Friday, December 31, 2010

2010 Theater Year in Review

Annalee Jefferies and Bill Heck in The Orphans' Home Cycle
(Photo by T. Charles Erickson)


The Highlights -- and Lowlights -- of the 2010 Theater Season
By Lauren Yarger
It’s time to say goodbye to 2010 and in doing so, revisit some of the most wonderful moments from theater during the year.

Thumbing through notes starting in January 2010, it wasn’t so easy to come up with a list of the top 10. Some moments found their way quickly onto the list, but others took some more thought.

This has been a hard year for Broadway. The economy isn’t making it easy for shows to find investors or for theatergoers to be able to afford to see them if they do get produced. As a result, some shows that aren’t the best productions have done well at the box office (mostly due to the draw of star names on the marquis, though even this weapon isn’t a guarantee – Brendan Fraser, Julia Stiles and even Patti LuPone heading casts couldn’t prevent early closings of their shows).

Other critically acclaimed works close early because they don’t have star names to drive the box office or they are deemed “too intelligent” for the average ticket buyer who is looking for pure entertainment value. In addition, 2010 saw a lot of eagerly anticipated shows fizzle into big disappointments, so the pickings for this year’s best moments in the theater were slimmer than usual.

That said, here are the moments that stand out for me between Jan. 1, 2010 and Jan. 1, 2011. May next year’s list be so abundant that I have a hard time choosing.

Top 10 moments of theater in 2010:

10.) Manhattan Theatre Club’s quiet, but terrific production of Bill Cain’s Equivocation, a play within a play using William Shakespeare, the Gunpowder Plot and some terrific acting to bring Shakespeare to life in an interesting, contemporary way. This was one of the most satisfying plays I saw all year. John Pankow was terrific as Shakespeare.

9.) Katie Finneran as Marge MacDougall, a drunken bar pick up whose 15 minutes on stage were the best part of the revival of Promises Promises. Her masterful, comedic performance immediately charged the set and within seconds I was thinking, “There’s the Tony award for Best Supporting Actress in a musical.” I was right – she walked away with the award hands down.

8.) Jim Brochu’s Zero Hour, a play giving a glimpse into the life of legendary Zero Mostel. This performance was so good, you’d swear that was Zero up there on the stage. Deservingly, it won the Drama Desk Award for Best Solo Performance.

7.) Viola Davis’ moving performance as Rose, a wife and mother trying to keep her family together in August Wilson’s Fences. The depth and strength of her performance were palpable (she swept the Tony, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards). The play also starred Denzel Washington who took the Tony and Outer Critics awards too. An excellent time at the theater.

6.) Memphis. Yes, I’ve heard all the complaints that this musical shouldn’t have won the 2010 Tony because it’s just too much fluff, but honestly, this tale of an inter-racial romance at the birth of rock and roll in Memphis was the most exciting, fun musical I saw last season. I loved Chad Kimball and Montego Glover in the leads and the book by Joe Pietro. Books make all the difference in musicals, and this one is well written, giving a platform for David Bryan (formerly of Bon Jovi) to write some really catchy tunes that show off Glover’s fabulous voice. It deserved all the awards and still is one of the best sees on Broadway.

5.) Some excellent shows incorporating religious themes. Standing out were:
• Geoffrey Nauffts’ play Next Fall, which was touted as a play that was supposed to be about everything from relationships to gay marriage rights, but which in reality was a study of faith and how having God, or not having God in our lives drives relationships and everything else.
• Kia Corthron’s A Cool Dip in the Barren Saharan Crick (at Playwrights Horizons) with its delightful and honestly depicted pastor in training/evangelist Abebe.
• Max McLean’s The Screwtape Letters based on the C.S. Lewis classic book in which demons look for ways to interrupt, deceive and ultimately devour their human assignees. The play gives us humans a lot to chew on too with regards to just how much we allow Satan to influence us. (Note: McLean and Corthron were honored as the 2010 recipients of Masterwork Productions’ “The Lights are Bright on Broadway” awards for these productions.)
• MCC Theater’s production of Neil LaBute’s The Break of Noon recently completing a limited run starring an excellent David Duchovny as a man who suddenly finds God in the midst of a tragedy and the disbelief of those who know him (including himself) about whether his conversion is real and whether he really can change into a better person.

