Joshua Barone

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Joshua Barone

He was often provocative and absolute, only to change his mind and contradict himself with equal conviction. Laurent Bayle, who succeeded Boulez at IRCAM and Cité de la Musique, and recently published the book "Pierre Boulez, Aujourd'hui" ("Pierre Boulez Today"), said, "There is no ideologue in music like him."Because Boulez was so powerful, his severity could be poison for any artist who didn't adhere to his worldview.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Joshua Barone

Opera is an art form made of other art forms: music, theater, dance, visual art, film. It brings together performers, creative teams and audiences from around the world for what, at its finest, is a glorious but ephemeral experience. Imagine, then, the carbon footprint for this grandest of performing arts. It's not just about the globalized nature of opera today.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Joshua Barone

For some people, seeing the musical "Love Life" in 1948 was an eye-opening experience. As a new show with music by Kurt Weill, and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, it was a major Broadway event. So Stephen Sondheim got himself a ticket, as did his future collaborator Hal Prince. One night Fred Ebb, of Kander and Ebb, was in the house; another night, Bob Fosse.

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Joshua Barone

3 days agoIn the early days of YouTube, Jeffery Self and Cole Escola produced some of the most memorable bits on the queer internet. Known as the VGL (Very Good Looking) Gay Boys, the duo parlayed their online antics into a TV show, LOGO’s Jeffery & Cole Casserole. For many, the comedic couple shined as an …

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Joshua Barone

"Oh!" Tituss Burgess said, the curls of his Mary Todd Lincoln wig bobbing as he spoke. "I need kneepads."Fully in costume, wearing the wig and a bell-shaped black dress, Burgess was about to rehearse Cole Escola's hit comedy "Oh, Mary!" onstage at the Lyceum Theater on Broadway, just days before stepping into the starring role on Tuesday. And, yes, he really did need those kneepads.