NYT Critical Defense

Article: “Feisty Gods, Bored with Ambrosia, Still Get a Kick Out of the Cancan,” Written by. Vivien Schweitzer
January 22th, Monday
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/arts/music/22kaye.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=feisty+gods%2C+bored+with+ambrosia&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Vivien Schweitzer’s flashy headline about the feisty Greek Gods getting ‘a kick out of the Cancan’ is just enough to provoke the curiosity in any reader. Her flamboyant and almost over-the-top voice, along with the picture of the enthusiastic soprano Nicole Lee Aiossa promises a fun night out at the ‘irresistibly comical’ hit operetta “Orpheus in the Underworld.”

Although impressed by the success of the show in many European cities, as well as by the sets including the cute detail about the wheat field and the orchestra, Schweitzer is quite critical of the actors’ singing skills. She does make an attempt to be polite by saying that ‘the acting was generally significantly better than the singing,’ however, she simply cannot resist some harsh words slipping out of her mouth: ‘[singing] was often ragged.’

In focusing on the performance of the crew, Schweitzer seems to have forgotten to explain the plot of the operetta to the readers, or perhaps she just assumed that everyone is familiar with the Greek myth about the Orpheus.

In the kicker, Schweitzer does not forget to tell the readers that the colorful ending by a troupe of lively cancan dancers makes the show all worthwhile despite the sluggishness of the show at parts, once again reassuring them of her promise for a fun evening. Vivien invites her readers to lean back, relax and enjoy the show. After all, mocking the gods is never a serious business.