Alec Baldwin Sounds Off on Brantley

[Kad]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 1:23pm

On HuffPo:

"Whereas [Frank] Rich's keen sense of what worked or did not work on stage helped to elevate the position of his desk, Brantley is viewed as some odd, shriveled, bitter Dickensian clerk who has sought to assemble a compendium of essays on theatre, the gist of which often have no relationship to the events onstage themselves. Brantley carries the Times into the performance and little else. Beyond the obvious impact that a weak or scathing review in the Times has on sales, particularly with booking agents for tourists, no one I know of in the theatre reads Brantley except in the way that a doctor reads an x-ray to determine if you have cancer. Brantley doesn't offer criticism, per se, as much as he seeks to signal to some that they are actually unwelcome on Broadway. If you aren't Brantley's type, why bother? And it is this very "Why Bother" approach of Brantley's that I think is the most troubling."
How Broadway Has Changed

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 1:56pm

Wow, I'm immpressed by Baldwin's eloquent slamming of Brantley.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 1:57pm

He must think he's writing about the Philharmonic. "Schubert"?

I agree that Brantley is a horrible writer, but it just seems like Alec's throwing whatever he can at the wall at this point.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 1:59pm

Oh, it's needlessly bitchy- but not necessarily untrue.

[PianoMann]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:01pm

Baldwin had me with him up until he boasted about the company receiving a standing ovation every performance; maybe he just doesn't know any better, but almost everything receives a standing ovation nowadays. That certainly cannot be used as evidence that Brantley is wrong.

Otherwise, I thought it was a pretty well-articulated commentary on why Brantley is often wrong.

[suestorm]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:03pm

Updated On: 5/7/13 at 02:03 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:05pm

[suestorm]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:06pm

"" Orphans, Brantley wrote "Why bother?" And that is to spit in the face of the playwright, the producers and all of their investors, the cast and director, the designers and the Schuberts, all of whom have had some success in the theatre. Brantley says we were wrong-headed to have even tried. Where would the theatre be if that was the prevalent thinking?""

I agree with what hes saying but it loses its meaning when it comes from someone who spits in the eyes of hard working people trying to make a living... photographers, flight attendants... not to mention those who he has little or no regard for...such as the other passengers on that flight, or the black photographer he called a c**n and worse

Updated On: 5/7/13 at 02:06 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:11pm

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:17pm

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:17pm

I don't really understand at all why this was necessary. Sure, Brantley is a douche and not a particularly good writer - especially not in terms of theatrical critique - but... what's the point? Just because Baldwin thinks his sh*t don't stink and he believes in the work that he does (as all actors should or else, to steal from Brantley, "Why Bother?"), that means the show needs to stay open and Brantley is wrong? The guy didn't like it and he couldn't articulately form the thoughts to say so.

This is just a rant on par with anything a 13-year-old would write about her mean, old teacher on her Facebook. Except he has a megaphone. A giant, million-dollar megaphone.



Updated On: 5/7/13 at 02:17 PM

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:18pm

>> "...it just seems like Alec's throwing whatever he can at the wall at this point."

That was my impression, too. Baldwin comes off as an angry little boy lashing out in a direction where he will receive the most support (empathy?) for doing so.

Orphans didn't close because of Brantley's review, and Brantley wasn't the only source to review it negatively. What purpose does Baldwin's complaint serve (other than to quench his personal need to "explode" in some direction)?

Why bother?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:21pm

"maybe he just doesn't know any better"

He haaaaaaaaaas to know. And though I do love him, I find people in unsuccessful shows bragging about nightly standing Os are using the first vestige of the scoundrel.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:23pm

Hes ranting because he show is closing but he's totally right about Brantley, can't stand reading his reviews.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:31pm

I can't either, he's horrible. And though I giggled over the Dickensian character comparison, it's a low blow. We can't all be hairy chested daddy bears with ice blue eyes.

I remember when Rosie O blogged a simple picture of Brantley after being upset by something he wrote about her. I had never seen what he looked like before and it did make me laugh out loud, but it was particularly weird coming from a gal who made no secret about not caring about conforming to typical standards of beauty.

[suestorm]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:34pm

he just cant help himself, its that anger of his... all kidding aside, he really does need anger management counciling

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:41pm

...completely OT, but:
>> "hairy chested daddy bears with ice blue eyes."
Mmmmmmmmmmm... hairy chested daddy bears with ice blue eyes.

>> "I had never seen what he looked like before..."
I think that was more to the point she wanted to make.

>> "but it was particularly weird coming from a gal who made no secret about not caring about conforming to typical standards of beauty."
Not so much that...

Updated On: 5/7/13 at 02:41 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:41pm

I like Baldwin immensely as a performer (and found him at least entertaining in Orphans, even if it wasn't what the role necessarily needed). But, yes, this seems to be him venting his spleen over a fraught and unsuccessful production. Brantley just happened to be the target- probably because he's a fairly easy one.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:41pm

Am I the only one here who likes Brantley? I've been reading him since soon after he started in the nineties. I've also read "Hot Seat" and many other Frank Rich reviews. Rich and Brantley are both excellent, intelligent writers. Brantley's a b*tch, but that's of of the things I like about him.

And Baldwin really is not in a position to be calling for his dismissal. The production was universally greeted with a "meh" from critics (not just Brantley), and it's closing because it's supposedly just not very good.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:46pm

I have liked Brantley. Then tolerated him. But as of this season, I don't enjoy reading his reviews. He's become inarticulate and frequently petty. It just seems like he's burnt out and doesn't care to deviate from his comfort zone. I think his Testament of Mary and Pippin reviews in particular demonstrate this. In that recent Q&A with Isherwood, in which he said he made his thoughts on Mary clear in his review, I had to****my head. That review was muddled like a mint leaf in a mojito.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 2:47pm

I had to C-O-C-K my head. Just to clear that up.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 4:01pm

Ha! I was plugging in every dirty word I knew, and none of them made sense. (Though a few made me giggle.)

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 6:28pm

It also might be worth noting that Frank Rich WAS an Alec Baldwin fan (particularly praising his Stanley in "Streetcar") whereas Brantley has given him mostly negative reviews. If you were Alec Baldwin, which critic would you like better?

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 6:46pm

The dirty truth is that not even a rave from Brantley was ever going to keep this thing running for very long. Baldwin is just not as big a star as he thinks he is, and tourists and regular theatre goers have plenty of better options on where to plunk down their life savings to see a show.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 5/7/13 at 9:17pm

I might have more sympathy for Baldwin's position if he wasn't such a jerk of a human being, prone to complain about anything that doesn't go his way. Fact is a number of shows have overcome mediocre reviews to become hits with the public and enjoy a lengthy run. This just wasn't one of them. I'm sure with his syndication money from 30 Rock, he won't be missing any meals.