The Week in Review

Green Day Wins Video Projection Lawsuit: In a decision that is certain to be controversial, the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that artist Dereck Seltzer's work was not wrongly appropriated by Green Day for use in video projections in its 2009 tour, which had lighting and video design by Justin Collie. Seltzer's 2003 work "Scream Icon" was used in the tour. According to a report from Reuters, "The version had been adapted from a photo of a weathered and torn copy of Seltzer's work posted on a brick wall on a corner of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles." Key quote: "In upholding that decision, circuit judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain wrote for the 9th Circuit that Green Day's use of "Scream Icon" was fair, and was "transformative and not overly commercial" despite making few alterations. "With the spray-painted cross, in the context of a song about the hypocrisy of religion, surrounded by religious iconography, (the) video backdrop using 'Scream Icon' conveys new information, new aesthetics, new insights, and understandings that are plainly distinct from those of the original piece," O'Scannlain wrote for a three-judge panel. It's hard to see how this doesn't open up a can of worms. For more: http://plasa.me/lkyv3.

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in Salzburg: Last week, we told you about the new Ring Cycle at Bayreuth, a production that seemed designed to outrage the audience and was indeed met with a chorus of booing at its premiere. But not all is lost for Wagner fans: The Salzburg Festival also just opened a very well-received production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg , directed by Stefan Herheim, which features a very unusual design concept having to do with the character of Hans Sachs, the cobbler, who is drawn from real life. According to The New York Times, "The historical Sachs, like Wagner, was a passionate lover of books and stories. He would have written his poems and songs at a desk in his humble home. So Mr. Herheim uses that simple idea as a scenic concept and thematic metaphor for the whole production, which takes place, in an imaginative leap, on Sachs's book-cluttered desk." The set designer is Heike Scheele. For more, including production photos, go to http://plasa.me/0telh.

BAM Fisher Attains LEED Status: Congratulations to the new Richard B. Fisher Building at Brooklyn Academy of Music, which is the first newly constructed theatre in New York to receive LEED Gold status, marking it as a green construction. Key quote: "Among the eco-friendly features that put the building into the Gold league are a reduction in water use by more than 40%, incorporation of building energy efficiency measures resulting in a 22% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the reduction of heat island effect by incorporating high albedo roofing materials and a green roof garden, and use of only low emitting materials in all building interior finishes. According to BAM director of capital projects, Jonathan Jones, 'Approximately 97% of all construction waste was diverted from a landfill and all plants in the beautiful roof garden are of native species to reduce the need for watering.'" For more: http://plasa.me/3tudd.

Spider-Man Downed by Technical Difficulties: We suppose it can always happen: The Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark cancelled its August 6 performance, citing technical difficulties. We're sure you don't need to be reminded about the show's especially difficult preview period, which was marked by technical glitches and cast injuries; the last turn of events is a reminder of just how complex and challenging the production remains. For more details, go to http://plasa.me/db5r5.