Thanks to New York Post's Michael Riedel, we not only have the first word (and positive one at that) on the upcoming Addams Family musical, but we also now know that Time Out New York's relatively youthful-looking Arts and Entertainment Editor Elisabeth Vincentelli is the new chief drama critic for the New York Post.
We should all be pleased that the New York Post is even opting to replace the late Clive Barnes at all, given all the turmoil at other news outlets, as Leonard Jacobs at The Clyde Fitch Report has been chronicling quite dutifully over the past year.
Elisabeth Vincentelli is arts & entertainment editor at Time Out New York, where she started as music editor. At TONY, she oversees most of what doesn’t involve eating, drinking or shopping. She also contributes freelance pieces to TheNew York Times, Slate, The Believer, The Wire and The Village Voice (back when it meant something). Her book "Abba Gold" came out a couple of years ago; in the intervening years, she’s developed a passion for extreme black metal and can be seen headbanging at BB King’s on a regular basis.
Oh yes…because the world needed another blog, she comments on theater, dance, film, music, books -- pretty much whatever strikes her fancy, really -- at determineddilettante.blogspot.com.
One can only wonder whether the Post will be determined to let her blog continue.
Sad 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 Postas "on leave" at the end of a review from Barbara Hoffman, without any further explanation.
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.
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles Limited run extended through May 31, 2011 (Show will go on hiatus starting January 15 and reopen at Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8)
Rock Of Ages - Open-ended run (Show will go on hiatus starting January 9 and reopen at Helen Hayes Theatre in March)
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
Meet The Critic
