tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post509715587093242093..comments2023-04-20T07:55:11.731-05:00Comments on My Two Innings: Cabaret dell'ArteBob Waithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05076522289516653548noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-78514897086064367892010-10-14T14:55:49.717-05:002010-10-14T14:55:49.717-05:00Agreed, and I'll even take it a step further: ...Agreed, and I'll even take it a step further: we've got terrific arts resources in this town in general! I particularly enjoyed the comedic and cabaret posters special exhibit recently at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Unfortunately that exhibit is over now, but it was a nice thematic tie-in with the Milwaukee Rep's production of Cabaret.Bob Waithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05076522289516653548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-70529273643740148942010-10-14T10:45:07.680-05:002010-10-14T10:45:07.680-05:00I'm sorry that your blog has gotten hijacked b...I'm sorry that your blog has gotten hijacked by this kind of conversation. Cabaret is truly a magnificent show. Whether or not you like all of the performers equally, or agree with or even appreciate the finer points of the directing is just individual opinion. It's sad when people spew venom, either in attacking performers, or in attacking the commentators. What we really should be talking about is what amazing theater we have in this town!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-2524899231744901232010-10-13T16:53:03.957-05:002010-10-13T16:53:03.957-05:00Thank you for reminding us that logic, reason, an ...Thank you for reminding us that logic, reason, an even temperament, and good manners are all desirable qualities, even in debate.Bob Waithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05076522289516653548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-82135122275953954772010-10-13T15:46:13.312-05:002010-10-13T15:46:13.312-05:00you are hopeless. and PS...on one of the sites, t...you are hopeless. and PS...on one of the sites, this charming poster actually wrote "F U old lady!" keeping it classy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-14446401919561635262010-10-13T08:19:25.383-05:002010-10-13T08:19:25.383-05:00Thank you for your input, again. Your central poi...Thank you for your input, again. Your central point is not in danger of being unread or unheard by anyone who happens upon and then slogs through this comment stream.<br /><br />It's intriguing to me that you've used a marginalizing epithet -- "weirdo" -- to refer to the first commenter. Granted, yours is a milder slur than the several that the initial respondent issued about the actor, but once you go down the ad hominem road, isn't it just a matter of degree?<br /><br />For what it's worth -- and I suspect you won't think it's worth much -- I've tried to keep my comments in this thread focused on the content of the various remarks, rather than on the people issuing them. That's been made easier by the fact that people are posting their comments anonymously.<br /><br />I've "indulged" remarks of all kinds, if only by posting them as they arrive and then responding with my thoughts, but I don't think that I've "encouraged" them.<br /><br />You mentioned actors opening themselves up to critique. I sometimes wonder how today's actors are formally trained and subsequently prepare themselves to handle not just professional criticism but also the inevitable public chatter, fair and unfair, that comes from performing in the Facebook, Twitter, and blogging era. I'm sure it's not easy. If I ever find myself in a discussion with an actor, I'll have to ask him/her about this.Bob Waithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05076522289516653548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-28890422038055682452010-10-13T02:28:16.832-05:002010-10-13T02:28:16.832-05:00just so you know, that weirdo posted the exact sam...just so you know, that weirdo posted the exact same comment on EVERY review of cabaret that has been posted, under different names. real nice. sharing negative opinions about a show publicly? fine. this sort of pointed hatred? not ok. actors open themselves up to critique....they should not be targeted like this. people can say what they want, it's a free country, but it makes me angry that others indulge and encourage it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-68449404452940113372010-10-08T18:55:41.133-05:002010-10-08T18:55:41.133-05:00Thank you again for your participation in this ope...Thank you again for your participation in this open discussion on the "My Two Innings" review of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's season-opening production of "Cabaret".<br /><br />"Cabaret" as a play raises issues about confronting hateful speech, of course. The Ernst Ludwig character is revealed over the course of the play to hold noxious opinions, and to take actions based on them. We know what *actually* happened in history; what would you say *should* have been the response by a German citizen in the late 1920's in confronting an Ernst Ludwig? Would you attempt continued persuasion, debate, and appeals to logic and reason, or would you disengage, saying "What's the point?"<br /><br />(Not to put you on the spot personally with this. I don't know how courageous I would have been in that situation, either.)<br /><br />I only regret that you're "almost done" here. This blog's readers -- several per month, surely! -- could have benefited greatly from your continued involvement.Bob Waithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05076522289516653548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-48538277116419714642010-10-08T13:57:48.600-05:002010-10-08T13:57:48.600-05:00ok, i'm almost done here...
no, not everyone ...ok, i'm almost done here...<br /><br />no, not everyone is worthy of adult discussion. people who act like schoolyard bullies and spew hateful & utterly non-sensical words should not be encouraged. period. respect begets respect in my world. if someone wants to engage me in discussion, they can disagree with me all they want, but the moment they become aggressive or completely irrational, i'm done. what's the point? certain statements should just not be dignified with a response. i think most people would agree with that philosophy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-52407569809077643002010-10-07T17:37:25.194-05:002010-10-07T17:37:25.194-05:00I try to be serious, when I'm not trying to be...I try to be serious, when I'm not trying to be funny.<br /><br />You have accused me of being diplomatic, and I plead guilty.<br /><br />I agree that the earlier comment we're discussing was immature and insulting. I am unaware that I have dignified it. I did call it "entertaining" before I criticized some of its over-the-top particulars.<br /><br />I do think that all people are worthy of real discussions. That is my problem as a human being, I agree.<br /><br />You are not trying to insult the mentally ill by using the phrase "deranged mental patients". I'll take your word for it.<br /><br />I don't have the credentials to determine whether a respondent to a blog has emotional issues. Perhaps you do. My understanding is that such a diagnosis would be arrived at by a licensed professional following an in-person examination according to a defined protocol.<br /><br />"Coherent" is spelled with suffix -ent, not -ant. I've never learned the spelling rule that differentiates the two, either.<br /><br />Why give voice to nonsense and hate? It's a good question. I would say, it's better to illuminate hatred with a bright light and then oppose it in debate and deed than to sweep it under the rug. For example, you were quite right to criticize the ageism of the earlier respondent, in my opinion.<br /><br />Cabaret -- both the show and the genre -- opposes hate quite effectively, by the way. Would it have been better for the show never to have been staged because some of its characters promulgate utterly mean-spirited opinions? That itself would be nonsensical.Bob Waithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05076522289516653548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-30306205464826917512010-10-07T16:00:41.655-05:002010-10-07T16:00:41.655-05:00are you serious?
under the guise of being diploma...are you serious?<br /><br />under the guise of being diplomatic, you dignified an immature and insulting comment, and that is putting it mildly. it honestly sounds to me like a person with emotional issues. if you think that commenter was worthy of an real discussion, then i guess that's your problem as a human being. i'm not trying to insult the mentally ill. give me a break.<br /><br />yes, fresh perspectives on theatre are always welcomed by the community...when they are COHERANT and not utterly mean-spirited. the rep has reached out to a new audience with this piece. but why give voice here to nonsense and hate? although i think your personal assesment of the show was pretty ridiculous, it wasn't comletely non-sensical and seething with anger. <br /><br />honestly, this all would be funny if it weren't so sad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-75621229900633342602010-10-07T15:48:45.858-05:002010-10-07T15:48:45.858-05:00Again, I would like to move away from comments lik...Again, I would like to move away from comments like "stupid", "deranged mental patient", and "moron". Effective language is at all of our disposal to make rhetorical points without resorting to cheap stereotypes of the mentally ill and developmentally disadvantaged.Bob Waithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05076522289516653548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-18898950220682668072010-10-07T15:31:58.352-05:002010-10-07T15:31:58.352-05:00Thank you for your welcome critique of my comment ...Thank you for your welcome critique of my comment moderation policy. To be clear, my decision was to publish the prior comment and respond with my thoughts, rather than to squelch it. I will do the same now.<br /><br />As I stated, I thought the earlier comments were harsh in tone. I didn't at all like the use of the word "stupid", and said so, just as I don't care for your use of the phrase "deranged mental patient". A rant may be appropriate or inappropriate, proportionate or disproportionate, depending on the context, but your stereotyping reference to mental illness detracts from your argument. In my opinion, it's also a public disservice to the truly afflicted.<br /><br />You are correct; I should have chided the original comment writer for decrying the actor's age, whether he/she had perceived it accurately or inaccurately. I wish I had done so.<br /><br />Yes, it has occurred to me that "actors learn the dialects they were instructed and directed to learn and perform." It seems an obvious point, but I certainly agree with it.<br /><br />It's not clear whom you are referring to when you say "you people", and await your clarification as to the identity of the group to which you have assigned me.<br /><br />Your last question, although rhetorical -- in essence, how democratized and open to amateurs should arts criticism be? -- deserves a thoughtful answer. Here's one attempt at an analogy: although a baseball fan might not be able to turn a double-play herself, it does not follow that she should have nothing to say about a major league shortstop's errors.<br /><br />The Internet-enabled exchange of opinion does lead to "ramblings", as you put it, whether in social media or in response to public blogs on sports, politics, or the arts. It also leads to more free and open expression, new and different perspectives, and diversity of commentary. The result may not be as predictably cozy, comfortable, and respectable as when "real journalists and serious theatre goers" talked mainly amongst themselves, but it's occasionally refreshing when new voices, both couth and uncouth, are added into the cultural mix.<br /><br />In any case, the cream rises to the top; if the professional critics produce the best reviews, their words will be read avidly.Bob Waithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05076522289516653548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-81697653211727236372010-10-07T13:45:44.531-05:002010-10-07T13:45:44.531-05:00sally bowles is clearly wearing a wig, you moron.
...sally bowles is clearly wearing a wig, you moron.<br /><br />"grandma"? "soccer mom"? "old crone"? someone should spay or neuter you immediately. <br /><br />also, not for nothing, but there is no "blond aussie chorus girl" in the show. there is a very lovely and talented blond australian in the cast, who wears a dark wig and never speaks onstage. so....ya think someone's friend maybe has an axe to grind?? jesus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-81338948490273605062010-10-07T12:21:28.991-05:002010-10-07T12:21:28.991-05:00Bob,
You lose any and all credibility as a seriou...Bob,<br /><br />You lose any and all credibility as a serious blogger to allow a comment like the above to remain on your site. It reads like the ramblings of a deranged mental patient. Entertaining??? Really?? <br /><br />Has it ever occurred to you people that actors learn the dialects they were instructed and directed to learn and perform? And that screaming about an actor's age as if you are offended by their very presence is, um, slightly irrational? Why don't you leave the theatre reviewing and commenting to the real journalists and serious theatre goers. This is embarrassing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-78636155982156778212010-10-03T12:25:12.804-05:002010-10-03T12:25:12.804-05:00Entertaining comments, but rather harsh in tone --...Entertaining comments, but rather harsh in tone -- I don't know that I would ever use the work "stupid" in all caps in a theater review, even an anonymously posted one -- although I do agree with you that the Bowles actor's upper-crust English accent didn't fit the showgirl part.<br /><br />Liza's performance may be cemented in the popular imagination, but I don't think she has to be considered the definitive Sally Bowles that each and every revival of the show must emulate in every style element. So long as costume, hairstyle, etc. are appropriate to the period, they won't distract the audience from the story if the acting and direction are good.Bob Waithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05076522289516653548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-778276834012183021.post-37793554660732116862010-10-03T08:35:45.005-05:002010-10-03T08:35:45.005-05:00I saw the show last night. BOOO!!!!! Kelly Faulkn...I saw the show last night. BOOO!!!!! Kelly Faulkner, the woman who played Sally Bowles, effected an upper crust English accent throughout the show and was way too old for the part. Some once young and talented Milwaukee player too old for the part, who couldn’t even cut or dye her bright red soccer mom hair to resemble something like Liza, the archetype and icon for the part. Maybe a little eye shadow? Play some old crone on stage. You looked STUPID up there, despite the fact that you were surrounded by talented cast and musicians. You will never be 24 again, capiche? The M/C was a little long in the tooth, but he held his own. I drove up from Chicago to see this show and was so very disappointed. The blonde Aussie chorus girl was a highlight for me. Hopefully she’ll become a down under ingenue soon along the likes of Toni Collette. Here’s a thought: let her play Sally Bowles, rather than grandma soccer mom with the WRONG English acccent. Ever watched BBC? There are a few other accents that would have applied to a more working girl type that Sally was supposed to be. You totally missed the mark, lady. Take your cues from the down under girl, at least she’s by descent, more English that you’ll ever be, old chum! BOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com