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Lawson Taitte: Lawson Taitte is the theater critic for The Dallas Morning News. June 2009
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December 13, 2008
Today I saw the fall Broadway season's two biggest musicals, Shrek and Billy Elliot. Shrek is living proof that the decline and fall of Western civilization is now complete. We all know what word "flatulence" is euphemistic for. Is there a comparably polite word for belching? In any case, one number in the show consists almost entirely of both. It's the toilet humor equivalent of "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better." I found the Shrek movie pretty offensive in terms of double entendres in a show aimed at kids. Today very cute (obviously very rich) kids were all around me. And the double entendres about trannies, cross-dressing and sexual compensation issues abounded. The 11 o'clock number goes, "Let your freak flag fly." (Bet you didn't know the big bad wolf liked to wear granny's dress because of a psychological preference.) I'm all for the show's basic message of not judging others, but all this seems a little advanced for preschoolers. By comparison, the guys in tutus, the four-letter words in adolescents' mouths and the guy-to-guy kiss of 12-year-olds in Billy Elliot seemed innocence itself.  Comments (0) Leave comment
|  E-mail entryThe entry "Broadway Diary December 2008 - Saturday night" is tagged: Broadway , New York theater
Seeing Horton Foote's Dviding the Estate, I was in a prime critic's seat. (The Texas playwright's show has already opened its limited Broadway run, but weekly and out-of-town reviewers are still attending en masse, as well as voters for end-of-season awards, etc.) Actress Judith Light (currently of Ugly Betty and Law and Order: SVU) was two seats in front of me. All around me were gossiping writers and actors. Meow, meow. Of course, you never hear derogatory remarks about other audience members in a Dallas theater! (At least not this loud.) Outside there was pandemonium. I was a little amazed by all the teenybopper fan energy being expended on 13 the Musical...which is about teenyboppers, but is also set to close prematurely. Less surprising was the crowd beginning to line up outside the Roundabout production of All My Sons. This one got great reviews, but the fans were there for one reason only. Katie Holmes is in the cast, and I heard people whispering loudly, "He could be anywhere. In the halls, ...." He is of course Tom Cruise, Ms. Holmes' significant other. There were SUV limousines but no sign of TomKat, sadly. The Mediterranean-French restaurant Marseilles, a hop and skip away, is one of the best meals and best bargains in the theater district. I waited awhile to order because it seemed I was being stood up by my old friend and former colleague Tom Sime. I was disappointed when he never showed up. When I got back to my computer, it turned out it was my fault. In asking him to see the Foote (one of his favorite playwrights), I had told him "Friday, Dec. 13." Of course, there is no such day this year. Unfortunately, he had picked up on the date, which was wrong, rather than the day of the week. I had to write to explain and apologize. I'll have to wait till next time to catch up and send him the good wishes a lot of folks in Dallas told me to extend to him. Comments (1) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Broadway Diary December 2008 - Friday night" is tagged: Broadway , New York theater |
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Thank you so much, Carol, for spending
Good news!!!!!!!!
Come here:
Come here:
Carol,
Thank you so much for al
I am bit concerned about Kunz's chances
test
Bravo. I certainly agree. Not being a
Mr./Ms.Ho- Which are you? I really lik
Many Dallasites do enjoy New York theat
Shame on me! That is absolute brillianc