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When thin ice breaks: In which the Daily Planet is disinvited from dinner (theater)
Well, I figured this would happen someday—I'm just glad it was my writing that got us in hot water, and not someone else's. I wouldn't want any of our writers to feel bad.
When I wrote to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres inquiring about a press night for their new production of Hairspray, I received from public relations director Kris Howland a prompt response that was courteous but clear: in the wake of my review of Jesus Christ Superstar and related blog post "Chanhassen seeks local Jesuses (Jesae? Jesii?)," Howland "received direction to strongly rethink the relationship" between the Chanhassen and the Daily Planet "and was asked to remove you from our media invite list."
As the basis for the Chanhassen's decision, Howland cites "several snide comments" in my review and the "disrespectful manner" in which I discussed (in the blog post) the Chanhassen's Community Superstars program. "While we appreciate media's helping to publicize our shows and special events," writes Howland—noting that "we can certainly take the bad commentary along with the good"—"we honestly felt your approach crossed the line of good taste."
I certainly can't plead innocent to the company's accusations. Was my style "unnecessarily snarky"? Absolutely. Is it the theater's right to stop handing out free tickets to someone who makes "comments regarding souvenir water bottles and the wall calendar we included in your press kit" that "really have nothing to do with the play itself"? Totally. I like to think that I'd make a different decision if I were in the owners' shoes, but I have to acknowledge that I might be inclined to bend my principles a bit if I had, like they do, a very large pile of money invested in a theater company.
This isn't the first time I've been accused of being snide and snarky in my reviews—and the previous instances haven't involved the Chanhassen. I don't intend to be hurtful or bullying: I just aim to write honestly and entertainingly. I appreciate the quality of the Chanhassen's work, and on multiple occasions—including in the Insiders' Guide to the Twin Cities travel guide and in magazine articles—I've described the Chanhassen as a gem of the local theater scene, one of the best dinner theaters in the country.
But the Chanhassen is, nonetheless, a suburban dinner theater, and bound to seem in many respects silly to an urban writer who normally gravitates to fare like the existentialist Fringe show I just saw. My style accurately—perhaps all too accurately—captures my response to the atmosphere and programming at the Chanhassen. It's not my favorite type of theater, but it is exceptionally good for what it is, and I was pleased to see Superstar. I'd like to return to the Chanhassen, and it's only fair that if I'm going to be snarky about it, I can darn well buy my own ticket.
The argument for keeping me on the press list would be that there's a audience—a relatively young, relatively urban audience—who might read my coverage of the Chanhassen's programming but would be unlikely to read other, more straighforward, media coverage. They might even buy tickets—if only to get those swag Jesus Christ water bottles.
Photo by Crossn81 (Creative Commons)
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Jay Gabler (jay [at] tcdailyplanet [dot] net, Twitter @JayGabler) is the Daily Planet's arts editor.
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Comments
Free Tics for Crits
ANY arts critic who accepts free tickets to performances in return for media exposure (good or bad =all good) is risking their credibility as an independent critical eye. They remind me of legislators who take gifts from lobbyists.
My thoughts
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You may be interested to read my thoughts on this subject as I expressed them in this earlier blog post.
Jay's right and you're wrong, wrong. wrong.
Those who have indicated that the problem lies in the long-standing (90+ years) practice of theatres and other entertainment venues supplying free tickets to the press, well, you are mistaken. Those who expect Jay Gabler to pay for his own ticket when the amount he'll be paid by the paper is probably less than that, need to rethink. The problem is not Jay or the Daily Planet or any other media outlet. It's this particular theatre and their attitude, which seems to be, like us or bug off.
If Jay, or the Daily Planet were to have gone along with the theatre and published a good review in exchange for a ticket, then I think there would be a journalistic problem. But such was not the case. Journalism, in its best form, lives. To which I say, Go Jay!
However, to those who want Jay or the Daily Planet to fork out the money for a ticket, I suggest that they send the price of a ticket to the newspaper so they can do just that. They take (and rely upon) contributions. But, just because you contribute, don't expect special treatment. The Jay is not for sale.
Chanhassen Freeze
Well, now. I doubt that this has heppened often in the history of professional theatre. Such babies. I gave my friend Michael Brindid more credit that this. I saw Jesus Christ Superstar with my wife, daughters and grandkids, and thought it just fine, if limited in some ways, many of the limitations in the musical itself which only Andrew Lloyd Webber and/or Tim Rice could correct or improve, among them the sameness in the music writing, endemic to all Webber/Rice works, in my view. Sung-through musicals can use more of an infusion of character through dialogue, in my book, but look at how opera has enchanted the world.
I'm not crazy about the food out there, that's for sure, but I did enjoy the way the company uses all the space available for a large production of this kind. The singing was pretty damned good, at least among the principles, and my kids' generation fell in love witht he whole pice back when they were kids.
