Theatre World: Volume 61 2004-2005 (Theatre World) Review

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(More customer reviews)Piggybacking on the comments by my associate editor in response to the negative review of our publication posted here, I would like to submit some comments that I hope would be read-although admittedly from a subjective point of view-as objective remarks about our publication in relation to the other comparable ones, for objective analysis, by those who are capable of it:
Firstly, I, too, acknowledge that there have been lapses in the past with respect to completeness and accuracy in our publication (as there are in fact inevitably in all such compendiums), by nature of the sheer volume of material that is collected, especially in light of all of the complicated and uncontrollable factors that my associate editor enumerated.
However, in response to what amounted to one of the only valid (yet unconsidered) criticisms given by the negative reviewer- comparing typos, omissions, and errors in our publication to those in publications that cover many fewer (in fact many hundreds fewer)productions than we do, is unbalanced. In reality, one does not expect the same amount of errors in a survey of hundreds of productions in comparison to a survey of thousands of them. But let me be clear-no one abhors errors (especially in a publication with my name on it)
more than I. However, each and every year, we manage to consistently expand our coverage of not only New York theatre, but theatre across the entire country, exponentially expanding our coverage in an increasingly well designed package, even while decreasing our omissions and errors. Further, reference books (however popularly loved) such as these contain thousands and thousands of names, dates, and facts. Proofing such voluminous material is a very different animal than proofing a novel, for instance, where errors are obvious to anyone; it's not so with numbers or names in many cases. Also, many times when thumbing through a publication such as ours, readers will turn their attention to their favorite show or actor first, by looking at the index or table of contents. If a typo is found there (or God forbid in the name of one's favorite performer), very often an emotional response or an idea that somehow an editor has been less than conscientious in their work hits the reader. The reality is that there are simply thousands and thousands of facts and figures, and sometimes I am even amazed that we make as few errors as we do.
What I think would be productive is to acknowledge the reviewer's valid criticism of the past (emphasis on the past) sometimes incompleteness or inaccuracy of our publication, to explain without excusing it as I just have in light of the relevant facts that my associate editor and I have articulated, and finally, to layout now very specific information that I doubt the reviewer or most people understand or realize about our publication in relationship to all others. And the following will hopefully all be said in as objective of an analysis as possible, with which reasonable minds I suppose could differ, but ultimately what I would hope would be considered in any case. I have actually and for a long time wished an opportunity to outline the following comparison of our publication to others, as I think ours has been a very much misunderstood and underappreciated publication in need of illumination, and now welcome the opportunity the reveiwer has given me to do so.
So here goes:
Each and every year I sit down and compare our publication to other such publications (as well as to our previous volumes), in order to satisfy myself that we accomplish our annual mission-irrespective of trendy books that come and go (and many have), but in order satisfy nonetheless that we compile the most complete annual pictorial and statistical record of the American theatre, as well as to do it in as exciting a way as possible. (We have done this for sixty-three years). Our mission, which has been so since 1944, is to be the most complete annual record of the American theatre, encompassing all of Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and regional theatre productions in the country, along side Theatre World's many other important features:
(1) Theatre World covers every Broadway (including company series) show that opens and closes or runs throughout the season, with photos and statistics, and in a very complete way. In this respect, there are a couple of other publications that cover much the same material, so if Broadway is the only theatre in the country that concerns you, we are comparable to those other publications, with the exception that our publication and one of the others have a comparable amount of photographs, the third contender having less so. In a world that is becoming smaller, our mission is to expand our coverage of that world for those who have more of an opporunity to experience it. Broadway is still for many the pinnacle of success for artists everywhere, but it is certainly no longer that for everyone, nor is it the avenue for success for most artists out there any longer.
(2) Theatre World covers every Off-Broadway production (including company series) that opens, closes, or runs throughout the season, with photos and statistics, and in a very complete way. In this respect, we are only comparable to one other of the several publications out there, as one of those publications mentioned by the negative reviewer only covers Broadway. But while we have comparable statistical information to the other publication that covers both Broadway and Off-Broadway, we routinely have more photos from more shows Off-Broadway included in our publication.
(3) With respect to Off-Off-Broadway, our publication is one of only two that cover Off-Off-Broadway (including company series) , and in comparison, ours covers more productions and with more photographs
