About Quote by Robert Gottlieb
“Melissa Barak, an ex-City Ballet dancer and sometime choreographer, has put together an unspeakably dopey and incompetent mess called 'Call Me Ben,' combining ultra-generic dance, terrible dialogue and disastrous storytelling, about the founding of Las Vegas by the gangster Bugsy Siegel, who insists, violently, on being addressed as 'Ben.'”
About This Quote
Source Review: New York Times Book Review, 2021
The work is a chaotic blend of generic dance, poor dialogue, and weak storytelling about Bugsy Siegel’s Las Vegas origins.
In simple terms: The piece fails due to lack of originality and poor execution.
Key Takeaway
Avoid over‑reliance on clichés.
Themes
critique
entertainment
historical fiction
Mood
critical
disappointed
Type
analytical
satirical
When to use this quote
- theatre production
- film script development
- creative workshops
Key Concepts
cliché tropes
poor narrative structure
misguided casting
Questions to Reflect On
- What could have been done to give the story depth?
- How can creators balance historical facts with creative liberty?
A Different Perspective
Might appeal to fans of camp or satire.
