SPRING 2008 NYGASP REVIEWS

Here, with the help of the excellent PAUL SIGRIST, who claims to be not as young as I think he is but I think he must be wrong, are the links to Spring 2008 NYGASP reviews, some of which are quite entertainingly NOT PRETTY.

This bland but positive NY TIMES PINAFORE REVIEW you may have already seen because I posted it a couple of weeks ago. Scroll down a few postings to read my thoughts.

Backstage, the actors' weekly, had two reviews, by different people. The GONDOLIERS REVIEW is a perfect example of a review where the writer seems to wish he could just give it a thumbs up and not have to waste his time writing. The PINAFORE REVIEW is a little more interesting, I guess. The critic's opinion of Laurelyn's work is like nothing I've ever heard of! Laurelyn is the best! This critic's opinion of Laurelyn's costumes is old and boring news -- they have always and do currently look as unflattering on a five foot ten goddess as they do on a person who is shorter than me and temporarily has the burden of a healthy fetus. One Size Fits Al. Still, it's satisfying to see specific costume complaints in print. Poor Josephine, yes.

Whatever you do don't miss this VARIETY REVIEW OF MIKADO! As Louis said of it, "Jesus, I'm finally singled out in a review and the guy rips me a new asshole!" Rest assured, Mr. Variety Critic, Sir, that Louis does indeed wear an unbelievably hot and awful fat suit as Pooh-Bah, and that his exasperating rolling around on the floor is painstakingly dictated by Al. This critic hates everything about the production, which always does make for the most entertaining reading. Honorable mention must go to this critic who, after a thorough butchering, ADMITS THAT THE AUDIENCE HAD A GREAT TIME, AND HOWLED AT THE STUFF HE THOUGHT WAS HORRIBLE.

"Moldy, Messy Gilbert and Sullivan" is the irresistible title of this review from AM New York, one of the free New York dailies. The writer, Matt Windman, whose work I have appreciated before, covers the big three in brief and devotes amusing space to Al's antics and our delicate sets.

This PINAFORE REVIEW FROM EDGE NEW YORK is positive and pallid, and for some reason includes a gruesome snapshot of Al in a giant Major-General costume.

THEATERSCENE.NET gave Gondoliers a positive review that's interesting enough once you get past the FOUR PARAGRAPHS of synopsis and historical stuff.

Here is another typical, worthless, positive PINAFORE REVIEW FROM CLASSICAL SOURCE. The only interesting thing about this one is this quote about me ---
"Stephen Quint was perfectly cast in the patter role of Sir Joseph Porter; small, sprightly and gifted with an appealingly light-textured voice, he delivered Gilbert’s words with wonderfully crisp articulation in a sometimes scene-stealing performance."
--- which you might like to compare with this quote from Peter G. Davis, writing for New York Magazine in 2002 ---
"Stephen Quint as Sir Joseph Porter is the ideal G&S patter-song comedian: elfin, waspish, agile, with a pleasantly lean-textured voice that articulates notes and words with absolute clarity."

Last and arguably least is this straightforward, positive GONDOLIERS FROM FINANCIAL TIMES. It just don't say much.

As Oscar Wilde sort of said, through Graham Chapman or one of the other Monty Python guys, "It is better to be written about than not written about at all."

There were also a couple of reviews in newspaper form only, not available online as far as I know. If anyone has URLs to any I missed I hope you'll send them.

Comments

[Paul]

Ah, shucks! But you should see the portrait of me in the closet..truly hideous, ancient and frightening!!

[Theresa]

Maybe next year I can get some time off and bring some of my cool coworkers. Hmph.