Not impressed with fancy Smith Center
To the editor:
Many times during the construction of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and after its opening, I read statements from critics, elected officials and Smith Center board members that there was not a bad seat to be had in Reynolds Hall. That is far from the truth.
I challenge any member of that board, or any theater critic, to try to watch “Wicked” from the front row of the balcony. Craning necks and adjusting bodies to see between railing bars causes pain but does not enable an attendee to see more than a small portion of the stage. Oh, the poor peons, retirees and military widows who cannot afford a more expensive seat.
The lyrics from the songs are garbled by the time they reach the balcony. The minimal spoken dialogue cannot be understood, with the exception of that spoken by the wizard. If it weren’t for the performers’ excellent body language, viewers in the balcony would have no idea of the plot. I have attended many performances, in many theaters, ranging from Oregon to New York. Programs almost always have a synopsis of the story line to aid in understanding the plot. The program for “Wicked” does not.
After listening to repetitious garbled music during the first half, my friend and I left. We were not alone. We counted more than 25 other couples who left during intermission. Saving from my military widow’s compensation for three months to afford this ticket was one of the worst decisions of my life. These seats are certainly worth no more than $20.
So beware, if you can’t afford one of the lower seats, you will be bitterly disappointed, not only in the theater, but in “Wicked.” That is the sad but wicked truth.
ADA McARTHUR
NORTH LAS VEGAS
Jobs? What jobs?
To the editor:
Having read Irwin Kauffman’s letter (“Obama’s policies have created millions of jobs,” Sept. 17), it’s obvious where he stands in this upcoming election.
Let me enlighten him for a moment regarding my siblings and me and our place in several of the battleground states:
My sister and brother-in-law live in Toledo, Ohio. They’ve been out of work more than a year and cannot get health insurance.
My brother saved up to purchase a country store in rural Ivor, Va., for his post-Navy retirement. He closed its doors last week due to lack of business.
I was downsized out of a sales position in January of this year.
I’m sorry we (my siblings and I) can’t seem to muster up the same support for the candidate Mr. Kauffman is so fond of.
It comes down to this: If your ship is sailing in the wrong direction, you change course.
MICHAEL PLOURDE
LAS VEGAS
Both sides now
To the editor:
Thank you, Review-Journal, for your integrity in journalism when the rest of the mainstream media only act as the left/Obama propaganda puppet. Your Sept. 17 editorial about school reform reminds us of the disastrous legacy of our broken education system.
Meanwhile, you’ve been fair enough to print letters from readers who side with the illogical reasoning of the left. Let me remind writer Irwin Kauffman (Sept. 17), a self-proclaimed savvy bumpkin, of a few facts to remember:
Household income is falling for the fourth straight year; the income gap has widened, creating a smaller middle class; U.S. poverty is at an all-time high, afflicting 46.2 million Americans; the stock market looks for all the world as if it’s a massive bubble about to burst; the unemployment rate has stayed higher than 8 percent for 42 straight months, with Nevada leading at 12 percent.
Wake up, Mr. Kauffman – you can’t blame Bush forever.
JON MILLER
LAS VEGAS
Biased language
To the editor:
I want to know who writes the Almamac column for the Review-Journal. I have enjoyed these tidbits of history daily for many years, but a recent edition caused me to question the accuracy and fairness of the writer.
In 1966, Charles Joseph Whittman did indeed go on a shooting rampage at the University of Texas. But was he really “gunned down” by police, or was his killing spree finally stopped by one courageous policeman who managed to make his way into the clock tower and force his way onto the observation deck, at which point he was forced to fatally shoot the madman?
It makes a difference how you tell the story. The words “gunned down” are not only inflammatory, but in this case, dishonest and biased.
DAVID CHRISTENSON
BOULDER CITY
Obama’s pet goat
To the editor:
I remember Sept. 11, 2001, vividly. After al-Qaida declared war on the United States by flying airplanes into the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Penn., the press went ballistic that then-President Bush just sat there and continued to read to Florida schoolchildren.
Fast forward 11 years to Sept. 11, 2012, and again a foreign country declares war on the United States by sacking our Libyan consulate (American soil) and killing four Americans. What does our new president do? He comes to Las Vegas (the city he told others to forsake) for the eighth time and does his 200th-plus fundraiser.
And what do we get from the press? An open mike showing them in collusion trying to make Mitt Romney look bad.
ROBERT GARDNER
HENDERSON