4.) Mark Rylance and David Hyde Pierce in David Hirson’s delightful rhyming couplet play La Bête. Rylance tears up the stage during an opening monologue that is one of those moments where you know you are witnessing a piece of theater history. It’s outrageous, disgusting, funny and totally over-the-top and probably will bring a Tony Award nomination for the actor in 2011. Making his tour-de-force performance possible is the understated, controlled, skillful performance by David Hyde Pierce, who reacts with facial expressions and gestures that spark and fuel a perfect foil for Rylance’s zaniness.

3.) The Scottsboro Boys. This was one of the best books (David Thompson) with one of the best scores (the last collaboration of John Kander and Fred Ebb), with some of the best direction and choreography (Susan Stroman) with one of the best ensemble casts I’ve ever seen on Broadway (the cast was headed by Joshua Henry, Colman Domingo, Forrest McClendon and John Cullum, but every single performer in the show was excellent). Unfortunately the story of the unjust imprisonment of nine black men accused of raping two white women in 1931 Alabama told in the form of a minstrel show didn’t go over well with theater goers. Some folks, offended by the minstrel theme, protested outside the theater, though if they actually had gone inside and seen this fabulous show, they might have discovered that instead of shining a positive light on the racist entertainment form, The Scottsboro Boys, instead, exposed the minstrel, along with its two end men, the interlocutor, the cake walk, black face, and the prejudice that condemned these men to death for a crime they didn’t commit as a sad page in the nation’s history. It was the most savvy, slick musical to come along in a long time and I am sorry that it closed so soon. there is some talk about bringing it back. You can make a pledge to go see it for just $99 if it does at http://scottsboromusical.com/.

2.) The spontaneous, standing ovation given to composer John Kander as he took his seat during the final performance of The Scottsboro Boys. The ovation was heartfelt and one of those moments you’re grateful to have been in the theater that night. The warm regards for the show were continued throughout the performance when prolonged, screaming applause met each musical number. Director Susan Stroman led a toast at the final curtain for the late Fred Ebb and for the original Scottsboro Boys. Theater doesn’t get much better than this.

1.) And finally, the top theater experience I had during 2010 was nine hours long and I’d go back and see it again. It was Horton Foote’s The Orphans’ Home Cycle, a condensing of nine of the playwright’s works into three plays following the life of Horace Robedaux (Bill Heck). The work was commissioned by Michael Wilson, Artistic Director at Hartford Stage, where the saga ran last fall before moving to the Signature Theater Company in New York. The fabulous cast, which included Foote’s daughter Hallie, played multiple roles in the three plays which ran in rep at both venues. (You could see the plays individually, or in a marathon). The amazing performance by Heck, the meticulous direction by Wilson, the astonishing sets (designed by Jeff Cowie and David Barber) and the wonderful story itself combined to transport the audience out of the theater and into the lives of these people. It was like a visit with old friends, sad, fun, satisfying and over too quickly, despite the nine-hour run time. (Keep your eye on Heck, by the way. He also has delighted in New York last summer in the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park productions and most recently in a riveting performance as Joe in Signature’s revival of Tony Kushner’s Angel’s in America. He’s quickly establishing himself as one of the best actors on stage.)

