All stories by [email protected] (John Simon) on BroadwayStars

Monday, May 25, 2015

Spiderman Birthpains by [email protected] (John Simon)

A curious item in The New York Times of December 28 gave me pause--actually more than a pause: theatrically speaking, a whole intermission.

SOURCE: John Simon at 05:58PM

By Way of Resolutions by [email protected] (John Simon)

It is New Year's Day 2011 and what thoughts does this generate in my 85- year-old head? Another tooth has broken and fallen out; it will have to be replaced, however expensively.

SOURCE: John Simon at 05:58PM

Resist the List by [email protected] (John Simon)

Under the title “List! List! O, List!” a quotation from "Hamlet" (as what isn't?), I checked in at New York magazine December 22, 1975, against Ten Best Lists, which I abhor.

SOURCE: John Simon at 05:58PM

Dracula Yesterday, Vampires Forever by [email protected] (John Simon)

Four rehearsals before the opening of the recent revival of the stage Dracula, director Paul Alexander fired leading actress Thora Birch. Four performances after opening, the revival of the …

SOURCE: John Simon at 05:58PM

NY Times Arts Beat Blog--Why Waiting To Review Makes Sense by [email protected] (John Simon)

Above is a link to an Arts Beat blog post by Charles Isherwood which mentions the fact that I took issue with Jeremy Gerard covering Spiderman and noting that Jeremy has succeeded me at Bloo…

SOURCE: John Simon at 05:58PM
Tuesday, June 21, 2011

TENNIS, ANYONE? by [email protected] (john Simon)

This is a blog post about tennis. Please bear with me on the somewhat circuitous path leading to it.The aristocratic German nymphomaniac, Countess Franaziska von Reventlow, has in her charmi…

SOURCE: John Simon at 09:18AM
Tuesday, June 14, 2011

TYPOS AND MISQUOTATIONS by [email protected] (john Simon)

I read on the Internet that Anthony Weiner’s (or Whiner’s) troubles stem from a typo he committed on Tweeter: @ instead of D, turning a private misdemeanor into a public offense. Typos a…

SOURCE: John Simon at 12:42PM
Wednesday, June 1, 2011

MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY? by [email protected] (john Simon)

I just read about the arrest of Ratko Mladic, the Serbian ethnic cleanser, and my thoughts went back to Yugoslavia, the lost country of my childhood. Of course, everyone’s childhood is a s…

SOURCE: John Simon at 09:11PM
Sunday, May 22, 2011

GRAFFITI by [email protected] (john Simon)

I have often wondered about graffiti, the spray-painted writs on walls I perceive from the windows of my computer train. What person or persons can be responsible for them? How do their perp…

SOURCE: John Simon at 11:41PM
Monday, May 16, 2011

MEANINGLESS MAGNIFICENCE by [email protected] (john Simon)

Almost as old as the debate about which comes first, the words or the music, is the question of what music means. Otherwise put, is the music saying something specific that the listener can …

SOURCE: John Simon at 10:11AM
Sunday, May 8, 2011

GREAT TEACHERS by [email protected] (john Simon)

The current issue of  Harvard Magazine contains the following quotations:            “In any battle between the literati and the…

SOURCE: John Simon at 09:32PM
Monday, April 25, 2011

SUNDRY PRINCESSES by [email protected] (john Simon)

Why Bertrand Tavernier is not considered up there with the world’s greatest filmmakers is a mystery to me. It must have something to do with the vagaries of distribution, the absence of hy…

SOURCE: John Simon at 10:49PM
Saturday, April 9, 2011

False Analogy by [email protected] (john Simon)

This week’s sermon is chiefly about false analogy, one of the major ills that plague (not plagues—the subject is plural, ills) our once reasonably healthy English.Is anything more parlou…

SOURCE: John Simon at 12:37AM
Sunday, March 6, 2011

FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS by [email protected] (john Simon)

French Without Tears is the title of the charming playwright Terence Rattigan’s first comedic hit. But this post is not a tribute to Rattigan’s centenary now being celebrated wherever En…

