Saturday, November 27, 2004
I Don't Get Reviewing Decisions...do you?
"Hooray For What!" closes tomorrow, and the number of reviews that came out before closing, when it actually could have impacted ticket sales, was pretty small.
I'm not sure I really get how and why critics choose what to see and how editors choose when to publish. I'm sure 42nd St. Moon publicist, Carla Befera, struggles with this with every client she has. [And probably someone's going to tell me not to complain, as that might not improve things, if you know what I mean.]
I've noticed it with other clients too, and it's far from just a San Francisco issue. I personally subscribe to the SJ Mercury, and I find their theatre coverage pretty marginal. And they seem way too interested in reviewing distant productions, rather than shows a little closer to home.
I just really wonder how they make decisions on how and when to review shows. And I've noticed they do a lot more "news" stories, and a lot fewer actual reviews that they used to as well. I personally prefer reviews, even when i take a reviewer's opinion with a grain of salt.
I wonder if it would help to write to their editors and say, "hey...you're missing out on letting people know about this great theatre, XXX, or this stellar production, YYY."
Neither the Merc nor the Chronicle make it incredibly easy to figure out who to contact, I have to say.
Oh well, I hope "Once Upon a Mattress" gets some early and plentiful reviews, what with Lea DeLaria's presence in the cast.
Or maybe I'm just overblowing the whole problem. How many of you only go see shows for which you read reviews?
I'm not sure I really get how and why critics choose what to see and how editors choose when to publish. I'm sure 42nd St. Moon publicist, Carla Befera, struggles with this with every client she has. [And probably someone's going to tell me not to complain, as that might not improve things, if you know what I mean.]
I've noticed it with other clients too, and it's far from just a San Francisco issue. I personally subscribe to the SJ Mercury, and I find their theatre coverage pretty marginal. And they seem way too interested in reviewing distant productions, rather than shows a little closer to home.
I just really wonder how they make decisions on how and when to review shows. And I've noticed they do a lot more "news" stories, and a lot fewer actual reviews that they used to as well. I personally prefer reviews, even when i take a reviewer's opinion with a grain of salt.
I wonder if it would help to write to their editors and say, "hey...you're missing out on letting people know about this great theatre, XXX, or this stellar production, YYY."
Neither the Merc nor the Chronicle make it incredibly easy to figure out who to contact, I have to say.
Oh well, I hope "Once Upon a Mattress" gets some early and plentiful reviews, what with Lea DeLaria's presence in the cast.
Or maybe I'm just overblowing the whole problem. How many of you only go see shows for which you read reviews?
// posted by ElisaC @ 11:05 AM 
