Beat on Broadway: Banana Shpeel Slips Big Time in New York ...

Out the door for Cirque du Soleil's dubious attempt to reinvent vaudeville. Shpeel will be early closing on June 27. Way ahead of the original stop date.

It drew horrid out of town notices in Chicago, got mixed reviews at best in NY; most consumer feedback was wretched.

Millions lost on a highly flawed venture. Now they're nearly giving the show away: tickets at $39 and $49.

Guy Laliberte ventured into the theatre arena, where story and character still do matter.

This will only tarnish the CDS reputation for infallibility, although they have had a couple of losers in past years.

What is so puzzling is why Laliberte would dare bring to town such a troubled show, in a genre he knows so little about, in fact, has never succeeded at producing.

Broadway is a tough heartless place when you haven't the goods. Even, sometime, when you have. Maybe Shpeel is a very good stage show, as Variety says. Maybe New Yorkers decided to gang up on that ridiculously successful monster from Montreal.

From what I know of their acutely variable clowning, however, I am inclined to agree with those who said the whole thing goes on way too long and is woefully unfunny too much of the time, among other theatrical crimes.

A little critical shock treatment may actually help put CDS back on firmer tracks.