Black Fest

It's official.

What Friends Are For

To send make-my-day photos like this:

Which of course makes me look it up.

Season of the List

For those who remember last year's lively discussion over American Theatre's annual Top 10 Plays list, get ready for another one, which I've teed up over at my company blog.

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.

 

A photographer I know, Jeff Jacobson, was living in Jersey nine years ago today. He took this photo from that vantage point, near the Katyn statue. More information about Jeff is here.

Untimely Ripped, But From a Woman

McSweeney's uncovers a hitherto-unknown passage from the Scottish play.

(h/t Gus)

The Critic's Dance Card

At the American Theatre Facebook page this morning, the question is: "Have you ever run into a critic who gave you a bad review?" Within minutes, we got this gem from Hester Kamin:

Several months after I got the most scathing, sarcastic review of my life, I went to a wedding, where the reviewer and I had been placed next to each other at dinner and were expected to be dance partners.

Sounds like a blast!