Isn't It Rich?

Ex-critic Frank Rich, the "Butcher of Broadway,"
keeps pace with the New York scene.

Director's Choice Series presents

Holiday Spectacular On Ice

Dec. 7 at 8pm & Dec. 8 at 2 and 8pm

In a Winter Wonderland where costumes dazzle, skaters thrill, and singers' caroling
leave you aglow, skaters defy gravity as they leap, turn and back flip. It's perfect
family fare with lovely sets, lush costumes and beautiful choreography.

First State Bank Encore Series presents

Judy Collins Christmas • Dec. 9 at 7pm

Sponsored by C & G Newspapers

71/is eason, give the jilt o give7lieatre

Ticket Office 586.286.2222
www.MacombCenter.com -

Tickets PLUS 800.585.3737
At all Tickets PLUS outlets,
including Meijer Stores

1.1.•1-S- inc.

MEIER

A COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM OF MACOMB COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Restaurant

Italian, Greek & American Cuisine

Book Your Holiday Pai'ty Early
for 10% Off

248.476.0044

!MI MIMI

MI= SIM

MI=

off

L-

MIIM

MEM OlIM

MINN MINE

for $6 off/$3 offfor lunch.

Salads, pizza, sandwiches and ribs for 2 excluded.

Expires: December 14, 2001
One coupon per table
------ -------

Farmington Hills • Corner of Grand River & Ha erty Road

Remember when Mitch's was
the place for a Bar113at Mitzvah?. .
It still is!--

GREAT FOOD •SUPERIOR SERVICE • FAIR PRICES

Seats up to 350 guests • Newly decorated for 2002
Separate building from restaurant

Ask for Toni Soya

6665 Highland Rd.

11/30

(across from Pontiac Airport)
Highland

Restaurant & Banquet Center

2001

(248) 666-4440'

Still owned & operated by The iVPtehell Family

80

perk: he can have a drink after a show
"because I don't have to write about it."
Asked if he ever felt he didn't have
the
foggiest idea of what a play was
s a teenager, Frank Rich
about,
Rich answered, "All the time,"
saw a rehearsal of Fiddler
and
quoted
Brooks Atkinson's 1956
its
to
on the Roof prior
review of Waiting for Godot-. "I didn't
Broadway opening — and
understand it fully, but I know that
predicted it would flop.
something exciting was happening."
Fiddler, however, went on to break
Rich said the golden era of theater is
box office records. And Rich, despite
over,
never to return, eclipsed in popular
his prediction, grew up to become the
culture
by television and rock-and-roll.
make-it-or-break-it theater critic for
Yet
he
feels
that there is still hope: "If
the New York Times.
you take kids to good theater, it will
Rich, author of the memoir Ghost
seep in." His favorite play-
Light, entertained a
wrights today include August
Jewish Book Fair audi-
Wilson, Tom Stoppard and
ence of 300 with observa-
Wendy Wasserstein.
tions about his life and
Staging a show has
the world, both on and
become
increasingly expen-
off Broadway.
sive, which is why revivals
At his Nov. 13 appear-
are more common than
ance at the West
original productions, Rich
Bloomfield Jewish
said. Because theater has
Community Center,
become so corporate, he
sponsored by Temple
Frank Rich's quick
said, "memorable flops are
Beth El's sisterhood and
review of the hits
disappearing."
Times'
brotherhood, the
"Blast" and "Stomp"
Of the current crop of
critic-turned-columnist
—"They're loud.
new
shows, he said The
fielded questions from
is stylishly done
Producers
Detroit Free Press Theater
but
he
finds
the
musical
score weak.
Critic Martin F. Kohn.
Blast and
His
quick
review
of
the
hits
Looking back, Rich said he hardly
"They're
loud."
Stomp?
knew the word "divorce" when his par-
ents told him they were breaking up in • New York's theatrical scene has suf-
fered since Sept. 11, Rich said.
the 1950s. Divorce, then, carried a big
Broadway shows that haven't closed
social stigma. Popular TV sitcoms of
outright have resorted to cutting ticket
the day, like Leave It to Beaver, showed
prices, or are being propped up by cor-
only happy, intact families.
porations' patriotic purchase of seats.
Then Rich made a pleasant discov-
Nonprofit theater companies have seen
ery: Several popular theatrical shows
sources of funding for their cutting-
featured non-traditional family situa-
edge plays diverted to disaster relief.
tions. Gypsy is about a single mother
In his new job as columnist, Rich
with two kids; Carousel has an unhap-
said
he specializes in rooting out "dou,
py girl without a dad.
ble-talk
and hypocrisy." He said
As a boy from Washington, D.C., Rich
President
George W. Bush is "doing a
Damn
Yankees!,
enjoyed his first musical,
in which his hometown Senators beat the decent job so far," but that "the press
has never had so little access to a war
New York Yankees for the pennant.
as this one."
Other shows quickly followed; as his
In the audience, Stephanie
mother and stepfather enjoyed the the-
Greenbaum
of West Bloomfield, former-
ater nearly as much as he did.
ly
of
Great
Britain,
said Rich was known
Although erratic and abusive, his
there
for
his
often-scathing
reviews as the
stepfather provided him with his own
"Butcher
of
Broadway"
She
wanted to
the
show
busi-
Variety,
subscription to
hear him because she loves the theater.
ness magazine, as well as multiple trips
Jerome Reiss of West Bloomfield
to New York City to see the latest hits.
called
Rich "very down to earth with a
After 13 years as theater critic, Rich
t
alent
for cutting through the chaff
now is a columnist on the Times' Op-
and
getting
to the message."
Ed page. This allows him one enviable

ESTHER ALLWEISS TSCHIRHART
Special to the Jewish News

A