Biggest surprises of 2010:
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. I wouldn’t have thought a farce portraying the seventh president of the United States as a tight-pants-wearing, rock star singing emo/punk type music would be to my taste, but Alex Timbers’ tongue-in-cheek story delighted me from the moment I entered the cleverly decorated theater. It was smart, funny and surprisingly contemporary. Alas, another smart one bites the dust. It closes Jan. 2.
American Idiot – another one I didn’t think I was going to like. Punk music (with one of the songs titles Jesus of Suburbia?) and an anti-war story involving drugs? But, I’ll be darned if it isn’t terrific with a redeeming message to boot. On top of being surprised by how much I enjoyed this musical, the night I attended, Green Day, on whose music and album 'American Idiot" the show is based, made a surprise appearance and rocked out the house at the encore. In fact, Green Day’s lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong will be performing the role of St. Jimmy January 1-9, January 18-30 and February 10-27. Definitely worth it if you haven’t seen it yet.

Biggest disappointments of 2010:
Driving Miss Daisy. Alfred Uhry’s study of racial relations and the friendship between a Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur during the civil rights era is one of my favorite plays. The casting of Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones along with Boyd Gaines seemed a guarantee of a terrific production, even if Broadway seems a little big for the intimate setting (it played to acclaim Off-Broadway and the film version of the play won the Academy Award). The play at the Golden Theater has been doing good box office, but for me, it drives in an unsatisfying direction and misses most of the depth. One of my most-anticipated shows quickly became one of my biggest disappointments.
A Little Night Music. The original of this Stephen Sondheim musical, back in the late 1970s, was one of the best theater experiences I ever have enjoyed. The first revival starring Angela Lansbury (perfect casting) and Catherine Zeta-Jones (really?) was high on my list of must sees. Quickly, it was apparent that this rendition wasn’t even trying to recreate the magic of the original. Very disappointing on so many levels (minimal sets, weak performances). The handing of the Tony award to Zeta-Jones, especially following her terrible performance of “Send in the Clowns” on the Tony broadcast was an added disappointment. I haven’t seen the show since Elaine Stritch and Bernadette Peters took over the roles, but both are theater gems, so it might be worth seeing just because they are on stage. Hurry, though. It closes Jan. 9.
Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown. Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti, Sherry Rene Scott, Brian Stokes Mitchell and excellent director Bartlett Sher – sounds like the recipe for a fabulous musical, doesn’t it? Guess again. This poorly written story with an explosion of sets and lackluster music closes early on Jan. 2 – and that’s a good thing in the opinion of someone who almost never likes to see a show close ealrly. The best part of this show was getting to see the newly refurbished Belasco Theatre.
The Addams Family. Well-known characters, a fun story idea and Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth (perfect casting). Unfortunately, a mess of a book, totally unmemorable songs and lackluster performances combined to make this highly anticipated musical a disappointment. The star power of Lane and Neuwirth, as well as the Addams Family brand, continue to translate into big box office, though.
Banana Shpeel, a different kind of show from Cirque du Soleil at the newly restored Beacon Theatre. It didn’t work. It wasn’t funny, well written or even special effect or tumbling heavy – nothing like any of the other Cirque shows we’ve enjoyed. Let’s hope the eagerly anticipated Zarkana, moving the Tony awards out of Radio City Music Hall to set up shop this summer, won’t end up on this list next year.
All About Me – Dame Edna and Michael Feinstein. Alone they’re great. Together they didn’t work.
The Miracle Worker at Circle in the Square – Distracting, flying set pieces, so-so performances and a Helen Keller (Abigail Breslin) who was too connected with the outside world caused a misfire with this Circle in the Square revival. A production, just a few weeks prior to this one at Connecticut’s Ivoryton Playhouse directed by Jacqueline Hubbard with Helen played by Jenilee Lea Simons Marques, who in real life is deaf, was far superior and is one of the highlights of last year’s Connecticut season.
• The postponement of Love Never Dies, the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Phantom of the Opera, the postponement of the revival of You Can’t Take it With You (one of my personal favorites) and the multi-times postponement of the opening of Spiderman Turn Off the Dark, not to mention all of the trouble this musical has experienced with safety issues, injured actors and bad press. Here’s hoping that these three shows find their way to a future “top 10” list.