Hang in there, Jay, and buy your tickets and write them off. Better for objectivity, anyway.
Andy Driscoll, Producer/Host
TruthToTell
Basically - KEEP IT UP
I'm a big fan of the "Journalism should comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable" school. But the comfortable have found ways (advertising money, outright buying the outlets) to neuter the press pretty well in the US. This is why I read the Daily Planet - you're still unspayed!
Good on you for getting 86ed from the free ticket line at the Chanhassen! Who else is more comfortable than suburban dinner theater! And snark is great.
I do agree with a couple of commenters who said that your entertaining external commentary-to-review ratio is sometimes too high, although if it's a blog post then whatever. I like the Jay Wiener-y responses to things but I want to know what the things are you're responding to, if that's clear?
But that's minor. My basic point is GOOD SHOW.
Buy A Ticket
My God! Please buy a ticket for Hairspray and go review it. I won't be able to rest until I know how Chanhassen Dinner Theater has handled the material, the scenery, the costuming, the nuances of the performances... Let no dinner theater production go unreviewed! Once more unto the breach!
How's that for some snark? I would not, of course, be taking this tone if the production in question was Cats.
Classic Jay
Suggestion: The Daily Planet should reassign one of their arts writers to assist Jay Gabler in also covering the Jay Gabler beat. That way readers would know what venues Jay Gabler can and can't go to, what Jay Gabler is thinking about while he's not really reviewing work he's attending, and what pieces feature Jay Gabler's friends so readers can assume a positive review and move on to a different Jay Gabler write-up. Since it's such a tough beat, Jay's clearly not able to do it all himself, and the Planet could benefit from less arts coverage and more first person pop-self-psychology.
Come on...
I have no connection with Chanhassan. I've never been there. But I read TC Daily Planet, and have been sortof enthralled by the ongoing debate about reviewer etiquette. And not that my opinion is terribly important, but since I'm a devoted reader, here it is.
At the end of the day, I don't care how many pop-culture references you can squeeze into a review. I don't care if the theater is "not your style." I don't want to listen to how clever you think you are. I want to know how the show was, the review of Jesus Christ Superstar is woefully inadequate in that department.
How good a job did the production do of telling the story? How believable were the actors? Did the set make sense? Did it support the play?
Obscure Starwars references? Come on...review the play. Shut up about the rest.
Thanks for reading
I do appreciate your readership and your feedback, even if my style isn't what you prefer. I've only been at this reviewing thing for a few years, so I'm still a Padawan.
It's relative.
Hello, dear. This is one of your Aunts. And I just got reamed out for the same thing: the dreaded "double s" attitude. Twice. But to-my-face, which makes me twice as un-nice. So guess what? It's not YOU! It's your FAMILY! Well, okay, SOME of your family.
I actually think we, and others like us, get told these things because we're 'nice' enough to receive them/listen to it. I know plenty of people (hello! insert East Coast state here) who'd (in your case) tear up the letter in a sarcastic huff, or who'd (in my case) make a "quadruple s" attitude retort IN their face.
But not us. We're nice. We write about it objectively (in your case), and apologize verbally for 'any hard feelings I've caused with my own direct and insensitive comments' (in my case) .
I'd say that's sweet and sensitive.
That's MY 'double s' attitude and I'm stickin' with it. And, I apologize for passing on any of the other 'double s' genes to you. That wasn't very nice of me.
Chanhassen blackballs Gabler
Let's face it: there is an inherent conflict of interest here that extends well beyond the TC Daily Planet's relationship with the press. It infects the town here - and many places else!
It is accepted custom/wisdom in MSP that most - not all - media outlets request freebies from one presenting or producing outlet or another.
The producers/presenters want their offerings to the public covered -- favorably. When that is the result, they are deliriously happy to provide any number of free tickets to the Gablers of the world. However, should the Gablers let slip any any word contrary to the puffed-up image the presenters/producers have of themselves, then personna non grata applies.
Truly, if media outlets believe it is an asset to cover a show, then they should purchase tickets - at full price. Then, the producers/presenters should realize they are entitled to no "special" consideration, and take what they get. If, on the other hand, media gets freebies, then the writers have a conflict that should favor the presneters/producers.
Everyone wants to have a free lunch -- free tickets or free publicity -- with no payment necessary. World ain't like that.
Thanks
Thanks for sharing your observations. I've given a lot of thought to the "freebie" issue; I previously wrote about it with respect to Adele's decision to compel journalists covering her shows to make a donation to charity.
I like snarky
When I'm not being crumudgen, I like reading snarky
Take this as a Positive Sign!
When you need to craft your words to pander to others wishes, you no longer a reporter. Isn't that the meaning of unbiased. Good for you for standing up and letting us know!
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