s Prison, and Orpheus X — has changed the way we look at theatre and indeed the way we look at the world.  To have had an artist of his caliber engaged for five years with the A.R.T. has been a gift to the Company as well as to the community.”

Woodruff said, “It has been an honor and a privilege for me to work with this community of artists, students, and supporters; the staff of the Theatre, the actors, the visiting directors and designers, and the directors and actors in training here at Harvard.  I’m proud of the work we did and of the art we created together.  I want to thank everyone involved both in Cambridge and in the distant corners of the world for the opportunity to make such exciting and innovative theatre.”

The Provost of Harvard University, Steven E. Hyman, expressed his gratitude to and his admiration of Woodruff and spoke of the importance of the A.R.T. to Harvard.  “The American Repertory Theatre is an extraordinary resource for Harvard University.  It teaches, challenges, and delights us.  It is critical for our faculty and students and for the larger Cambridge and Boston communities that we find a worthy successor to Robert Woodruff, one who will continue to strengthen this essential institution.”

Hyman intends to convene a search committee in January, including faculty, artists from outside the University, and friends and supporters of the Theatre.

Santaland, raging

Aside from the Pops, our one Christmas evening out was a trip to Watertown on Saturday to see John Kuntz in David Sedaris' "Santaland Diaries" Downstage at the New Rep. The one-man black box show included two appetizers written by Kuntz, notably "12 Days," a gonzo tale of being courted by a fella who sends him all the birds and leaping lords from the song, verse by verse. "Did I mention that I live in a one-room apartment?" he asks, as the guano piles up. Funny stuff - Sedaris-funny, which is high praise - although an attempt to rachet up the pathos in the last minute or so seemed forced.

The hourlong main event is a monologue tour de force, gleefully crass and often hilarious, with its own quiet pathos of holiday and family desperation. Kuntz/Sedaris recounts his training and service as a Macy's Christmas elf in a tale combining workplace insanity and holiday hypocrisy, while somehow leaving you with a Christmassy feeling of  empathy. That I had last seen Kuntz as a possible child-murderer on the New Rep's main stage in "Pillowman" added an extra piquance to his elfin interaction with holiday-crazed and Santa-terrified children.  If you've had a rough few days, this might be an appropriate tonic. Performances continue through New Year's Eve.

Say it loud...

James Brown's effect on one crucial night in Boston is well-remembered by the Globe here. Compared to the near no-show by the Stones in the early '70s, this was really a night when playing Boston Garden may have saved the city considerable pain. The common denominator is Mayor Kevin White, who in both cases was the one who decided that the show must go on. (The two events are actually #1 and #3 on the Phoenix all-time Boston concert  list - the Phoenix take on the Brown show is here.)

Happy holiday of your choice or heritage

Instead of keeping up the post-every-two-or-three-days pretense of the last week or so, I'm just going to take a few days off. As a parting gift, please enjoy Bob Dylan reading "The Night Before Christmas" on his XM radio show, which I found via Pulp Culture.

Happy holidays from iTunes

This brag just in from WGBH: "The staff at iTunes has honored WGBH 89.7 FM's weekly classical music podcast, "WGBH Classical Performances," as one of their "Best of 2006." Available through iTunes and wgbh.org/classical, the free weekly podcast features live performances by world-class classical musicians and ensembles that have been recorded in WGBH's Studio One. Along with WGBH 89.7's 24-hour all-classical HD stream (wgbh.org/classical), the podcast has quickly become a favorite of classical music listeners throughout the world since its debut just nine months ago in April 2006. WGBH Classical Performance was the only classical music podcast chosen as an iTunes Best of 2006--Staff Favorites."

 

Whitey, Vermeer and me

In case you missed it, there was an excellent article in the Sunday Times on a new approach to solving art thefts. And the verdict seems to be that the Gardner Museum theft, "the solution to which is currently the holy grail of the art-crime world," was masterminded by a Dr. No. Read the story and find out what that means.

Morning read

My Globe review of Barenaked Ladies' Holiday Pops appearance is here.

Before there was Dice-K...

Former Sox pitcher, Pearl Jam groupie and local heartthrob Bronson Arroyo returns to town Jan. 13 to play his moderately rockin' music at a 6:30 show at the Roxy. Tix, $20, are available at all TicketMaster outlets, by calling (617) 931-2000, on-line at ticketmaster.com, or at BosTix outlets in Copley Square or Fanueil Hall.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.

A truckload of faith

Click here to read my Globe North feature about Newburyport artist Alan Bull. It's the centerpiece on the section, with a big color pic, so maybe you should run to the north shore and buy hard copy. There's also supposed to be a narrated slide show by Alan of a few of his pictures; that hasn't gone up yet. UPDATE: Slide show is now running.