Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 99

WEEKEND MAG FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1999 if I 'Star Wars' fan strikes back This is in response to Joseph Forbes' letter last week 'Star Wars' is instructing readers which films to like and dislike. Mr. Forbes may be the foremost film scholar of our time, but I refuse to believe that he "quickly figured out" that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father. I distinctly remember seeing "The Empire Strikes Back" when Vader uttered those immortal words, and I know that nobody present had the foggiest of notions. In fact, everyone's laws dropped to the floor at the revelation.

But, I guess Mr. Forbes is a lot smarter than the rest of us who didn't see it coming. Hindsight is 2020, but this must be the first recorded case of 2020 foresight. The major point is: Why does Mr. Forbes care which films the American Film Institute selected as the best of all time? I happen to love "Star Wars" and have gained much enjoyment from the trilogy, but I really don't care if it made the AFI list or not.

Why does Mr. Forbes care? Don't criticize the AFI or me for liking "Star Wars" or any other motion picture. It's all a matter of taste and last time I checked, it was OK for different people to like different things. But what do I know? I happen to think that "The Hustler" and "Forbidden Planet" are two of the worst movies ever made. To quote Dennis Miller: "Of course, that's just my opinion.

I could be wrong." DAVID M.MAYERNIK JR. Green Tree szs iiAyi i fM SI 1 f. In defense off Robert Croan Poor, beleaguered Robert Croan. Each week, it seems, one or more Post-Gazette readers besmirch his classical music criticism, particularly his reviews of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concerts. Someone should come to his de-i.

fense. Critics and audiences experience performances from different perspectives. Mr. Croan perceives a concert with a highly professional standard. Let's face it.

Most of us are not musically trained. And piano lessons for a couple of years as a child do not count. We respond emotionally to the surface enchantments of the lush, beautiful works of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Brahms. (God forbid the PSO or Pittsburgh Opera would make us listen to music with the least little dissonance.) We also react to the excitement 'T generated by the brilliance and virtuosity of the orchestra and soloists. Mr.

Croan responds to the emotional, of course, but also must consider other aspects of the performance. He must judge the competence of the conductor, the technical skills of the soloist, and the tonal accuracy and discipline of the orchestral playing. I am not trained to do that. And neither are most concert-goers. In Mr.

Croan's case, he has an advantage which all musicologists and critics do not. I am told he also is a singer and, therefore, can bring a performer's per- spective to his review. It is his job as a responsible critic, as fairly and impartially as possible, to tell Post-Gazette readers how well, or how badly, the concert fared. I do not know Mr. Croan.

I have only read his reviews. I probably would not always agree with him. But I would never complain, as some have, that "Mr. Croan's review suggests that he and I did not attend the same concert. The audience responded with a standing ovation." More likely, the audience was cheering the performance on its emotional level.

On the subject of 20th century music, Mr. Croan has a responsibility to encourage managements of the PSO and Pittsburgh Opera to consider programming contemporary works that have been in the repertoires of many major American orchestras and opera companies for years. When a critic feels he must adapt his reviews to please the audience and civic leaders, he loses all sense of professionalism. A friend, a classical music critic in a city about the size of Pittsburgh, wasa-musicologist by education and an author of books about musicians. She resigned in protest from her newspaper because her editor began altering her reviews to satisfy the tone-deaf tastes of one of the orchestra's major benefactors.

For about 15 years I was the director of public relations and marketing for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I cooperated closely with critics from four Chicago daily newspapers and major print media throughout the world, as well as those from radio and television. I learned a lot from critics. And while they could not teach me to analyze thoroughly the works the Chicago Symphony performed, their efforts helped me get the most out of my enjoyment of music. WWF's Steve Austin he's Stone Cold, not Cold Stone.

Tony Norman should stay out of this ring I just finished reading Tony Norman's column the dark side," March 2), which was little more than bandwagon-jumping, playing along with the rest of the outraged media at how horrible the WWF is. Two words: Grow up. First of all, you call the WWF of old "family entertainment." Exactly what kind of family values do you like to instill in your children? If someone crosses you, beat him up? That has been the main "message" of wrestling since the '20s. I dare say that nothing the WWF does now is more harmful to children than that message. Next, you reveal your ignorance about the sport you propose to love so much.

First of all, it is STONE COLD Steve Austin, not Cold Stone. Strange that you couldn't get the world's most popular wrestler's name right. Also, the fact that you call Hulk Hogan vs. The One Man Gang a classic match shows what kind of fan you are namely, one that cares little for actual in-ring talent. It is your type of attitude that has caused this new direction, not the real fans.

SCOTT WILCOX Kalamazoo, Mich. A true rock 'n' roller In a day and age when people can justify taking out a second mortgage to purchase tickets for Rolling Stones concerts, I have to ask "why?" Why pay up to $150 per ticket to see the Stones when you can experience an evening of genuine rock 'n' roll heroics for free? Every Wednesday night, for the past month now, Joe Grushecky has been performing acoustic versions of his legendary work at Cafe Photo Forum in Shadyside, for free! Playing songs from a critically acclaimed body of music that spans over 20 years, Grushecky continues to mesmerize crowds with his lyrical Insights into life's day-today struggles and the redemptive power of life's little victories. Grushecky is living proof that the heart of rock 'n' roll beats stronger without the cholesterol of multimedia light shows, top-40 production numbers, and air-brushed concert T-shirts. Believe me, if you've got $150 to spend on an evening of music, your best investment would be to drop it Into Joe Grushecky's hat some Wednesday night at Cafe Photo Forum. KEITH G.

KONDRICH Swlsshelm Park A dell-clous Invitation? Regarding the letter from Phyllis S. Mizel of Squirrel Hill (Feedback, March 5), if she is looking for a place with "a real corned beef sandwich on good rye bread with crisp, delicious French fries, sour and half-sour pickles, and maybe a cream soda," we sincerely think she needs to make a trip to Kazansky's. We pride ourselves on serving the finest corned beef (from Vienna of Chicago) which we cook on the premises, wonderful rye bread (from Breadworks), delicious French fries, crisp dill pickles and tasty cream soda (Dr. Brown's diet and regular varieties, as well as IBC). As for our choice of salads and entrees, you will find chicken lo mein, sun-dried tomato pasta, baked ziti and other "non-traditional" items on the melius of Ratner's and The Second Avenue Dell, two of New York's finest.

We offer great traditional dell food and alternative choices attractive to a wide range of customers. We think Ms. Mlzel's bubby (Yiddish for grandmother) would give us her approval. We invite Ms. Mlzel and a companion of her choice to visit Kazansky's (our treat), to try some of our food and discuss some of her opinions.

We do not claim to be mavins (Yiddish for experts), and are always open to suggestions to help us keep moving toward our goal of being a great delicatessen. S. (To Munch) If you are transported (a la Star Trek), skip NYC and go straight to The Rascal House 111 BRIAN BENNETT, PAUL KRAUSE MARK RILEY Owners ot Kazansky's, Squirrel Hill 'Indecent' sound at City If a wonderful play is performed with great direction, acting and sets but the audience can't hear it, is it a great performance? How about if the audience can hear about 60 percent of the words? At the City Theatre's performance of "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde," sitting In one of the corners of the theater, we could understand a little over half the performance. The prosecutor in Act I was a disaster. His voice was not appropriate for the stage arrangement without some kind of amplification.

The second act was much better. I was not alone in my difficulty In hearing. Four other theater-goers sitting near me also had the same trouble. Is the purpose of theater to give the director the chance to show that he is Innovative apd different or to convey a story to the audience? SID POLLACK Highland Park rsj KENNETH UTZ" Uniontowit.