Douglas Carter Beane:

[chanel]

Said about Michael Musto. Mad at a mixed review???

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2013/03/cinderella_writ.php

[Mattbrain]

A writer got pissed off at a critic? Well I never!

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

It is interesting that DCB singled out Michael Musto. Does this mean that Beane will no longer speak to all of those other writers/critics who wrote mixed reviews about Cinderella? Just wondering....from RC in Austin, Texas

[Dollypop]

I was impressed with the article. It was the first time I've read anything by Musto that contained complete sentences.

[ghostlight2]

It Musto's side of the story. I don't believe half of what he says.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Maybe it's because Michael Musto is not a theater critic. He's a gossip columnist who's decided to do theater reviews. Michael Feingold is still the theater critic for the Voice, no? And the best critic writing in NYC.

[ghostlight2]

^^^^

Agreed with all of the above. Feingold is brilliant - and yes, I believe he still is the VV theater critic.

eta: I find Musto's article very petty. He has to air his little slight?

[After Eight]

I believe Terry Teachout is the best critic in NY, though even he has had several lapses in judgment of late.

He had very harsh words for Douglas Carter Beane's work in Cinderella. And justifiably so.

[FindingNamo]

Musto's a columnist, Feingold is still the first string critic and one of the last true theater critics in the country.

Musto still writes his weekly column and also posts several blog posts per day, as today's modern writer is told she or he must. I always think of his little capsule reactions to shows as theater chat blog posts, but since he often heads the posts "My Review," I think it can be confusing. Then again, we just heard interviews with Diane Paulus talking about how much the Pippin "soundtrack" meant to her for years and I realized nothing means anyhing anymore.

[ljay889]

Does Musto have any relevance? I'd take Riedel over him any day.

[FindingNamo]

Musto doesn't pretend to be straight, for one thing, and has been out since day one.

[Kad]

Musto aspires to be Riedel. Not exactly reaching for the stars.

[FindingNamo]

I would have to say I don't see evidence of that. Musto isn't a bitch just for the sake of being a bitch. Riedel is like the new Mr. Blackwell.

[ghostlight2]

I'd be happy not to read a word from either of them ever again. A pair of nasty hacks (imo).

[darquegk]

Wasn't Musto a minor player in the drama surrounding the James St. James Party-Monster murder case?

[FindingNamo]

He covered the downtown scene intensely when he took over the Voice column which included the rise and fall of the club kids. He kept highlighting Angel Melendez/*Michael Alig* when it went out of the spotlight.

Like him or not, Musto has been exactly who he is since the beginning, always out and always foregrounding gay issues. These facts alone put him in a different category than Reidel, whose interests include badgering female creative types publicly.

[darquegk]

Thanks for the clarification! And I didn't mean to imply it was St. James, not Alig, who was the killer- I merely mentioned him because his chronicling of the event in novel and film probably raised the profile of the club kid murder more than Alig or Musto did.

[whatever2]

" ... Cinderella, which I gave a mixed review."

Easy to see why one would assume he's a critic.

[ghostlight2]

"Like him or not, Musto has been exactly who he is since the beginning, always out and always foregrounding gay issues. These facts alone put him in a different category than Reidel, whose interests include badgering female creative types publicly. "

On this we agree. Reidel, to me, is a bottomfeeder - the lowest of the low. Musto once held significance.

" ... Cinderella, which I gave a mixed review."

"Easy to see why one would assume he's a critic."

Sure, if you take everything you read as gospel.

[whatever2]

"sure if you take everything you read as gospel."

eat a peach.

[SonofRobbieJ]

'Riedel is like the new Mr. Blackwell.'

That might be my favorite thing ever.

I was at Musto's table at an opening night party a million years ago, and he was really nice. And had a great bit of gossip that he couldn't print, but shared with the table.

[FindingNamo]

Meanwhile, at 12, Mr. Riedel joined the Young Republicans.

[ghostlight2]

"eat a peach."

Is that an offer? In that case, I respectfully decline.

I was really trying to be nice. I suppose I failed. At least I didn't use the old "Assume makes an ass of you and me" line, but it really does make sense not to believe everything you read. Just b/c Musto calls a piece of writing a review doesn't make him a reviewer, especially if you know anything at all about him.

I really did used to respect him. Now, not so much. He's just become catty without the relevance.

[FindingNamo]

In what way(s) do you think he used to be relevant that he isn't now?

[ghostlight2]

Back in the day, he was more politically and journalistically oriented. More of what he wrote was actually useful and informational. He spoke about AIDS and ACT UP.

Now, he's well on his way to becoming Rex Reed, out of touch and nasty to no real purpose.

[FindingNamo]

"out of touch and nasty to no real purpose."

Funny, that's exactly my take on Riedel.

Musto demonstrates a sense of humor about himself and has no problem being the butt of jokes. I also feel as if he has become much less inclined to kick somebody when they're down than he used to be. Now, this could all be my sense that I gleaned from pretty much not missing a column since he started.

I am curious what you think he's out of touch with?