Simon SaysOver this past weekend, I was catching up on one of my favorite television programs, "
Theater Talk" -- you know, the chat show with
New York Post theatre columnist
Michael Riedel and "the show's producer
Susan Haskins."
I found the episode that originally aired on June 26 particularly intriguing.
The dynamic duo convened a critics roundtable featuring
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News,
Elisabeth Vincentelli of the
New York Post,
Charles Isherwood of
The New York Times and longtime critic
John Simon (pictured), currently with
Bloomberg (Simon was Riedel and Haskins' very first guest during the 1992 taping of "Inside Broadway," the precursor to "Theater Talk," which aired January 4, 1993).
When the subject came to whether critics still had a place in theatre, Simon invoked the late critic
Pauline Kael of
The New Yorker, who once said, "In the arts, the critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising."
Personally, I couldn't agree more, and I also agreed with Simon when he noted that while you're likely to find critics disagreeing with one another, individual audience members most likely can find a critic they can trust whose voice mirrors their own opinions most of the time.
But when pushed to opine on the place of bloggers and whether they might replace the old establishment critics, Simon lashed out:
No matter how wrongheaded a critic may be, he or she’s always better than the bloggers. The bloggers are the vermin of this society.
Does it
take one to know one? Or have bloggers
really arrived now that Simon -- the man who in 2005 was unceremoniously fired as
New York magazine's
theatre critic -- is lambasting us?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who unlike John Simon are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Criticizing Critics, Critics, John Simon, Michael Riedel, Susan Haskins, Theater Talk, theatre bloggers
RIP Michael Kuchwara (1947-2010), Associated Press Theatre CriticLast evening, longtime Associated Press (AP) Drama Critic
Michael Kuchwara died in a New York hospital after suffering from complications from idiopathic pulmonary
fibrosis. He had entered Beth Israel Hospital on May 10. Kuchwara was 63.
I was stunned and very saddened to learn of Kuchwara's death through an e-mail sent to me from his own AP e-mail address at 8:21 p.m. EDT Saturday evening.
According to the
New York Drama Critics's Circle, of which he was past president, Michael Kuchwara was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and was a graduate of Syracuse University. He earned his master's degree in journalism at the University of Missouri. He initially worked for AP out of Chicago as a general assignment editor before transferring to the news service's New York bureau.
Just one month ago, I had the distinct honor and privilege of meeting this beloved theatre critic and writer through friends at that favorite theatrical restaurant and watering hole,
Angus McIndoe. While I had known he was following me on
Twitter, I was quite surprised and downright flattered to learn how well acquainted he was, not only with my writing, but also with this blog.
Ever the theatre enthusiast, Kuchwara was as every bit as genial and gracious in person as his extraordinarily fair-minded reviews continually demonstrated since he first took over his role in 1984. The two of us briefly discussed
American Idiot and
La Cage Aux Folles -- the respective shows he and I had just come from.
Sadly, the posting for Michael Kuchwara's
final review for
The Kid coincided with his entry into the hospital. Reports have indicated that his passing came last night as family was gathered around him. Those same reports also say he was listening to music from
Gypsy, his favorite musical.
Michael Kuchwara's love, enthusiasm and passion for live theatre was always evident in everything he wrote. His contributions will be sorely missed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Associated Press, Critics, In Memoriam, Michael Kuchwara
Random Thoughts & Tweets: Social Media And Criticism
Yesterday, theatre blogger Joseph Anthony Gomez of
I Can't I Have Rehearsal posed the following question to me via Twitter (@):
@ What do U consider pros/cons 4 writing theater reviews 4 blogging format/social media as opposed 2 other media like print?
My response:
@ Perhaps I'll need to write a long-form answer on my SOB blog since 140 characters won't do!
Joseph responded:
@ it took me 20 minutes just to reword the question so it would fit in 140 characters or less! haha!
Joseph and I subsequently communicated via that outmoded tool -- e-mail -- and he added some depth to his questions.
Which is kind of a funny coincidence given a column on the other side of the Atlantic in today's
The Independent. Nicholas Lezard doesn't seem to comprehend that more often than not people are using Twitter to communicate news with one another. Ironically, I learned about Lezard's column from, you guessed it, Twitter (via @)!
In his rant, Lezard says:
The name tells us straightaway: it's inconsequential, background noise, a waste of time and space. Actually, the name does a disservice to the sounds birds make, which are, for the birds, significant, and for humans, soothing and, if you're Messiaen, inspirational. But Twitter? Inspirational?
No – it's inspiration's opposite. The online phenomenon is about humanity disappearing up its own fundament, or the air leaking out of the whole Enlightenment project. In short, I feel about Twitter the way some people feel about nuclear weapons: it's wrong. It makes blogging look like literature. It's anti-literature, the new opium of the masses.
Since I'm writing what you're currently reading via, um, what Lezard describes as "literature," here's my two cents. Twitter is a great and essential tool for aggregating information as never before. While it may have previously been microblogging at its worst, it is evolving every day. In my humble opinion, the best tweets come from those who are sharing ideas and information (along with their
TinyURLs and
Bit.lys) to move people to read comprehensive stories in, oh, say newspapers, as well as blogs.
