Report Abuse Links opinion thread- Page 17

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:29pm

"That's not what he's doing ghostlight. He called for the boards to come down. Is that what you want? "

 

I don't know what would make you think I want that. In any case, Rob has made it crystal clear that he has no intention of closing down the boards, so the point is moot. I do want more civility here amongst the posters. I don't think that's too much to ask. I'm not too worried about the actors. They'll live with the criticism and bad reviews. That's part and parcel of the business.

 

"[Pasquale] can feel that. But I think his tweet is remarkably smug and petty, as is his subsequent blocking of ACL"

 

Pettiness has been on display by both sides of this situation. It isn't a good look on either side.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:29pm

I wonder how many Broadway pros disagree with Murin but haven't said much (or nothing) in order not to cause conflict. What a mess.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:31pm

But we're not the ones MAKING ALL THE THEATER, so, honestly, who cares what we think?

[Marianne2]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:35pm

Right? I know actors who are thrilled to share whatever projects they have in the works and love to get opinions. 

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:41pm

Those comments by Steven are disgusting. I'm a hiptix gold member but I won't even waste 25 bucks on supporting his show. What a disgrace.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:41pm

At least now we know why Pasquale is great as Mark Fuhrmann. Lots of anger behind that pretty face. 

[BeadleDeedle]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:44pm

ghostlight2 said: 

I don't know what would make you think I want that. In any case, Rob has made it crystal clear that he has no intention of closing down the boards, so the point is moot. I do want more civility here amongst the posters. I don't think that's too much to ask. I'm not too worried about the actors. They'll live with the criticism and bad reviews. That's part and parcel of the business.

I thought that because you were defending him while the only statement he had made was asking to bring the boards down. But I get wanting more civility. That's just not what this select group of bway actors called for. I know its not gonna happen thanks to Rob's measured but pretty great response but I for one am not quite ready to let actors like Pasquale off the hook yet for their statements. At least it merits the discussion we're having.  

 

[Pootie2]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:51pm

LizzieCurry said: "I wonder how many Broadway pros disagree with Murin but haven't said much (or nothing) in order not to cause conflict. What a mess."

 

That's a good point. Silence is best in most cases when you're a pro, except to lend one's voice to real pressing matters like child slavery or something.

Updated On: 3/12/16 at 07:51 PM

[PianoMann]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:55pm

I have been following this unfortunate situation since the beginning, but have finally been compelled to comment after reading that Patti's original straw-man argument has gained so much momentum with other actors, including Steven Pasquale, who I have so much enjoyed on stage and admired.

 

I am hard pressed to think of another community, whether online or not, that is so passionate and celebratory about theater and so intellectually stimulating.  I am hard pressed to think of someone more dedicated to theatergoing than Whizzer, who does his best to attend the first preview of every new Broadway show, sight unseen, and then writing an articulate and, above all else, fair review of the show and how they can best improve it over the course of previews.  Whizzer is an embodiment of many, if not all, of us on these boards, true patrons of the arts who support shows with their time, their hard-earned dollars, and their word of mouth. Shows like Pasquale's own Bridges of Madison County, a beautiful piece of theater that failed to capture the mainstream or tourist attention, were embraced by the theater community and sent off at closing by a truly rapturous crowd, of which I bet a significant portion actually write and read these forums regularly.

 

I am hard pressed to think of a community with so much knowledge of theatrical history and respect for what has come before and championing of what is to come.  I am forever grateful for users like PalJoey, whose memories of the original production of Follies became an integral part of my experiencing of the incredible 2011 revival. Users like him make BroadwayWorld much more than a message board, but a historical monument, and they should be interviewed (and respected) for their wealth of knowledge for its posterity. 

 

I am also hard pressed to think of a community who showed more kindness or fair-mindedness to this season's China Doll.  Although there was much harsh criticism of the show as an overall work on these boards, there was nothing here that was as vitriolic as Michael Riedel's fabricated and blasphemous articles in the New York Post, which gleefully derided David Mamet, Al Pacino, and Pam MacKinnon.  On BroadwayWorld, there were fair reviews of the show from people who went to the production, despite what had been said about it before opening, with open eyes, and gave their opinions of the show.  What the New York Post wrote about China Doll (and Misery and Hughie, for that matter) was much more injurious to the shows and their actors than anything that we've written about those productions here.

 

Yet we are targets of this misdirected ire because we do not wield the authority of the press and cannot impact a show as much as an official reviewer? How sadly misinformed that notion is, considering we represent the most frequent and passionate theatergoers, who support the theater with more than our words, but with our dollars. And it amounts to a significant amount of dollars, too, as we see the shows we love over and over and over again (I saw the aforementioned revival of Follies six times, for example). And it amounts to a significant amount of dollars in charitable donations to Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS at the seasonal collections at the theaters and the annual Flea Market.

 

I promise to continue to support theater, because it is my favorite and most cherished medium of art, and I promise to continue to support the wonderful works of charities like BC/EFA.  I also promise that those who do not see the value of my money or the value of my articulate feedback, such as Patti, will no longer receive it. Because although I do not write for the Post or the Times, I can still influence a show with my dollars, and my dollars will be spent on other ventures.

 

I love BroadwayWorld, I love our forum posters, and I love our support of theater.  Patti or Steven might not see the value of what we contribute here, but I do and I will continue to do so in the future.

[tazber]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:56pm

Other than Pasquale I've also noticed that very few people joining the fray are currently working on Broadway, and I wonder if they were told to stay out of it. Which would be very wise.

