Submitted by Sir Joshua, Jun 12, 2007 07:39

It's taken me awhile to formulate this in my mind, but I have come to the realization that the author, Joel Lobenthal, writes to inform us of his own deep well of ballet knowledge and really skimps on what is actually going on.

His review of ABT's Sleeping Beauty completely omitted the fact that all the variations except for Blue Bird were cut from Kevin McKenzie's, or whoever he hired to nominally schill for him in taking credit for this production. The sets were overbearing, the dancing was badly 'rearranged' and overall the production was awful. He also neglected to mention that about 20% of the audience walked out on the performance (quite a decision to make, after all, those seats aren't cheap at something like $120 a pop). It's nice ot know Mr. Lobenthal has a stellar vocabulary but being a reviewer isn't about being a pedant and showing off your knowledge like a man selling his house who walks around wiht bricks to show what it is like. Being a great reviewer not only deals with the ballet but makes the reader feel he was there and accurately covers what has transpired at the performance both on the stage and 'in the air', so to speak. What the audience walked away with. Perhaps he should read a few Clive Barnes reviews. Barnes isn't teaching a class, he is talking to everyone who has any interst in what he has to say...so should Mr. Lobenthal.

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