I realize that preference for certain critics is purely personal. I'd like to know your favorites and why. Dito for your not so favorite critics. I read reviews, both at home and especially before traveling to NY, but I don't always agree with my own personal favorites.

Last year we purchased tickets to Sweet Smell of Success prior to the opening, and after reading the mostly unfavorable reviews, we regretted our decision. Fortunately, we were not disappointed and enjoyed the show, especially the staging.

The best critics are right here on this forum: Howard R., Patrick, and a woman whose name I think is Ellen...

BuzzyJ, You are so right. I have garnered so much info from the three of them. I was referring to newspaper and on-line critics, and had completely forgotten our own resident critics.

Probably the most influential critic is Ben Brantley of the NY Times. John Simon of New York Magazine can really be mean!

I don't pay a lot of attention to critics or even ticket sales. Word of mouth is far more reliable...

We loved Sweet Smell of Success (and didn't realize the night we saw it that it was closing the following night). I figured with John Lithgow and Marvin Hamlisch you could hardly go wrong. Though the story wasn't the best, the musical numbers were terrific and it was an honor to watch John Lithgow perform live (and sing and dance!).

Wish we had listened to personal experiences with Lion King. We found it to be a huge snooze. All the best parts we'd already seen on TV.

One thing you have to watch out for is critics more intent on being "witty" and "clever" than actually writing a good review.

The idea of critics being "witty" rather than accurate is a good point. Several years we saw a show in London called "An Absolute Turkey", an old French farce by Feydeau. All we could think of was that it could never possibly play in New York, because the critics would be having such a heyday with the title that they couldn't possibly enjoy it or give it a good review.

And thanks for the vote of confidence, BuzzyJ, but not sure if it is that deserved in my case. In the past few years I think I've seen a lot more London theatre than New York. And one thing for sure, you have to do a lot of reading between the lines on other people's comments. I saw Lion King in London, not New York, but I can't imagine calling it a "snooze" for example. But the bottom line is, it's all a matter of personal taste.

I saw "The Lion King" in Toronto and assume the NYC production is similar. I cannot imagine anyone calling it a "snooze", but to each his own.

I LOVED it. I guess some people who expected more of a story might not like it, but the story line in many musicals is fairly thin.

I thought costumes for people playing animals will never be the same again after "Lion King". The costumes were a show by themselves.

I recently saw "Aladdin" at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, CA. They had one of those huge elephants with a manipulator in each leg!

Sometimes when I read one of those terrrrrribly witty and clever reviews, all I hear is, "I was there and you weren't, ha ha ha!"

Unfortunately living in San Francisco, I get very little 'word' of mouth' feedback, so I have to depend on the critics and of course, the most welcome personal feedback right here.