Steven Suskin--why is he so bitter in Show Tunes??

Posted: 4/27/07 at 9:01pm

OK so I was killing time in the library waiting for a friend who works there and decided to check out their theatre section--since I hadn't in about 10 years (the internet has really killed me that way--as a teen and kid I'd live with all the books on musicals I could find from the library as it was the only info I could get...)

Anyway they had the new edition fo Suskin's Show Tunes. I know Suskin mainly from his playbill online record reviews which I think are actually largely pretty great--well thougth out and fair to a broad spectrum of show music.

Reading Show Tunes it's like you've stepped into the dusty old den of the most jaded, bitterest theatre queen you can imagine. I know the point of the book is more to list everything by major composers (though there are MANY errors in that case) but wow the man seems to hate everything! Well he likes Sondheim but even there most scores are complained about as being too reminiscent of Sweeney (Into the Woods), or some other downfall. He's much meaner with people like Stephen Schwartz (granted no big favorite with critics but I doubt he's even heard Baker's Wife by the "review") Kander and Ebb (he likes Cabaret and parts of Chicago and finds some other shows interesting--like the very "distatesful" Kiss of the Spider Woman... Cy Coleman he calls Seesaw an ugly mix of "modern rock and roll" (umm where?) and old fashioned ditties. Etc etc...

Is this even the same guy? are these just old opinions and he's mellowed out now? The whole book leaves me with a really bad taste. It does at least make me appreciate the books by Ethan Mordden a LOT more--he can be bitchya nd jaded as well but he at least backs up his opinions with usually more or less valid and interesting opinions.

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

E
Updated On: 4/28/07 at 09:01 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 9:09pm

Steven Suskin is NOT a bitter grump.

When I started writing articles for BroadwayWorld, I often turned to him for help and for fact checking. He was extremely kind and encouraging. I received honest criticism from him that I value highly.

The man is a true gentleman.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 9:10pm

You say "most jaded, bitterest theatre queen" like it's a bad thing...?

To show that they come in all kinds, he's actually a straight married guy.

I like him, myself. I've emailed him a few times with questions and have always gotten back prompt replies. And you have to admit that his "Opening Night on Broadway" books are invaluable. And I was sorry to hear that he was not going to do any more of his "Broadway Season" books. Those books were like William Goldman's "The Season."

You can't expect everyone to like what you like.

Posted: 4/27/07 at 9:15pm

I know--but in Show Tunes he doesn't appear to liek anything composed in the past 60 years...

Sorry my title was a bit of a joke--and probably in poor taste. Like I said I *love* his Playbill articles and reviews and find the other books I've read (Second Act Troubles etc) fascinating and fun reads. Show Tunes isn't for me--maybe the fact he could only write 4 or so lines about each show made his comments seem more catty?

SOndheim and Dolly have you read Show Tunes? And would you disagree with how it rates the majority of its scores?

I certainly do not expect most people to like what I like.

E

Posted: 4/28/07 at 1:27am

I changed the thread name to put off a few less people I hope :P

[mallardo]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 6:52am

He must have a thing about Stephen Schwartz - I recall his review of Wicked in which he ridiculed the rhyming scheme in some of the lyrics. I have always found his reviews to be scrupulously fair, but not in that case.

Posted: 4/28/07 at 7:00am

He does have a thing against Schwartz (though in that same Wicked review--where he doesn't even comment on the music he did concede that Baker's Wife works on CD but was one of the worse nights he's had at the theatre--and goes to mock another Schwartz line). I'm not Schwartz' biggest fan but in general that's the tone of all his "reviews" in Show Tunes--from reading his (like you say usually very fair) reviews in playbill he seems to be big Kander and Ebb fans but even his Cabaret review in Show Tunes is bitchy. It's just not a pleasant read and the opposite of what I get from most of his playbill reviews.

(of course on Playbill he does call Woman in White ALW's best score since Evita... hrmm)

[wickedfan]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 7:51am

I recall him disliking more of the recent scores: Parade and Dreamgirls being the best example that come to mind (though in both cases he blames the director as being the cause of the problem). Composers that I recall him loving are Jerry Herman, William Finn, and of course Richard Rodgers.

I love Suskin's "Opening Nights on Broadway" and "More Opening Nights on Broadway", but "Showtunes" is a very bitter book. He does seem to be overly critical in it. Sometimes it seems he takes a bad show with a great score, and just generalizes it as a bad score (i.e. Big, Will Roger's Follies, etc.). Oh well, the man's written some of the best historical theatre books I will ever own, I guess we might as well accept the sour taste of this one book.

Updated On: 4/28/07 at 07:51 AM