I am not Simon's biggest fan, but it seems to me that it would be rather disrespectful to rename that theatre so soon after his death, although I was not wild about naming it for him in the first place.
On this board a few months ago, trying to take into account various aspects of the situation, I suggested changing the name of the Palace to the Ethel Waters Palace. A bit cumbersome perhaps, but it keeps the famous original name and even suggests that she should be considered royalty. Which she should be considered. And she did play the Palace.
Returning to Simon: Although I am not his biggest fan, I think the ultimate verdict on his work is yet to be determined. He did capture a whole class of people in a way that is at least somewhat true, allowing for theatrical exaggeration. And I do like several of his plays a good deal, although there are more that I don't care for very much. |
