You've read the reviews. Now read the book. THEATRE'S LEITER SIDE, 2012-2013 A Brief Memoir and Reviews “No Piece of Cake” Inclement weather prevented me from covering this summer’s first Shakespeare in the Park production, Much Ado about Nothing. On Friday night, however, the elements conspired to create a perfect climate in which to observe the imperfect Coriolanus, last seen in a mainstream New York production (by the Red Bull Theatre) less than three years ago. (A little-noted production by the Shakespeare in the Square/Combative Theatre Company opened Off-Off Broadway around the same time.) Coriolanus. Photo: Joan Marcus. Like that one (and so many others), Daniel Sullivan’s only fitfully effective revival of this tragedy, set in 493 BCE Rome, seeks to emphasize the play’s contemporary relevance (as if sandals and togas couldn’t just as readily do the job) by updating it, in this case to a dystopian future, devastated by climate change. Beowulf Boritt pr...
The writing is on the wall, I think. The death of the verse. The birth of the sub-2 minute long “song”. A structure of chorus, chorus variant, end “jam” chorus. Finish. It will be even cheaper and faster to produce, and the immediate novelty of it will allow it to unfortunately further destroy the art of what a “pop song” is. I think this will happen by the end of 2018. A Big Name Artist will come out with such a creation, and then start a trend. At which point, the push back to what was prior will be regarded as “old”. Ultimately, the Industry will want to push the ultimate end-stage product: a single chorus. I’m already hearing “song structure” morph this way, even in some pop/country recordings: the verse is going the way of the link, and when it occurs to someone you can simply use a variation of a chorus for the B section – poof, that will be it, no more verses. If you doubt this, go to the Mart of W...
THEATRE'S LEITER SIDE, 2012-2012 A Brief Memoir and Reviews by Samuel L. Leiter I'm proud to announce the publication of the first in a series of volumes covering my reviews on Theatre's Leiter Side, year by year, since the 2012-2013 season. Available exclusively on Amazon.com as both a paperback (only $14.99!) and Kindle eBook.
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