The Musical Theatre Report was launched by Ben West on August 12, 2024. Here are some of the things that subscribers are saying.

“A wonderful writer.”

“Very smart.”

“The George Bernard Shaw of the American musical.”

“I appreciate you digging into the artistic integrity of a show and not pandering to the creators or producers.”

“I enjoy the Report because it looks at shows through the lens of the art form they are a part of. We are living in an age of diminished informed criticism, so I revel in your reviews.”

“I learn a lot from your reviews, which is one of the reasons I enjoy reading the Report. With your knowledge of the art form, you can articulate a terrific response to what you have seen.”

“While I’ll admit that the consistency of your frequent ‘brutal’ takes on new shows and productions provides me some amusement, I also admire and am impressed with your insightfulness and fairness based on objective observation.”

“I love your reports because of their honesty and the depth of knowledge and research you bring to your assertions. I don’t always agree but I always learn and ponder after each read.”

“It’s so nice to read the commentary of an educated theatre wizard.”

“The Musical Theatre Report is a must read for anyone who cares about the American musical theatre. I read it not just to learn if a show is worth seeing. I read Ben West’s reviews because in every one of them I learn something about the art form. He provides insight into why things work or not, and often offers suggestions on how to make it better.”

“Reading Ben’s criticism is pretty much the opposite of reading some of the more cursory InstaReviews that are prevalent. Ben digs deeply into his scholarship and passion for theatre to create in-depth (and sometimes very saucy) position papers. Read at your own peril or delight!”