Jeremy Reynolds on classical music
A new Quartz at Work article by Oliver Staley and Amanda Shendruk looks at gender disparity in orchestras.
“Of the 2,438 full-time musicians we looked at [at the top 20 orchestras in the world according to Gramophone magazine], 1,677 (69 percent) were men. But in many instruments, men were even more disproportionately represented. Bassoon (86 percent male), double bass (95 percent), and timpani (96 percent) players are predominately men. ... Only the harp, which is 94 percent female, is as skewed in the other direction.”
This trend holds true in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which did not make the top-20 cut according to Gramophone (alas). Betsy Heston is the assistant principal double bassist of the PSO; the other eight players are men. Rebecca Cherian is co-principal trombonist, and she’s the only woman in the brass section.
The article points out that sexism is still present but fading in the classical music world — though blind auditions at orchestras have evened the playing field to a large degree — and that the disparity has more to do with a young musician’s selection being pressured by a parent or band director. Most professional musicians begin studying their instrument at a very young age and are more impressionable.
The fact that some girls are steered away from certain instruments is undeniable. This is not good. That said, the article does not address the extent to which the size and weight of an instrument influences selection (i.e., are girls less apt to pick the tuba or double bass because of size?), citing instead sociological reasons and holdover traditions from the 18th century.
This could be an interesting additional avenue to explore down the road, though the extensive amount of literature on the subject indicates that it is not a particularly significant factor.
Sara Bauknecht on dance
Diversity in ballet — or (still) not enough of it — is back in the news, courtesy of English National Ballet dancer Precious Adams. The black ballerina announced that she will no longer wear pink tights with her tutus and other costumes, opting instead for chocolate brown ones that match her skin. The decision was embraced by artistic director Tamara Rojo.
“This may seem like a simple change, but this could be a watershed moment — one where the aesthetics of ballet begin to expand to include the presence or people of color,” said Theresa Ruth Howard, who weighed in on the subject for Dance Magazine. “With all the work being done worldwide to increase the number of black dancers in ballet, it was only a matter of time before we got here.”
While this is seen by many as a turning point, others argue that what color a dancer’s tights are is less about equality and more about costume consistency.
“It could be said that brown tights work for [Dance Theatre of Harlem] because they are a group of dancers of color. Therefore the brown tights are in a sense a uniform. But when there are only one or two dancers in the corps wearing brown tights, some believe that it ‘breaks the line.’”
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has two black dancers in the corps de ballet: Corey Bourbonniere and Victoria Watford. Dancers (of all backgrounds and ethnicities) can be seen dancing in tights of a variety of colors, depending upon the costume and aesthetic of the performance.
In recent years, PBT has been striving to do its part to put extra emphasis on promoting diversity in ballet. In 2011, it announced a multiyear partnership with the August Wilson Center that included dance education programs and performances in the venue’s 486-seat theater. In 2017, PBT shared the stage with Dance Theatre of Harlem for seven performances at the August Wilson Center in what was believed to be PBT’s first partnership with another professional company for a main stage production.
Dance Theatre of Harlem will return to Pittsburgh in March for another shared program with PBT. Learn more at pbt.org.
Sharon Eberson on theater
Remember when the Oscars announced a “popular” category, then backed off to rethink the concept? Watching the “Anastasia” tour, and the Pittsburgh audience’s appreciation of it, I get it.
In recent years, rewarding new musicals — with exceptions, of course — has often leaned away from lavish crowd-pleasers in favor of relatively small or high-concept shows. “Wicked” vs. Tony-winning “Avenue Q,” “An American in Paris” vs. “Fun Home,” and last season, “SpongeBob SquarePants” vs. “The Band’s Visit,” come to mind.
“Anastasia” — still on Broadway, now on tour and opening around the world — makes extravagant and artful use of projections designs to support a story that moves flawlessly from Russia to Paris. It’s got a based-on-a-true-story peg, romance, comedy, some familiar songs from an animated version. … There’s even a “Swan Lake” interlude. Yet it’s not a kitchen-sink approach.
The Stephen Flaherty-Lynn Ahrens music and book by Terrence McNally flow beautifully toward an inevitable conclusion — owing as much to the 1956 Ingrid Bergman film as the 1997 animated feature, also scored by the Flaherty-Ahrens team. The touring company includes Jason Michael Evans as the conflicted Gleb, seen last season as the not-conflicted Gaston in Pittsburgh CLO’s “Beauty and the Beast.”
“Anastasia” had two Tony nominations — for supporting actress Mary Beth Peil as the Dowager Empress and costume design (they are spectacular) — in a very competitive year, with winner “Dear Evan Hansen” and the heart-tugging “Come From Away,” like “Anastasia,” still on Broadway.
They all earn their popularity, and perhaps that is reward enough.
Behind the Curtain is the PG performing arts newsletter that keeps you up to date on performing arts issues and events. Sign up here Newsletter Preferences.
First Published: October 22, 2018, 1:00 p.m.
