Critical Crisis: Why it Sucked to Be a Broadway Critic in 2016-17

The 2016-17 season has been a great one for Broadway. Total attendance is up to 13.27 million, with a record breaking $1.45 billion in total grosses. Many of the tickets purchased for New York theatre depended on the opinions of Broadway's reviewers, and yet the critics haven't had the same luck as the industry they are reviewing.

Over the past year, many of our most respected theatrical critics have parted ways with their publications, including:

Elisabeth Vincentelli: In late June, the New York Post let go of their first-string theatre critic. A former Arts & Entertainment Editor, at Time Out New York, Vincentelli replaced the late Clive Barnes as the Post's chief drama critic in 2009. She still contributes to various publications on a freelance basis.

Charles Isherwood: In February 2017 it was announced that Isherwood was dismissed from the New York Times, with much mystery surrounding his exit. The Times said in a statement: "While we don't comment on specific personnel matters, the scenario of someone simply being difficult or publicly negative about the Times or colleagues would never lead to the highly unusual step of a review of an employee's email. Only something more serious would result in such an action." Isherwood now writes for Broadway News.

Linda Winer: In late April, the longtime theatre reviewer for Newsday announced that she was resigning. She explained: "Newspapers have to go in a different direction, and I actually don't want to go in that direction. I hope I'm still going to be able to do reviewing, but I don't know. I'm not hopping to another job, for first time in my life. I don't have a plan. But I want to do more satisfying writing."

David Cote: Soon after, the TimeOut New York parted ways with its theatre critic of 17 years. Cote wrote: "Restructuring. Effective immediately. I had the privilege of being Time Out's longest-serving theater editor, from 2003-17, and before that a staff theater writer. Over all those seasons and thousands of shows, deadlines, reviews, interviews, blog posts and social media buzz, I've had the pleasure of writing about artists I admire and love. Through the theater, I learned how to be a journalist and a critic, how to see the world and express joy. Now I'm excitedly looking forward to the next chapter of my career."

Rex Reed: At the end of May, the New York Observer let go of the theatre critic of 25 years, along with several other members of the publication's entertainment staff.