The Week in Review

Harman Completes Purchase of Martin: The deal is done; Harman is now the owner of Martin Professional. In an experiment that has never been tried before, at least on this scale, a major audio corporation is now the owner of one of the major manufacturers of moving lights and LED fixtures for the entertainment market. We get nervous any time major acquisitions take place, knowing how bumpy they can be; on the face of it, however, the signs are good, so we're going to (try to) stay optimistic. In any case, the year 2013 will be a most interesting one for both Harman and Martin. For more: http://plasa.me/72229.

Production Casebook Course for Sontag: Reborn: New York Theatre Workshop will offer a course in the production of its spring show, Sontag: Reborn. Class participants will follow Sontag: Reborn from the beginning of the process through production; sessions will include conversations with the adapter/performer, director, designers, and other staff from the Builders Association, the company that created the piece. Sontag: Reborn is taken from Sontag's journals; seen last year at the Under the Radar Festival at the Public Theater, it featured a complex and accomplished video design by Austin Switser. It's an interesting opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about the gritty details of theatre production. The course runs April 2 - May 28 and includes attendance at the production's opening night on June 6. Tuition is $300 for NYTW members and $350 for non-members. For more information, visit www.nytw.org/master_classes.asp or email classes@nytw.org.

King Kong Puppet Revealed Ahead of World Premiere: If you're all Spidey'd out, there's the new musical King Kong, which opens at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne, in June. This is the latest attempt at creating a worldwide theatrical phenomenon based on a well-known property. Released last week was the first look at the creature design by Sonny Tilders. Fun facts: "the detail of Kong's facial expression is delivered by 15 industrial servo motors (the same ones used in the NASA Mars rovers) and two hydraulic cylinders, all controlled in real time by an off-stage "Voodoo" puppet operator. The puppeteer has complete control over Kong's eyebrows, nose, upper lip, lower lip, jaw, corners of the mouth, and upper and lower eyelids. The result gives Kong a subtlety of expression normally reserved for high-end film animatronics and never seen on stage before." To see for yourself, go to http://plasa.me/4y2fb.

Velocity of Autumn to Return: Last week, we listed The Velocity of Autumn among the productions announced for Broadway this season then cancelled. Announcements of its death were premature, however. The play, by the talented and underrated Eric Coble, will play Arena Stage in Washington, DC. It is being billed as a pre-Broadway engagement, and, because Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella are still attached to it, a New York run seems likely. For more: http://plasa.me/cfo9e.