Voynich Manuscript Misbound, New York Artist Grants Doubled, Whitney Union Deal, Harmonium of Texas Debut

Colin Layfield, a lecturer at the University of Malta, along with medieval-handwriting specialist Lisa Fagin Davis, propose that the Voynich manuscript, a 15th-century codex at Yale that remains undeciphered, has been misread. They suggest that its pages were originally arranged as loose sheets and poorly bound in the mid-to-late 1400s. Davis highlights evidence indicating the involvement of up to five scribes, challenging the notion of a solitary genius. In New York, individual artist grants are set to increase from $5,000 to $10,000, marking the first rise in two decades, with approximately $3.5 million allocated to arts councils across the five boroughs. Meanwhile, the Whitney's staff union secured a minimum 14.75 percent raise over four years, just before a potential strike that could have impacted the Lichtenstein retrospective previews. In San Antonio, the newly established Harmonium of Texas, led by pianist-conductor Jeffrey Kahane, premiered with 68 musicians and over 100 singers for Carmina Burana. Three days prior, Kahane faced a lawsuit from the San Antonio Philharmonic, which he departed as music director in February, regarding donor and email lists. At the Hollywood Pantages, the touring version of The Outsiders drenches its climactic fight scene with over 100 gallons of water during each of its eight weekly performances, with the cast rehearsing the fight at 65 percent of full speed.