John Simon

[Belasco07]

Posted: 11/22/03 at 6:50pm

a talented writer, but does the man like ANYTHING?

[magruder]

Posted: 11/22/03 at 7:01pm

He's very unpredictable, but of the current roster of Broadway shows, he has written raves for Chicago, 42nd Street, Gypsy and Henry IV, and has filed generally positive reviews for Avenue Q, Retreat from Moscow, Take Me Out and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

[thirdrowcenter]

Posted: 11/22/03 at 7:02pm

He loved Tovah Feldshuh in Golda's Balcony

[MusicMan]

Posted: 11/22/03 at 7:39pm

A critic of erudition, sophistication and wit---one of the best

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/22/03 at 8:10pm

He has mellowed. In his earlier years, he took great pleasure in making fun of actors personal shortcomings which had nothing to do with the show they were in or their performance.

Updated On: 11/22/03 at 08:10 PM

[sabrelady]

Posted: 11/23/03 at 11:40am

I love the story that Robert Duvall usta tell about a party that He & Joe Papp attended after Simon had been particulary vicious. He (Duvall) was upstairs when the downstairs partyers yelled "Bobbie come quick" & he came downstairs to find Papp had Simon in a headlock & was punching him. When Duvall tried to intervene Papp shook him off saying "Mr Simon's had this coming for a LONG time!" Hey if you dish it out ya gotta be able to take it!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/23/03 at 1:26pm

Sylvia Miles also dumped a plate of spaghetti on him . I believe

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 11/23/03 at 1:31pm

Atta boy, Joe!

[Al Dente]

Posted: 11/23/03 at 7:20pm

I can't say that I blame Papp. I find him completely out of line and a dirty fighter. He reeks in self satisfaction most, when he's insulting an actor on a personal level, often having nothing to do with the actual performance. He's not someone who I bother to read, if I can help it.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 11/25/03 at 7:31pm

Just when I thought old Johnnie boy was mellowing, his old nasty self comes out. In the current New York magazine, the end of his review of " Anna In The Tropics " reads as follows: " ... as does the affirmative action pulitzer bestowed on the play ". Bit anti hispanic & this sounds like the old nasty name calling John Simon we have come to know & love (and/or hate).