SOURCE: John Simon at 11:02PM
Tuesday, March 1, 2011

OH, THOSE OSCARS by [email protected] (john Simon)

Herewith some reflections on this year’s Academy Awards from a longtime film critic currently not reviewing movies. Of course I watched the Oscars as I always do; they provide the kind of …

SOURCE: John Simon at 11:42AM
Thursday, February 24, 2011

ELEVATOR SCIENCE by [email protected] (john Simon)

If you ride an elevator often enough—especially to and from a high floor—you can turn this experience into a psychological study of your neighbors, both the two- and four-legged kind. Su…

SOURCE: John Simon at 11:57AM
Saturday, February 19, 2011

THE BEST OF BEST FRIENDS? by [email protected] (john Simon)

            We know, of course, that the dog is man’s best friend. But how reciprocal is this friendship? Is man also the dog’s best friend? When I see…

SOURCE: John Simon at 10:53AM
Thursday, February 17, 2011

A PRINCESS OF MARS by [email protected] (john Simon)

            School days, school days! Something just reminded me of good old Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pa., where I put in a couple of turbid semester…

SOURCE: John Simon at 12:57PM
Wednesday, February 9, 2011

In Praise of Concerts, However Imperfect by [email protected] (john Simon)

Far be it from me to put classical concertgoing above theatergoing, or vice versa. Both afford pleasure and have their important place in civilized life. But I must concede that concerts, ev…

SOURCE: John Simon at 09:18PM
Sunday, February 6, 2011

Fractured Memoir by [email protected] (john Simon)

Often I have been asked to write my memoir. My negative answer was always based on never having kept a diary, and not being anywhere near memorious enough. Example: What’s the good of havi…

SOURCE: John Simon at 10:24AM
Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Please Attend to John Pudney by [email protected] (john Simon)

Because the charming secretary of my primary physician is called Althea, I read her the last stanza of Richard Lovelace’s “To Althea, from Prison.” I quoted from the old Everyman Libra…

SOURCE: John Simon at 04:28PM
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

LEAVE SPIDEY ALONE! by [email protected] (john Simon)

I logged on this morning to write about the Spiderman delay--one last time--but before doing so, thought I’d read up on what some of my colleagues posted on the topic this week.  We h…

SOURCE: John Simon at 04:53PM
Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Festina Lente (Hurry Slowly) by [email protected] (john Simon)

            The road to hell is, as we know, paved with good intentions. But there is a less well-known road that also leads to hell, or some lesser hells.…

SOURCE: John Simon at 12:02PM
Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Dracula Yesterday, Vampires Forever by [email protected] (john Simon)

Four rehearsals before the opening of the recent revival of the stage Dracula, director Paul Alexander fired leading actress Thora Birch. Four performances after opening, the revival of the …

SOURCE: John Simon at 01:01PM
Friday, January 7, 2011

NY Times Arts Beat Blog--Why Waiting To Review Makes Sense by [email protected] (john Simon)

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/theater-talkback-why-waiting-to-review-makes-sense/Above is a link to an Arts Beat blog post by Charles Isherwood which mentions the fact that I …

SOURCE: John Simon at 04:53PM
Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Resist the List by [email protected] (john Simon)

            Under the title “List! List! O, List!” a quotation from Hamlet (as what isn’t?),  I checked in at New York magazine December 22, 197…

SOURCE: John Simon at 10:23PM
Saturday, January 1, 2011

By Way of Resolutions by [email protected] (john Simon)

It is New Year’s Day 2011 and what thoughts does this generate in my 85- year-old head?  Another tooth has broken and fallen out; it will have to be replaced, however expensively.&nbs…

SOURCE: John Simon at 12:13PM
Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Spiderman Birthpains by [email protected] (john Simon)

    A curious item in The New York Times of December 28 gave me pause--actually more than a pause: theatrically speaking, a whole intermission. It concerns the musical Spider-…

SOURCE: John Simon at 12:34PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards