A Rave for Riedel

[ZeroMustTell]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 11:50am

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2015/11/michael_riedel_s_broadway_history_razzle_dazzle_reviewed.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_bot

[newintown]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 11:59am

That's what you call a "rave?"

 

Never mind answering; Zinoman and Slate may possibly be even more irrelevant than Riedel (if such is possible).

[Kad]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 12:06pm

The bulk of the article is about how the thesis guiding his book is flawed and how he's becoming irrelevant and unable to adapt to changing times. Sure, he gets called a "wonderful character," but a rave about him or his book this is not.

Personally, I think it would be no big loss if Riedel the character vanished. I get my gossip from people who know what they're talking about and don't make me want to punch them in the face.

Updated On: 11/4/15 at 12:06 PM

[newintown]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 12:25pm

Riedel thinks that he's a cross between Woollcott and Winchell, but his high-school level writing style and trivial subject matter place him somewhere far below a mix of Cindy Adams and Musto.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 12:28pm

And, as this rave of an article points out, Riedel barely disguises the fact he's in the pockets of some producers.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 12:31pm

 

I repeat: It's the best book on Broadway since William Goldman"s The Season.

 

 

[tazber]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 12:32pm

Isn't he more or less irrelevant already?

[newintown]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 12:51pm

No, he started irrelevant and got worse.

 

The Season is a terrifically written book by a real insider about how commercial theatre in New York really works. Razzle Dazzle  is nothing more than regurgitated old gossip and PR for the Shuberts. (That is, judging from the freely-available excerpts; after reading those, I deeply doubt that I could make it through the entire book, even if it were delivered free with a set of Ginsu knives.)

Updated On: 11/4/15 at 12:51 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 12:53pm

"I repeat: It's the best book on Broadway since William Goldman"s The Season."

Too bad Riedel poisoned his own well.

[temms]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 1:21pm

The Zinoman article mentions a book by Benedict Nightengale called "Fifth Row Center", which I was completely unfamiliar with. Has anybody on here read it? Thoughts? I've been looking for years for another book like "The Season" so I can't believe it was never on my radar. I'm definitely grabbing a copy. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/4/15 at 2:12pm

Here is the Times' review of Fifth Row Center. It is an older book. I found it on Amazon. 35 bucks. Hardcover. Kindle doesn't seem to have it and neither does nook books.

http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/14/arts/books-offstage-journal.html

Updated On: 11/4/15 at 02:12 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/5/15 at 12:56am

I've been reading it and I have no agenda towards Reidel, and I find it interesting. His writing isn't always the most fluid or easy to understand, but I'm interested in the subject matter. I'd SO love to go see the offices upstairs at the Shubert. 

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 11/5/15 at 1:12am

RippedMan said: "I've been reading it and I have no agenda towards Reidel, and I find it interesting. His writing isn't always the most fluid or easy to understand, but I'm interested in the subject matter. I'd SO love to go see the offices upstairs at the Shubert. 

I'm reading it too... I like it and yes it would be fun to go up to the Shubert offices

"