Disqus - Latest Comments for robwills

Re: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Playhouse Theatre, review

robwills — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 15:41:56 -0000

How exactly is Mr. Yazbek's music generic? Are you musically trained and can you explain this? So many critics have no musical training, yet they offer their non-expertise in judging musicals. If Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Sondheim Jon Kander or even ALW wanted to weigh in, I'd be interested.

Re: Ibsen's 'An Enemy of the People' kicks off 2014/2015 Tarragon season

robwills — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 10:55:40 -0000

I hated the two musical episodes in this show. I thought I had wandered into the musical Once by accident. The second song was interminable. Writing on the blackboard to acquaint us with time and place as each scene begins? Come on! The Town Hall meeting with the audience adding its own dialogue to the script? I half expected Rob or Doug Ford to jump into the melee. I'm not at all sure Ibsen would have been pleased, although the production was fun here and there along the way.

Re: Review: Dallas Theater Center’s ‘Fortress Of Solitude’

robwills — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 19:10:44 -0000

Note the the writer. Less is more. Jerome obviously feels this show was put on only so that we could read his thoughts about it.

Re: West End Word: The Heat Is Back on in Saigon, Readers' Favorite Shows Revealed, and WhatsOnStage Sparks a Critical Debate - Commentary - May 21, 2014

robwills — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 18:06:33 -0000

For every show the critics hate, there's a show they love. Not so many in the middle. Theatre critics have a vested interest in making us think that shows are either good or they are bad. They either deserve to be seen or they don't. And of course they are the only ones that can tell the difference. I tend to be more in the middle. I don't love a whole lot of shows, but nor do I hate many shows. I think most shows are in the middle. There is almost always something good I can take away with me. Of course, there are also usually a few things that could, in my opinion, have been done better. I do believe that critics try harder than they need to to be entertaining. I also wish in the case of revivals they would review the production rather than the play itself. I could also wish that they not spend 2/3 of their review telling us the storyline. If it happens after the first 20-25 minutes, I would prefer not knowing.

Re: Andy Karl's a knockout, Broadway's 'Rocky' isn't

robwills — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 22:13:35 -0000

I don't understand why so many critics feel the need to give away the theater transformation at the show's conclusion. The critic displays little in the way of thoughtful analysis as well as poor judgment. I give her a C for her work.

Re: What's next for Daniel Radcliffe - Hamlet and a West End musical? - Gossip - 24 Jun 2013

robwills — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 14:04:20 -0000

I think Daniel could easily play Michael Crawford's role in Billy, or Tommy Steele's role in a revival of Half A Sixpence. But anything is all right!

Re: Sleepless In Seattle: The Musical: Theater Review

robwills — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 18:21:21 -0000

Who ever loved that loved not at first sight? Clearly this writer has never heard of that famous quote. Also he ignores the fact that the majority of today's marriages fail, despite a regular courtship. I don't doubt this marriage will succeed where so many marriages fail.

Re: Second Stage to Present William Finn and James Lapine's Musical Little Miss Sunshine Off-Broadway in October - Theater News - May 22, 2013

robwills — Thu, 30 May 2013 18:04:17 -0000

I am looking forward to this show for sure.

Re: Jekyll & Hyde - Review - Apr 18, 2013

robwills — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:00:54 -0000

Perhaps not the best show, but not the worst either. I enjoyed myself. Poor Rick must have got up on the wrong side of the bed. I wish I had such a friend.

Re: Raising the Dead | Home | Toronto Sun

robwills — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 19:24:14 -0000

I loved this production. Everything seemed right about it, especially the performances of the three lead actors. My only complaint was that the other characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet could have been brought more vividly to life. But then I considered that perhaps that was exactly what the director wanted...to suggest that audiences and readers may have been looking in all the wrong places to find the meaning of Hamlet. It's right there in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the two characters nobody notices and nobody can tell apart, even themselves. I recommend this show.

Re: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Review - Jan 17, 2013

robwills — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:16:33 -0000

I agree with almost every word of this review, so I guess that makes me worthless too. These two jokers are why I hate message boards of any kind. People think anybody is a moron who doesn't agree with them, and they tell you that with no compunction. I saw plenty of favorable comments from other reviewers. It's all in the spin you put on them. I would far rather be one of those whose glass is half full, than one ot those whose glass is perpetually half empty.

