Only for people interested in SPIDEY. For a while, the critics have been giving high-minded reasons for reviewing SPIDEY early, but now the truth is out per Adam feldman, head of the NY Drama Critics: it's ONLY about the papers trying to keep their share of the readership. If SPIDEY talk bores you, obviously, pass this post by.
Subject: Critics Gone Wild follow-up: Real reason for critics invading Spider-Man, per Drama Critic Pres.
The AP seems to have coined a term "CRITICS GONE WILD." Way below is Adam Feldman's explanation on All That Chat for the mass uninvited invasion of Spider-Man. This e-mail is all only my opinion, as a concerned hopeful theater writer, not in any way a legal opinion.
So it seems the invasion by the critics was just about the papers' own business concerns, and had nothing to do with concerns over ticket-buyers.
To me, it feels like people buoying their own (combined-billion-dollar) newspaper businesses by essentially IMHO "violating" the talents and investment involved in a $65-million New York-based business, and it sounds like a matter for the Public Advocate - does anyone else agree?. It strikes me that ANY SHOW AT ALL, BIG OR SMALL that catches the fancy of the press could be subject to being an exception now that SPIDER-MAN is a precedent. As you know, Jeremy Gerard of Bloomberg has already applied this principle last month to $20-ticket shows at the Public's under the Radar, which he was asked not to review.
What's to keep this from stopping a show that could be great (that is, that people here happen to like) dead in its tracks if the papers decide as a group that they need to review before it's ready to sell papers?
From Adam Feldman, head of the Drama Critics Circle, posted on All That Chat
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"Posted by: ADFeldman 11:13 pm EST 02/10/11
Dear BklynBoy --
Sympathetic as I am with the larger point you're making -- I really do wish Spider-Man well, and look forward to seeing it in March -- I can honestly tell you that there simply wasn't any collusion among critics to bring the show down. Deciding or being pressured by highers-up to run a review at a certain time (in order not to be scooped by rivals) is quite different from conferring with your colleagues about the content of that review. I am as convinced that the latter did not happen as I am convinced that the former did.
Best,
Adam"