Vote for Comment of the Week

This week's contenders, put your votes in the comments for this post:


Comment #1: a new comment on your post "Working class prefers comedy and the intellectual ...":

I liked this argument better when it was called Upper Class likes Noh and Lower Class likes Kabuki.
Its a cultural issue. We are looking at too closely. These two styles of story telling happen to both classes and both can empathize with each genre. There's no boundary to be drawn. So I would agree with Dale. Comedy and drama are human experiences and all humans can relate equally to both.
I wonder how much of it has to do with socioeconomic roles and stereotypes that people feel the need to fill or become. Do rich people really like opera? Or do they like to laugh? Are those art-house dramas actually comedies that take themselves too seriously because they are catering to a certain audience?
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to drink some chocolate milk and watch Remains of the Day again. 

Comment #2: a new comment on your post "Strippers on a train: The reality of Chinglish cos...":

This was interesting to me to read about, since I've never heard of seen of a set up like this before, I do think it is amazing though. I like the collaboration between the design team that took place in order to make this be able to happen. The entire production team all had to be on the same page in order for this to be executed. This is definitely one of those elements that isn't appreciated or necessarily noticed by the audience but has a lot of thought and organization put into it. I'm sure they are amazed once the same actor is on stage 40 seconds later wearing a different outfit however, but don't think twice about all the work put into it!  

Comment #3: a new comment on your post "Public Funding?":

Barring magic wands, or perhaps even more unlikely a change in the political wind, it might be more instructive to look at this issue from somewhere closer to reality. In a country where per capita government funding for the arts is basically non-existent (in the U.S. less than 50 cents per capita per year, God Bless America), artists depend on commercial success or private funding to realize their visions. Again, realizing that this situation is not likely to change in our lifetimes, maybe we should look on the bright side. I don't know if I think that's such a bad thing that a free market rather than a bureaucrat should decide what art should be produced and what is best left un-produced. Call me a Republican, but I think it's a mistake to place any power concerning taste in the hands of government. From commercially successful, subscriber-based theaters to hillbilly art collectives making floating sculptures out of trash, there are many ways fund the endeavor. In my limited experience, most of them involve creating within your means and being true to your goals than free piles of cash. Good art will always find a way to get done, and if your worried about it, so will bad art (and yes, there is such a thing).  

Comment #4: a new comment on your post "In Some sweet day Series, Dance Meets Visual Arts":

With the focus that our society now puts on collaboration and communication, a combination of the visual and performing arts in a museum space really isn't surprising. An interesting point brought up in this article is that despite curators' efforts, there seems to be a resistance from the visual arts world to accept performance and dance in an exhibition space as a legitimate component of the museum's collection. Because of the ephemeral nature of the performing arts, it is difficult to integrate them as permanent exhibitions, necessitating an incredible amount of comprehension and cooperation between the various groups in charge of putting together these wonderful dance and performance pieces, which are truly innovative.  

Comment #5: a new comment on your post "A Review of ‘Phantom’ in Bellport, N.Y.":

I would really like to see "Phantom." I've already seen the Lloyd Webber version, and I've read Gaston Leroux's novel in french. Of course, the Webber version is overly commercialized and became a different story from the original novel. "Phantom" probably does not have the rock music, which would again bring it closer to the Leroux's idea. I'm very interested in Eric. First of all, this production gives him an identity, helping the audience relate and pity his deformity. Second, his personal struggle to show Christine his face is more interesting than the action-packed Webber production. I feel that Eric's actions will evoke a more powerful emotion from the audience; there's just something so interesting about watching a character with an inner conflict