Boy From Oz & Caroline Closing Night

Here's a really nice piece on the closing night performances of Boy From OZ and Caroline, Or Change by John Heilpern of the New York Observer:
http://www.observer.com/pages/theater.asp

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Updated On: 9/23/04 at 07:24 PM

Thanks for the link.

It's not usual that theatre critics write about how an audience reacts to a show - especially at the time it closes down.

I was part of the hysteria for OZ - LOL!

Great article !! Thanks, Margo !

Wow. A reviewer after my own heart. My biggest gripe about most of the major theater reviewers is that they engage their brains but not their hearts when they see a show. They think they have to be completely cerebral, and the result is a myopic experience of a living, breathing, multi-dimensional art form.

To be a complete theater reviewer, I believe you have to open yourself emotionally as well as intellectually - and, you have to pay attention to the audience. After all, aren't we supposed to be helping potential theater goers decide whether or not the show is worth the price of admission? What better guage than the reaction of the audience who has already seen it.

Balance is the key. Thanks for posting the link to this great article, Margo.

lc

Heilpern has long been a favorite critic of mine and not just because I tend to agree with his opinions (though not always). He and John Lahr of the New Yorker were two of the only major critics who raved for and supported Caroline from the beginning. He's very perceptive and a superb writer -- his reviews are always well-worth reading even when you disagree with his overall critique. He also wrote an excellent book of essays "How Good is David Mamet, Anyway?" that's worth picking up.

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