To call him “Michael” feels strange: The longtime New York drama critic of the Associated Press, who died at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 22, of lung disease, was universally known to his friends and colleagues as “Mike.” He was a Mike, an easygoing, charming, gregarious guy, with a ready wit and a readier smile for everyone. As strong-minded as he was fair-minded, he covered the theater for AP, on and Off-Broadway and across the country, for more than a quarter-century, as both critic and reporter. His love for the art he wrote about was patent in even his most negative reviews; that evident love made him beloved in turn, not only by his fellow critics but by artists, managers, producers, and... More >>>