Sideswipe – BWay Producers Complain About NYT Reviews

A couple of prominent Broadway producers have complained about New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley for disparaging shows in reviews of other shows. In a review of “Frog and Toad”, Brantley wrote that: “I’d far rather spend an airy 90 minutes with the woodland characters of ‘Frog and Toad’ than revisit a spangled runaway elephant like ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie.’ ” Producers of “Millie” say the swipe was gratuitous. “Perhaps very few of your readers would have noted your comments on ‘Millie’ – but it is very demoralizing to performers who have to get out there every night and give it their all.”