Re: Too much looking behind the Curtain

robwills — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:09:18 -0000

Is the 4 star rating a mistake? From the review, and especially the final paragraph, there appears to be a discrepancy.

Re: This May Be the Real Cast List for the Into the Woods Film - Film News - Oct 2, 2012

robwills — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 23:48:15 -0000

For Broadway musical theater fans, this is a great list. But will it pack them into cinemas?

Re: Blu-ray Review: THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS – Definitive Director’s Cut

robwills — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 01:07:45 -0000

Who cares about the trailers? I'm only interested in the film itself and perhaps a director's commentary when included.

Re: http://management.torontosun.com/2012/05/25/man-these-women-are-good?rendermode=previewnoinsite

robwills — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:27:15 -0000

I loved this play. Thought-provoking and very well acted by all! Act 2 was quite possibly the best written, best performed piece of theatre I've seen this year.

Re: Tracie Bennett, Jeremy Jordan, Jessie Mueller, Josh Young win 2012 Theatre World Awards - Theater News - May 8, 2012

robwills — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:26:47 -0000

Way to go, Josh! You deserve it!

Re: Oscars 2012: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close gets an unlikely Oscar nomination

robwills — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:43:28 -0000

Re: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Stephen Daldry pretty much filmed the book. Those who liked the book, and there were plenty, will like the movie. Those who didn't like the book, will hardly admire the movie. But please don't blame Mr. Daldry. I personally loved Billy Elliot, loved The Hours and loved The Reader. I didn't love the new movie, but I respected Mr. Daldry's efforts to bring it to the screen.

Re: Billy says Goodbye to Broadway

robwills — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:45:28 -0000

I would like Trent to know that I am the person who offered to fund a Bdwy cast recording of Billy. I was able to speak to Stephen Daldry at the Stage Door after Sunday's performance. For what it's worth, Stephen acknowledged my offer and said "Looking back now, I don't know why we didn't do the recording". Of course that does no good to you, David or Kiril, but I'm sure that if Stephen had the decision to make again, there would be a well-deserved CD of you and your cast.

Re: Billy says Goodbye to Broadway

robwills — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:21:56 -0000

It was a terrific celebration of a wonderful show. Fun, emotional, and so moving. It was great to see the three original Billys in front of the Billy sign in bright lights one last time. All the best to Trent, David and Kiril. They couldn't have done the show without you.

Re: Raising the Goodbar - Feature - Jan 4, 2012

robwills — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:28:55 -0000

This is the direction music theater is going? Yuck! I read the book and had no sympahy for the teacher. Note: This does not mean I wouldn't buy a ticket, but it would be a hard sell!

Re: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/28/best-on-the-stage-for-2011

robwills — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:35:57 -0000

I am with you on all of these choices, except #1 and #3, which I did not see. I am also thankful that you did NOT pick some shows, as I wouldn't have selected them either. Your honourable mentions would have been credible choices as well.

Re: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/09/30/reinvention-hard-to-put-down

robwills — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:27:29 -0000

Where is the review here? It's almost totally plot summary. How can all critics in every field be so lazy? I truly believe I am intelligent enough not to need the storylines spelled out for me in detail, whether book, movie, play, etc.

Re: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/12/a-homecoming-to-remember

robwills — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:51:20 -0000

I only hope this production is superior to the Tarver-Dennehy double bill a few seasons back, which was overly praised by so many critics. I took nothing away from that production. I saw The Homecoming on Bdwy with Raul Esparza, Eve Best, etc. The play was a baffler but it held my interest and was exceptionally well acted. Best wishes to this cast.

Re: http://management.torontosun.com/2011/06/30/9-to-5-a-hard-days-work

robwills — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:25:01 -0000

Toronto critics are famous for their lack ot theatre knowledge. They have embarrassed me many times. I saw the show Thursday afternoon. I think there could hardly have been 300 in the large auditorium that housed Jersey Boys. I felt sorry for the actors who gave it their best shot. And why critics are so adamant that perfectly satisfactory source material should be transformed into something totally different when stage adaptations are made is beyond me. I have been disappointed at least as many times as I have been pleased.

Re: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/09/former-stratford-artistic-director-to-be-honoured

robwills — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:03:54 -0000

I don't believe I ever saw a Michael Langham production that wasn't carefully thought out and brilliantly executed. A wonderful director who will be greatly missed.