<p>Well I bit the bullet and read this and I just gotta say it’s very strangely written and the point is extraordinarily unclear, but to a degree I do think I get it. The author is lamenting the disappearance of actual art. Think about all of the really second-rate touring shows moving around the country. They hold auditions in NYC, put together a cast, board a bus, and slap up a show in city after city for 6 months. Some of these productions are much lower quality than community theater. The costumes, the props, and often even the performers are disappointing. We saw one recently that really brought the point home. If one of our very good local theaters did the same show I have no doubt it would have been a far superior effort. Broadway is filled with shows now that are more tourist attraction than artistic endeavor. I get it and I get why this is seen as a distressing development. </p>
<p>But, don’t get me wrong. I’d be pleased as punch if my kid was in the cast.</p>