than the only other contender.
(4) (Now we really start separating the meat from the chaff.) Theatre World covers more regional productions than any other publication now, or ever, in print. The regional section has been exponentially expanding in the past several years, and the latest Theatre World (due out early next year), will cover more regional productions than ever before, and we cover the complete seasons of those regional theatres, not just the new plays presented in them. Again, complete and photographs from most included productions. We are unparalleled in
this category.
(5) We cover more theatrical awards from New York and the entire country than an other production in print, now or ever. The new Theatre World will actualize an active campaign over the past several years to cover this incredibly important record of theatre awards from all over America (and including past Tony, Obie, and Pulitzer winners). In addition, Theatre World is associated with the Theatre World Awards, the awards for Broadway and Off-Broadway debuts. Photographs of the twelve annual Theatre World Award winners, as well as photographs from the annual and venerable ceremony (rife with celebrities who adore the show) are included in the volume. We are unparalleled in the category of theatre awards coverage.
(6) Theatre World has the most complete Broadway and Off-Broadway longest runs section in print. With striking photos from previous productions, we do much more than simply list the shows and their number of performances. Comparable to some other publications in the statistics (but more complete in the latest [2006-07 volume and moving forward]), we are now unparalleled in our photographic coverage of this
section.
(7) Theatre World has continually and (even remarked as such by the reviewer) provided the most detailed, complete, and devoted obituaries of the entertainers who were lost during that theatrical season, not just from the New York area, but including those who have made significant contributions to theatre in other regions of America. We do not merely list names of the dead alongside birth and death dates. Complete with dynamic photographs, we are unparalleled in this category.
What do the other comparable productions have that we don't have, you ask? The short answer is that one has people in shows and organizations on Broadway dressed up as if having their class picture taken for a high school yearbook (I, myself, am 38 and out of high school for twenty years; I don't know about you), and although I recognize and always welcome publications that celebrate any area of the theatre, I would only like to point out that Broadway is only one of many, many, areas of theatre in this and all other countries. The other publication compared to us has essays and reviews of seasons of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway shows, in addition to statistics. With respect to the former publication-that's fine. We are and always have been, while an entertaining and authoritative publication, one that you can find almost immediately behind theatrical and reference desks of almost every library and college library in this country and many others (including the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center). Our first job is to educate and inform, and our second is to entertain [we prefer very much to leave that to the artists]). With respect to the latter publication, while we respect a publication attempting to evaluate critically the seasons of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway, our job is not seen by us as a book of theatrical evaluation or criticism; we never have been and probably never will be. This very much separates us from this other fine and venerable publication, and although I appreciate its academic relevance, again I say, our job at Theatre World is to chronicle the season for current and future generations; not analyze or evaluate it. We prefer very much to leave that to the audiences. And ever mindful of economics, the price difference in our three publications...Read more›

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Volume 61 features the winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for 2005, and the Tony Award-winning Best Play, John Patrick Shanley's Doubt, which also earned star Cherry Jones the Best Leading Actress in a Play Tony Award and the Best Direction of a Play Tony Award for Doug Wright. Kathleen Turner and Tony Award-winner Bill Irwin sparred memorably in the critically acclaimed revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Spamalot and its director Mike Nichols took home a Tony for Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical respectively for the bonafide Monty Python megahit. Other highlights of the season include the Off-Broadway hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which would eventually land on Broadway. Regionally, the world premiere of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Tony winners John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz began life at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and transferred successfully to Broadway. The Light in the Piazza, first produced at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle and at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, went on to win more Tonys than any other production in 2005 when it arrived at New York's Lincoln Center Theater. Billy Crystal also shone in his one-man Broadway smash 700 Sundays, originally developed at the La Jolla Playhouse. Theatre World's outstanding features include: - A color section of highlights. - A listing of all the major theatrical works - The longest running shows on and Off-Broadway listings. - Biographical data, obituaries, and a comprehensive index.

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