Pretty Flimsy Stuff

I know it's somehow Ben Brantley's job to come up with a narrative for the coming Broadway season, but really, this is it?

More than ever Broadway this season is the land of second chances: for celebrities looking to reignite their careers or upgrade their images (Paul Reubens, Justin Guarini, Brendan Fraser); for plays that failed miserably in their first Broadway outings (“La Bête”); for troubled shows that the gossip vultures predicted would never make it to town (“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” and — maybe — “Love Never Dies”). Once a place where stars were born, New York’s theatrical main stem has become a sort of makeover salon for those of faded glory looking to be reincarnated.

Really? Peewee, Brendan Fraser, and an Idol also-ran constitute the celebrity half of this trend, and a trio of totally unrelated shows that might or might not be in trouble is the other half? I can't even summon the energy to get very upset about this, but I do think Mr. Brantley's energies might be better spent contemplating other things. I'll just keep looking forward to the return of Brief Encounter.