ArtsLine is not a gossip column, but it's hard to resist reporting that Richard Ouzounian, widely respected theatre critic for the Toronto Star, has a big ole crush on Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Or at least one could be forgiven for getting that impression from Ouzounian's recent article on the economy of culture in Chi-town; his specific focus was on how Daley's turned around Chicago through the magic of theatre: "a story about how theatre saved a city." Ouzounian's piece read like a love letter to the Windy City from the…what do you call Toronto? The Cold City?

"Whereas his father was known for his far-reaching political machinations," writes Ouzounian, "the current Daley will probably be remembered as one of the greatest champions of civic culture in recent North American history."

Ouzounian points to Chicago's impressive statistics (more of which can be found at the League of Chicago Theatres Web site, ChicagoPlays.com): "Last year, the city's live theatres directly generated economic activity of $347 million…which was more than double the amount from a decade before…and in the all-important tourist industry, of the 8.5 million leisure visitors to Chicago last year, 3.2 million attended some form of cultural performance while visiting the city."

The real killer part, though, is where Ouzounian betrays his own city: "While Toronto has long considered itself 'Broadway North,' it is now outshone by a burgeoning 'Broadway West.'"

Folks at the 30-year-old Steppenwolf and 99-year-old Goodman may not care for that "burgeoning" bit, but if the chief theatre writer at the Toronto Star likes "Broadway West" better than his homefield version, someone is doing something right.

Meanwhile, on "Original Broadway," Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, appearing in a revival of Lorraine Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun, has earned reviews that say he doesn't quite manage to ruin it. "Mr. Combs has left lots of space for Walter [Lee, the central character] to grow," says Ben Brantley in the New York Times. "Unfortunately, that space is never filled." On New York One, the only local TV station that does any consistent theatre coverage, they said "It is a testament to the quality of A Raisin in the Sun that a novice actor…in a lead role can't do any real damage."

P. Diddy last appeared in this space when running the New York Marathon; it's possible his Broadway debut means that the singer-actor-fashion designer is just running out of activities.

QUEEN OF QUEENS

A paper called the Queens Chronicle makes its first appearance in ArtsLine this issue; but then, the borough of Queens has never appointed a female, Korean-American poet laureate before.

Wait, you're saying—Queens has a poet laureate?

You better believe it. Her name is Ishle Yi Park, and the Chronicle proudly recited her resume on April 29: "…a former recipient of a writing grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts, Park will receive her Master's degree in fine arts next year from New York University…[her] work has been published in several literary journals, including 'The Best American Poetry of 2003'…[s]he has also been featured in Def Poetry Jam and taught writing workshops to budding writers at Newcomers High School in Long Island City." Sounds to me like about as impressive a career as a 26-year-old poet can hope for.

But the real news, reported in many more places than just the Chronicle, is who Ms. Park beat out to get the gig. "Park, 26, beat out a field of more than 75 applicants, including [Queens]' own Joseph Simmons, best known as the front man for the legendary hip hop trio, Run DMC."

Why didn't Run get job? Here's one answer, from the Houston Chronicle: "Was it his New Jersey address? Perhaps. But Run-DMC's Joseph 'Rev. Run' Simmons suspects that his failed bid to become poet laureate of Queens reflects a deeper cultural question. 'I don't know if Queens is ready for a rapper as a poet,' Simmons said."

The Houston paper notes that Simmons is now thinking of running for poet laureate of the United States. If so, he can likely expect competition from Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

IDOL QUESTIONS

U.S.A Today took up precious space on its editorial page on April 27, as controversy raged over the Sept. 11 commission and the fighting intensified in Fallujah, to discuss the controversy on "American Idol." "After the three singers rated highest by judges finished at the bottom last week, fans complained about unfair rules," wrote U.S.A. Today's editorialists. "They said some viewers manage to vote over and over again using land lines and cell phone text messaging, while other fans get busy signals…[o]thers questioned whether the voting was biased against African-Americans."

Among those "others" lamenting the supposedly prejudiced voting on the top-rated show was Sir Elton John, who called "American Idol" "incredibly racist" while answering questions at a press conference. (The press conference was to announce a set of summer concerts at Radio City Music Hall, which "will feature students from London's Royal Academy of Music and The Juilliard School of New York," according to the AP).

Of course, when Elton and U.S.A. Today call the show racist, they're really saying that the American people are racist, the whole point of the show being that Mr. and Mrs. U.S.A. are the ones doing the voting. It would be hard to argue that the American people don't like black singers—maybe it's just people who watch Fox?

In a Reuters report the day after Sir Elton's criticisms were reported, the show's famously withering host Simon Cowell "responded with 'a definite no' to the racist charge and added that votes are audited by an independent company." Cowell additionally argued that people who weren't part of the solution to "American Idol's" race problem were part of the problem: "There are a lot of passive viewers who complain about the results but don't pick up the phone or text a message."

Cowell was speaking, by the way, "at the launch of an 'American Idol' cell phone based on the show."

Come on, people. We're at war.

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