Let’s all be as Crazy and as Rich as we want – also, can Male reviewers just stop already?

The Fairy Princess watched the world reel from the announcement that Crazy Rich Asians, the rom-com film that was the top money making rom com of all time, is being turned into a musical. This is what she pictures as some of the reactions, take it away Momoa...

She was already familiar and has been keeping silent for several years now, because….if it is not your secret to tell, even if you are excited about it – that is what you do.

That being said, congratulations to Director of the film, and now the musical, John M. Chu, Book writer, Leah Nanako Winkler, Composer Helen Park, with lyrics by Amanda Green and Tat Tong. The creative team at Warner Brothers headed up by Mark Kaufman, has had several properties on The Broadway already – Beetlejuice, The Notebook, Back to the Future, Water for Elephants – and this will be a great addition.

When it gets here.

We do not know when, no details have been released – however no, it is unlikely that Henry Golding will be tap dancing through Singapore via Broadway. #Sorryboutit.

However TFP is delighted, and knew as soon as she read the novel by Kevin Kwan, that it would make a fantastic musical.

Next up – SUFFS and LEMPIKA made their Broadway bows this past week – just before the TONY Award deadline and male critics are….well, they are male-ing.

Everything about these two shows seem to be a chore for these reviewers, and the biggest issue is – not enough male gaze. Even if there are men in the cast – as with Lempika, the critics just cannot seem to wrap their thoughts about anyone caring enough about, gasp, a WOMAN, to stay engaged for about two hours and change.

Likewise with SUFFS, while grudgingly acknowledging that Shaina Taub has all the facets that make her equivalent in accomplishment to Lin Mañuel Miranda, their reviews seem overly picky and biased. The male reviews of SUFFS is the equivalent to writing “I would just enjoy it if they would smile more‘ – which of course, is entirely not the point of the women’s suffrage movement.

TFP saw this when white males went to review KPOP last year and effectively closed it, and she has seen it in other shows of the past. Anything that does not center a Cis male gaze, they just cannot ‘see’ value in the production – and it is time for Publicists and productions and papers to stand up and say, “No, we would like a different critic’s to review this production” instead of blindly accepting whoever the paper sends.

There needs to be a ‘4B’ kind of relationship with the theater criticism community – they do NOT have to, nor should they feel compelled to give positive reviews. However, they can figure out ways to phrase things that are not very reminiscent of a stereotypical archetype of a certain kind of white male, hmmm?

Lysistrata should be required reading.

Requesting a different critic not mean that female identifying critics, and by extension, reviewers of the Global Majority, are ‘less harsh’ or ‘less demanding’ of shows – far to the contrary. What it does mean is that reviewers of different backgrounds can take themselves and their egos out of the review and explain what the critical points are, put it into context, and deliver reviews that encompass all the things the show has to offer – without a lot of rancor. They can seemingly critique without making their review seem like the show is an affront to all things theatrical and should be done away FORTHWITH!

It is a lot to read these things – and the worst is, these are the reviewers for the biggest outlets – so even on a “what do the critics say’ article, the male reviewers have the first several slots – and by the time you read so much of blowhard hubris, you assume the show is not worth seeing. The female and Global Majority critics seem to be way down on the list – however if you read them, you soon discover there is a much less emotional, chest pounding way to read about theater, that is equally effective.

Because women, and People of the Global Majority are not allowed to have temper tantrums in print lest they be labeled ‘difficult’.

All TFP cares about is a review that lets her know if the show has good songs, a good story, and fantastic performances – that’s it. She realizes that this could be perceived as something actors have had to deal with their entire careers – the, ‘we didn’t ask for your opinions, just entertain us’ kind of thing – but that isn’t it at all. She just wants the male critics to understand that some theater – just is not for ‘them’ – and that – is allowed.

Keep watching WARRIOR and THE BROTHERS SUN and SHOGUN, Folks – all your clicks make a difference – and on all of them, in slightly varying genres, have some stellar performances, we are awash with riches.

TFP out.