Michael Riedel's NY Post Column Cut To Once A Week — Page 2

I'm sure he'll blame Lin-Manuel Miranda for the whole thing in his next column and talk about all the shows that are rumored to transfer to Broadway and take the Tony from HAMILTON.

He's always been a weasel, but I remember the time he used to actually break some casting news or a show's London/off-Broadway transfer. Lately it seems like he just makes up something he can spin as anti-HAMILTON, writes fake stories reporting on a show's supposed success (which I assume gets him supplemental income, I mean, his fake reporting on BULLETS OVER BROADWAY should have ended his career), or reports on something everyone else on the board has talked about to death.

I live on the other coast, so I first learned about Michael Riedel watching the documentary "Show Business" where he and a group of critics took glee in tearing down musicals like "Taboo" and "Wicked". Michael Riedel seemed particularly mean-spirited and self-important. I like gossip and dish as much as the next show quee... fan. And I realize there's a long tradition of mean-spirited, self-important gossip columnists. But professionals who work in theatre do not intentionally set out to do bad work (unless you are Max Bialystock). Of course there are broad levels of talent, creativity, skill and success in creating and presenting works in theatre. Peoples' opinions of same vary subjectively. To target creators and shows like he continually does and pontificate is annoying and disrepectful. But controversy and snark get attention. And it is the New York Post after all.

Updated On: 10/1/15 at 10:52 PM

Here's his latest column:

http://nypost.com/2015/10/02/finding-neverland-is-a-sinking-ship/

Riedel's unabashed hatred for Hamilton (except for the choreography?) makes no sense. His thin defense for all of his Broadway-bashing has long been that he is just calling out bad shows that shouldn't be on Broadway. He doesn't like Hamilton. Okay, whatever, that's fine. But he has to know that it is the type of show we should be THRILLED found a home on Broadway. This is the type of original, non-movie adaptation, non-Disney musical that producers will look to in the future to give them courage to invest in more original musicals that may not have a built-in audience.

There are plenty of of hit shows that I don't particularly love, but I am they glad they exist because I know they are helping Broadway stay robust, diverse, and free from the total movie-adaptation domination/Disneyfication of Broadway. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean you gleefully want to watch it self-destruct before your eyes.

Which is why Reidel's supposed defense of his gossip and hot takes is insincere. Reidel likes to watch things burn. It brings him joy. He is an arsonist whose fuel is the written word.

Updated On: 10/2/15 at 11:27 AM

What bothers me is that his show bashing is almost never backed by an intelligent argument of any kind. When he's not sticking purely to the gossip, he comes off as knowing very little about theater. The joy he takes in attempting to make a mockery of the new and brilliant works moving the theatre forward is disgusting.

Besides all this Hamilton bashing, the episode of Theater Talk where they interview Lisa Kron, Jeanine Tesori, and Alison Bechdel is another relatively recent example that comes to mind. He was an uninformed, misogynistic, homophobic a$s the entire time.

Michael Riedel's columns are such a disappointment to the theater community. It would be so refreshing to get the appropriate media attention that Hollywood gets, but instead we're stuck with a jerk who doesn't know what he's talking about. He hasn't even seen most of the shows! His hatred of Hamilton is so middle school: just because everyone else likes it, he has to hate on it. Get us a new theater columnist please and thank you!