'A Tribute to Clive Barnes' Set for Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater 11/3

The New York Post's Michael Riedel is reporting this morning that there will be a tribute held for the late Clive Barnes on Monday, November 3rd at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater. The event will begin at 3pm, Edward Albee, John Simon, Paul Taylor, Anna Kisselgoff and John Cullum will be among the speakers.

The tribute is open to the public and seating is limited.

Clive Barnes, drama critic, dance lover and a true legend of the New York theatrical landscape passed away after a battle with liver cancer on November 19th, 2008.

Oxford schooled, he brought that intellect, along with a crisp passion to his many reviews, for the last number of years as the chief Dance, Drama and Opera critic for the New York Post. He was still reviewing productions up until only a few weeks before his passing.

From the years of 1965 to 1977 he was the dance and or theater critic for the New York Times, he gained both positions by first replacing Walter Kerr as the Times' chief drama critic. But while embracing that new title, he never gave up writing about his beloved 'dance', he held the spot of drama critic there until his exit in 1977. 

He joined The New York Post in 1978 and stayed there up until his last column, which was a rave review of the current Mamet play Speed-The-Plow. You can read that final article by clicking here.

He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975, and appointed a knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1972 by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. These titles were a testament to his wide range as storied member of the world at large, but he always seemed most at home in an aisle seat as the house lights dimmed.

A long time and very vocal advocate of the world of dance he was a Dance Magazine consulting editor. He wrote a monthly column for the magazine titled, "Attitudes". He also continued to edit and write for British newspapers such as The Times and the Daily Express, and the weekly Spectator magazine.

Barnes was an author of numerous books related to theater and the performing arts, particularly, but not surprisingly, dance. These include four volumes of 50 Best Plays of the American Theatre, nine series of Best American Plays (with John Gassner), American Ballet Theatre: A 25 Year Retrospective (with Elizabeth Kaye), Masters of Movement: Portraits of America's Great Choreographers (with Rose Eichenbaum), Ballet in Britain Since the War, Frederick Ashton and his Ballets, New York Times Directory of the Theater, Ballet Here and Now, Dance Scene USA, Inside American Ballet Theatre, as well as biographies of Tennessee Williams and Rudolf Nureyev.

Photo Credit: Mark Rupp