Most confusing show of the year
• Hands down, this goes to Lincoln Center Theatre’s production of Andrew Bovell’s When the Rain Stops Falling. When they put a family tree in the program, you’re probably going to need it. It didn’t help. Even stars Victoria Clark, Marybeth Hurt and fabulous director David Cromer couldn’t help me figure out who anyone in this play was or what was going on. I wasn’t alone. At a restaurant for lunch after the show, everyone was sitting around questioning each other about who was who and what had just happened. No one knew.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Catch Them While You Can!


January traditionally marks the quiet season on Broadway with many shows closing up after the holiday rush. 2011 will be no different with some 18 shows bringing down the final curtain in January.

Some of the closings were planned; others are earlier than scheduled. The first shutterings will start on Sunday, Jan. 2. For a reviews, click on the show. For a list of all shows playing on Broadway and a link to the show website, scroll down at left.

Tickets, many discounted, are available at http://www.givenik.com/index.php/Masterworks.

Broadway's lights won't stay dim for long, though. Check back tomorrow for a preview of what's coming in 2011 as well as a look back at the highlights and lowlights of 2010.

Shows closing in January:
Jan. 2
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Brief Encounter
Donny & Marie: A Broadway Christmas
Elf
Promises, Promises
Pee-wee Herman
West Side Story
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Fela!

Jan. 9
A Free Man of Color
A Little Night Music
In the Heights
La Bête
Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles
The Merchant of Venice
(goes on hiatus -- will be back for three more weeks beginning Feb. 1)

Monday, December 27, 2010

Snow Doesn't Stop Broadway

The weather outside is frightful, but the Broadway shows inside are delightful!

As of now, the great white way is open for business and all Broadway shows will perform today as previously scheduled. Whether you live in New York or are a visitor stranded in our city, it's a wonderful time to see a show! Tickets to hit shows will be available due to cancellations from the cold winter storm.

Please check individual show information (scroll down at left) for holiday schedules and curtain times. For information about refunds or exchanges, theatregoers should contact their point of purchase.

Tonight is a great night to sit in a warm Broadway theatre and see one of Broadway's great shows!

- Paul Libin, Chairman, The Broadway League and Executive Vice President, Jujamcyn Theaters

Friday, December 24, 2010

On Vacation

Due to illness and the holidays, we've been on a sort of hiatus here. Will return after New Years. Meanwhile, best wishes for a safe and blessed holiday!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

League's Annual Demographic Report Shows Who's Sitting in Those Theater Seats

63 Percent of Audiences Were Tourists
The Broadway League’s 13th annual demographics report, The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2009-2010, compares current theatergoing habits to previous seasons in predicting trends for the future.

Of note, the newest study reveals that tourists accounted for 63 percent of the 11.89 million Broadway admissions this year. (See my piece on doing my part to help these tourists while they are in New York at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/2010/07/doing-my-part-to-stimulate-economy-one.html )

Resources such as ILoveNYTheater.com and the Broadway Concierge & Ticket CenterTM located in the Times Square Information Center provide information in six different languages for tourists and New York residents alike. Overall, international tourists accounted for 17 percent of all admissions to Broadway shows in New York City. With 8.6 million visits* by foreign tourists, approximately one in four took in a Broadway show. (Tourists planning a visit to New York can see a list of what's playing on Broadway and which shows are headed to Broadway by scrolling down on the left side of this site. In addition, you can see which shows are playing in other cities by scrolling down to "Coming to a Theater Near You."

“Our annual demographic report reflects the consistency of the Broadway audience, yet slight nuances demonstrate how audiences and their behaviors do change from year-to-year,” commented Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League. “We did see a drop in the international tourists from a record high, most logically due to the changing economic conditions. New York City continues to show strong tourism numbers as such a significant number of our visitors do come from outside the NYC metro area.”

The analysis is based on extensive survey data gleaned from audience questionnaires distributed throughout the 2009-2010 Broadway season in New York City. It includes highlights on the demographics of the audience and their ticket purchasing habits. The report is part of an ongoing series that profiles Broadway theatergoers each season.

