Theater: Will Broadway Miss Saigon?

A seething dispute puts a blockbuster musical on hold as each of the combatants cuts off his nose to spite his race

Jesse Helms must be in pig paradise. Last year the Senator from North Carolina huffed and tut-tutted about state-supported pornography until a cowed Congress mandated that artists sign a purity oath before receiving federal funds. Now he gets to watch the sorry spectacle of a few theater people conspiring to prevent an actor from plying his craft. With all the best intentions, they are doing Helms' proscriptive work for him and proving that you don't have to be a philistine to get the censor's itch; in the process they threaten to deprive many actors of good jobs and the American public...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!