Cruise Lines, Microdramas, and Royal Opera's Funding Crisis

Cruise lines have emerged as major employers of musical theatre performers, now commissioning full productions instead of revues, as reported by The Guardian. The entertainment landscape is shifting with the rise of microdramas—vertical, two-minute, phone-native content—which are spawning microsports, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A Bay Area critic argues that classical music has become underground music, repositioning it as a scene with viable economics, as discussed in San Francisco Classical Voice. Hollywood achieved its biggest box office weekend ever, driven by just two titles, per Variety. In contrast, London's Royal Ballet and Opera requires £60 million to keep its building operational, as reported by The Times. Additionally, The New York Times notes that Mozart's best librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, ended up an American, and his descendants remain in the U.S. These stories are aggregated from ArtsJournal.