The report also shows that the use of the Internet for the purchase of tickets has decreased by 5percent since the 2008-2009 season (from 39 to 34 percent). However, online purchase continues to be the most popular method of ticket buying for a sixth year in row.

For show selection, critics’ reviews were the most influential factors for playgoers, followed closely by personal recommendation. However, 48 percent of theatergoers at musicals said that personal recommendation was the single strongest reported factor in deciding which show to see. (Our reviews here at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/ are the only source for a review with added Christian perspective. We also provide hundreds of personal recommendations via email. Contact us at reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com.)

Playgoers also tended to be more frequent theatregoers than musical attendees. The typical playgoer saw seven shows in the past year, compared with five for the musical attendee. Those who saw fifteen or more shows comprised 6 percent of the audience, but represented 31 percent of all admissions.

Reflecting a trend of the past few decades, 66.3 percent of the audiences were female, marking the highest percentage of female audiences. Furthermore, 69 percent of those making the purchasing decisions were female.

Three quarters of admissions were Caucasian theatergoers, but audiences have become slightly more diverse over the past decade. There were a higher percentage of Asian theatergoers this season, moving up from 3.9 to 6.1 percent.




Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Playwrights Craft Fair Benefits City Harvest

Playwrights Horizons will host its second annual Holiday Craft Fair on Tuesday, Dec. 14 from 1 to 4 pm in Playwrights Horizons’ festively made-over Ford Motor Company Lobby (416 West 42nd St. Featuring works created by PH’s very own staff, the crafts for sale will include jewelry, knitwear, handmade greeting cards, homemade jam and much more!

Serious holiday shoppers and curious browsers alike will enjoy complimentary refreshments and, of course, their favorite music from the festive season. Please note: cash payments only.

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday season, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to charity. Additionally, shoppers are encouraged to bring a canned good for a food drive to benefit City Harvest. City Harvest is New York City’s only food rescue program. The organization helps feed more than 260,000 people each week serves more than 600 community programs annually. Each year, Playwrights Horizons’ staff, artists and audiences help City Harvest by holding a Holiday Food Drive. Last year, the company donated 240 pounds of food, a Playwrights Horizons record.

Currently playing at Playwrights Horizons’ Peter Jay Sharp Theater is Amy Herzog’s critically-acclaimed After the Revolution. Directed by Carolyn Cantor, the New York premiere has been extended by popular demand to Sunday, Dec. 12.

The theater company’s next production will be the world premiere of Adam Bock’s A Small Fire. Directed by Trip Cullman, previews will begin Thursday, Dec. 16 at Playwrights Horizons’ Mainstage Theater.

For subscription and ticket information to all Playwrights Horizons productions, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200, noon to 8 pm daily, or purchase online at the Playwrights Horizons website at www.playwrightshorizons.org.

Playwrights Horizons, celebrating its 40th Anniversary Season, is a writer’s theater dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers and lyricists and to the production of their new work.

Broadway Talks with Patti LuPone

Jordan Roth, president of Jujamcyn Theaters, continues his popular multi-evening 92nd Street Y conversation series “Broadway Talks,” with two-time Tony Award-winning actress Patti LuPone.

Roth and LuPone will discuss her current role in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and her recently published autobiography, among other topics at 92nd Street Y (1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street) on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $29 and are available at www.92Y.org/Lectures or by calling 212-415-5500.

Previous conversations have featured Liev Schreiber (Tony Award nominee, A View from the Bridge), Laura Linney (Tony Award nominee, Time Stands Still), Sean Hayes (Tony Award nominee, Promises, Promises), Nathan Lane (The Addams Family), Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer (American Idiot), David Hyde Pierce (La Bête) and Elaine Stritch (A Little Night Music).

An audience Q&A will follow the conversation. Questions for LuPone can be submitted prior to the event to Roth via twitter at http://twitter.com/jordan_roth.

Gracewell Prodiuctions

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2022 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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