Now, as for answering Joseph's more thorough off-line questions, here's what I shared via that old-fashioned and oft-overlooked tool called e-mail:
It's kind of funny. In the earliest days of writing reviews on SOB, I took to doing them longform where I would write exhaustively about every aspect of a show.
But putting myself in the audience members' shoes, I came to realize that reading a review online can be tedious if it's too long, so I started to shorten them significantly and that usually came at the expense of critiquing some of the design elements and providing extended comments about plot lines. Online audiences want something shorter, more concise and easier to read, and it's more akin to radio/television reviews as opposed to the longform variety that you'll see in newspapers and magazines like the New Yorker.
As to the format I use? I've been across the board. I try to vary my style rather than writing the same thing over and over again. It takes some imagination. I usually try to think of the beginning and conclusion first and then build each review from there. It can be a challenge, but then it's nothing compared to producing a show, right?
Regardless of the new FTC rules governing blogs, which by the way I think are foolhardy, I think freebies will continue to exist for some of the reasons I outlined on the show, including the sheer cost per (theatre) ticket. Even though I pay for each and every ticket for shows I see and review, I'm the exception to the rule. I think what you'll see are bloggers simply noting at the bottom of each review that they were comped, and chances are you might even see more negative reviews as a way to tell their audiences that no free ticket can sway their opinion.
As social media continues to grow at the very same time mainstream media is cutting back (and print media is dying altogether), I believe blogs will be sought out even more, especially as mainstream critics gravitate online. Of course, anyone can have a blog or an opinion (it's true in some respects, now more than ever, that "everyone's a critic"), but it takes resolve and drive to keep blogging on a regular basis. And just like any other critic from other media, you build an audience who knows and respects your point of view or on the flipside can say, "well if he likes it, that means I'll hate it."
Blogs are here for the long haul. It's just a matter of finding those you value and trust.
How's that for 140 characters?!
Mr. Lezard, I would readily admit that I poo-pooed Twitter before I actually took the time to understand it and grasp its potential. But remember, without it, I would never have known about your opinion, however misinformed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Critics, Twitter
RIP Clive Barnes, 1927-2008Sad news for the New York theatre community, which today mourns the loss of veteran theatre critic
Clive Barnes.
As recently as yesterday, Barnes was
listed by the New York Post as "on leave" at the end of a review from Barbara Hoffman, without any further explanation.
According to his own paper, the London-born Barnes died this morning at the age of 81 after battling cancer. Barnes' final
Broadway review was posted on October 24 for the current production of
Speed-The-Plow, which the London-born critic awarded four out of four stars.
Barnes had served as the arts critic for the
New York Post for 31 years, and he used his mighty pen for
The New York Times during the twelve years prior to that.
According to the notice of his death in the
New York Post, he was clearly a theatre lover not bent on destroying a show like many of his contemporaries:
My ideal criticism is to write a notice about a play I didn't like, and yet send people to the theater to see it.
Quite frankly, if Barnes liked a show, I knew I wanted to see it. His rational voice in theatre discourse will be greatly missed. This is truly the end of an era.
Condolences to his wife Valerie Taylor and the rest of his family.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Clive Barnes, Critics, In Memoriam, New York Post
Critical Mass Exodus?Are critics a dying breed?
Michael Riedel in this morning's New York Post notes how theatre critics may be heading the way of the dinosaur, at least when it comes to mainstream news media:
That's because they're newspaper drama critics, those once all-powerful arbiters who, with a vicious turn of phrase, could close a show, humiliate an actor, bankrupt an investor.
Now they're in danger of being shut down themselves, done in by declining circulation, shrinking arts coverage and that dreaded rival who's usurped their power, The Blogger.
Riedel cites
The Star-Ledger's
Michael Sommers and
Peter Filichia, along with
The New York Sun's
Eric Grode, among the early casualties. But given the state of print media, with severely declining subscription bases, actions by news organizations like Newark's
Star-Ledger to dramatically pare back their editorial staffs is a reality across the country.
Of course, with the rise of the Internet and the ability for consumers to surf the net for free information, it's no wonder that newspapers are feeling the pain, even if they have spent millions building online, and ostensibly free, sites.
The rise of the Internet has also meant that bloggers like yours truly are adding new voices to the rich tapestry of discussion on issues ranging from politics to gossip. And many of us are doing so without any compensation -- we're doing it purely for the passion we have for the topic.
There are many significant voices actively discussing live theatre, whether from the producers' perspective or those directly from the audience. And is that all bad?
Riedel rightfully ponders:
But is it such a bad thing for the theater if a tiny group of older, mostly male critics no longer have make-or-break power?
Many bloggers on All That Chat write as well as members of the New York Drama Critics Circle. And who's to say their opinions are any less valid?
The answer, fortunately for the audiences who can google countless theatrical reviews ranging from the illuminating to the intellectually-challenged, appears to be "no." The trick for audiences is to find the voices we trust and continually return to them.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics, Eric Grode, Michael Riedel, Michael Sommers, Peter Filichia
