Brantley on Lord of the Rings

Frank Rich, of course, was the famous "Butcher of Broadway", who could close a show with a single review.

But his successor, Ben Brantley, has his moments as well. Remember The Capeman, the $11 million flop from Paul Simon? Brantley tore it apart: "it may be unparalleled in its wholesale squandering of illustrious talents".

But Brantley outdoes himself today, with his review of Lord of the Rings, the musical. It opened in Toronto, so maybe Ed Mirvish was hoping Brantley wouldn't hop on a plane to review it – but $25 million musicals are rare enough beasts that he obviously had to go.

Brantley clearly had much more fun writing this review than he did eviscerating The Capeman. He even starts to channel his inner Anthony Lane at points:

You may be interested to know that, according to a news release, the dress worn by the beauteous Galadriel (Rebecca Jackson Mendoza, who sings of Elvish good will in the style of Celine Dion) has more than 1,800 hand-sewn beads. (The release does not stipulate whether nuns were the seamstresses or if they lost their vision to the work.)

And this from a man who liked the film version! I fear to think what he would have written were he to have hated it.

Posted by Felix at 10:21 EST

Comments

To love a film version doesn't mean to like the musical. It's two different sides of the medal. LOTR wasn't made to be put on stage. It's a nonsence. I think we'll see its fade soon.

Posted by: Lord at 2:32 EST, July 19, 2006