 

This probably wasn't the best PR move for him at this time.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 7:58pm

"I thought that because you were defending him while the only statement he had made was asking to bring the boards down. But I get wanting more civility. That's just not what this select group of bway actors called for."

 

I wasn't defending him, I simply said that he has a right to have his feelings - as you do yours. I really don't care what these actors are saying. They may be calling for this board to be shut down, but that ain't gonna happen.

[mariel9]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:01pm

I've gone to see shows specifically because of comments on these boards. It's amazing to me how many actors are so thin-skinned and short-sighted they'd jump on this bandwagon. Musical theater performers, especially, should recognize how important fans are when they need to fill seats at a non-Broadway concert, cabaret event, or something like that. It's not like your average New Yorker, looking for something to do on a Friday night, is going to care about Pasquale's show at 54 Below (which I just made up as an example).

 

And Murin should be ashamed of herself. Either someone cherry-picked certain quotes for her and she never actually read these boards, or she's a liar who knowingly ignored the outpouring of sympathy and support for the Nerds cast and crew because being honest would undermine her argument.

[Margo319]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:14pm

And his first tweet back to you was fine and not rude.  At all.  You proceeded to tweet him six MORE times until he finally said that final tweet.   

The first exchange:

You:  As a longtime fan, I'm saddened by your view that BWW posters are all jerks with nothing better to do than swap snark.

Him:  Absolutely no one said "all jerks". We are talking about the snark. Please pay attention.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:20pm

Actually, I sent all five of my tweets to Pasquale at once. As you well know, Twitter has a 140 character limit; I could not say all I wanted in one tweet. Don't try to distort the narrative by suggesting that I responded to his first tweet with five crazy tweets. Pasquale sent both of his responses to me at the same time, hours later. I have never tried to hide or distort what I tweeted. My Twitter is public; I included my handle. I included in my first message that I told Pasquale that his views were shortsighted, which is a synonym for myopic. Pasquale's response was arrogant and his blocking of me was petty. He didn't want a conversation, he wanted a soapbox  

 

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:21pm

Your construction of "the first exchange" is entirely a fiction. Tweets are time-stamped. All one needs to do is look. You're engaging in the very behavior you're accusing me of. 

Updated On: 3/12/16 at 08:21 PM

[Margo319]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:25pm

It's his Twitter, he can block anyone he chooses.  You don't get to judge whether it's petty or not.  Yeah, Im looking at the time stamps now.  His first exchange was you was courteous and polite and he never answered your question.  So, don't say he answered your question with his "snarky" comment as you posted here.  It did not happen.  He posted that when you were being rude to him.  On his own Twitter.  Which he has every right to do.   

 

I love that people are so up in arms they are they tweeting actors about their feelings on message boards.  Why do you care so much?  The message boards are not going away.  Don't like him? Don't support his work.  The end.

[Margo319]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:29pm

Steven is a sweetheart who has always been good to fans that show him respect.  Of course he hates people that text when he is performing, or talks sh*t on message boards.  Yep. Im pretty sure the entire theater community hates those kinds of things.  You are making him look like a rude person on here, and it's entirely not true.  He could NOT be a nicer person.  You tweeted him SIX times (harassment much?) until he finally gave you the snark you gave him.  He did nothing wrong.  You came at him.  Not the other way around.  

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:33pm

Oh give me a break, that is not harassment. Steven vocally called for this board to be shut down, AC1 did nothing wrong by reaching out to him for more clarification. 

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:36pm

I didn't "come at him." I asked questions. He chose to respond how he chose to respond. Of course it's his right to block me. But it's also my right to state my feelings that what he did was arrogant.

 

You continue to peddle the false narrative that he and I had a mutual exchange. We did not. I tweeted at him this morning. Hours later, he responded, then immediately blocked me. For someone who is trying to paint me as dishonest, you seem to have no trouble constructing a false narrative to serve your purposes. 

[Margo319]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:42pm

I couldn't care less about you.  I don't know you.  But, I can look at times and tweets, and simply reporting what I saw.  You said he responded to your QUESTION with that tweet you posted.  That is fundamentally untrue.  He didnt respond to your question.  He responded to you insulting him.  Different tweets.  Completely.   There is a difference, how funny you can't admit that.  

[Marianne2]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:44pm

Very interesting that everything has been civil in this thread except for the 1 person, whose screen name is unfamiliar to me, who sees the need to tell people what they are doing is "wrong" when it isn't.  And also add in a suck up post about people.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:45pm

For someone who "couldn't care less" about me, you seem kind of obsessed with my tweets. And if you can look at times and tweets, you'll see that what I wrote is true, and what you wrote is a fiction. Goodnight, dear. 

[Pootie2]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:47pm

Marianne2 said: "Very interesting that everything has been civil in this thread except for the 1 person, whose screen name is unfamiliar to me, who sees the need to tell people what they are doing is "wrong" when it isn't.  And also add in a suck up post about people.

 

" Margo319 is acting like Murin. Murin only cherry-picked what she wanted to see and doesn't understand how discussion boards work, while Margo319 has no idea how Twitter works. Chain-tweeting isn't "harassment" and to think it is takes the concept of "thin-skinned" to new levels.

The whole suck up part is funny.

 

[NYadgal]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:57pm

PianoMann,  what a wonderful and eloquent post.  

 

Thank you!  

[BeadleDeedle]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 9:01pm

AC126748 said: "Should I take advantage of the "report abuse" function? I feel really attacked by Margo here. 

 

You definitely should. They seem very pleased with the outcome of all this and yet they're engaging in the exact activity the new function is meant to stop.