Ben Brantley: King of Raves?

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 5/10/05 at 3:34pm

Has anybody else noticed that the usually fickle Ben Brantley has given a ton of raves this past season? I realize that this is one of the best seasons in recent memory, but Brantley has been known before to brake with the pack.

His reviews for the past year:

RAVES
12 Angry Men
Reckless
Democracy
Doubt
Dame Edna
Fat Pig
Hurlyburly
On Golden Pond
The Pillowman
Glengarry Glen Ross
Spamalot
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Shockheaded Peter

MIXED-TO-POSITIVE
Gem of the Ocean
The Light in the Piazza
Brooklyn Boy
Sight Unseen

MIXED
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Pacific Overtures
La Cage Aux Folles
This is How it Goes
700 Sundays
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

MIXED-TO-NEGATIVE or NEGATIVE
Julius Caesar
Brooklyn
Good Vibrations
After the Fall
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Frogs
Dracula, the Musical
The Glass Menagerie
Sweet Charity
Steel Magnolias

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 5/10/05 at 3:37pm

Only about 6 of those were all out raves. The others were just plain positive.

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 5/10/05 at 3:37pm

Most of your "raves" could hardly be called that. He ended his Spamalot review with a very mediocre-tempered paragraph about it in total.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 5/10/05 at 5:05pm

spamelot seemed to be a rave based on the fact that its quoted on their cd label as "the best new musical to open this season!"

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/10/05 at 5:42pm

Spamalot's review wasnt a rave. It was mixed to positive but I believe he said something to the effect of that the show wasnt amazing but it was by far the best musical to open this year hence the sticker on the CD. They always butcher reviews for those kinds of things.
Updated On: 5/10/05 at 05:42 PM

[mominator]

Posted: 5/10/05 at 5:45pm

Maybe Mr. Brantley is just mellowing out as he gets older?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/10/05 at 6:52pm

Don't count on it.

I hear a home for retired critics will soon open. They will sit there & be nasty to each other & they will feel 20 years younger

[tagiunagi]

Posted: 5/10/05 at 7:15pm

I think of all the musicals this season, Spelling Bee was a RAVE by far.