Showbiz Sandbox 491: Coronavirus Is Taking Theme Parks For A Wild Ride
April 30, 2020
As the global entertainment industry looks to reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown there are some sectors that may not be able to welcome customers back until next year. Theme parks, for instance are designed for cramming as many people as possible into lines and onto rides. As such, the ongoing pandemic is forcing most amusement parks to delay opening until at least 2021 or even later?
Claudia Nunn is a senior project manager at The Producers Group, a leading provider of production and design services for destination attractions worldwide. In other words, they help to create theme park rides and immersive environments for everyone from Disney and Universal Studios to resorts, casinos and museums all over the globe. She joins us to discuss how theme parks are dealing with the coronavirus closures, how and when they might reopen, as well as some of her past stories in developing amusement parks.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including Apple Music continues to grow, Sinclair lets freelancers fend for themselves and a court ruling means literacy may become a constitutional right.
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Showbiz Sandbox 490: The Future of Journalism After the Coronavirus
April 21, 2020
Long before the coronavirus pandemic, independent journalism was on life support, especially at the local level. After businesses around the world shut down advertising revenue at media outlets completely disappeared and may never fully return. This is especially true at newspapers and industry trade publications, which have begun cutting staff.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kelly McBride, a senior vice president at the Poynter Institute gives us her take on what journalism will look like after the pandemic. She also discusses her new role as the public editor of National Public Radio, as well as her work advising the Hollywood Reporter.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including when we all might be able to attend a live event again, the latest on the Writers Guild contract negotiations and Netflix hits a new high.
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Showbiz Sandbox 489: Despite Coronavirus Closures, Broadway Finds A Way For The Show To Go On(line)
April 15, 2020
When Broadway houses went dark in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, nobody was certain when they might reopen. With the theatres shuttered until at least early June, commercial productions around the world are thrust into unchartered waters. Which shows will actually come back? Which upcoming productions will get delayed? Will audiences come back to theatres?
Tony winning theatre producer Ken Davenport remains optimistic. He tells us that, while there will be some inevitable shuffling of staged and touring productions, the shutdown gives live theatre a chance to return smarter, stronger and more prepared for a new reality. The industry however, must act now to get ahead.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why France is upset with Google, the straight to VOD release of “Trolls” may have been a success and the launch of the new streaming service Quibi.
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Showbiz Sandbox 488: The Hollywood Reporter Falls Into A Parent Trap
April 8, 2020
In a move that took the entertainment industry by surprise, Matthew Belloni, the Executive Editor of The Hollywood Reporter, announced he would be stepping down from the publication after 14 years. Within minutes competitors such as Variety and The Wrap revealed that Belloni’s departure was over editorial independence.
Valence Media’s leadership allegedly wanted to block unfavorable stories about their friends and affiliated companies. As well, the sought additional coverage of subsidiaries such as Dick Clark Productions. The situation has angered the editorial staff at the Reporter leaving many to wonder who might be next to depart the world’s most widely read entertainment news outlet.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why a partner at one leading talent agency is suing the firm for wrongful termination, Activision wins a lawsuit allowing it to use Humvees in “Call of Duty” and the latest on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the global entertainment business.
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Showbiz Sandbox 487: For Performing Arts, the Show Must Go On
April 2, 2020
Impresario Evans Haile has decades of experience as a producer, artistic director and performer of live theater and opera, yet nothing could have prepared him for how the coronavirus pandemic would disrupt the industry.
As the executive director of the York Theatre Company in New York, the executive director of Opera North in New Hampshire and the producing director of the Gainesville Symphony in Florida, Haile gives us his unique perspective on the impact COVID-19 is having on arts institutions from Broadway to Off Broadway and even regional theaters.
In China, the few cinemas that began to open back up are now re-shuttered for fear of another coronavirus outbreak. This means that 94% of commercial movie theaters around the world are now closed.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including the historic audio recordings that the Library of Congress has entered into its registry this year.
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