Word of the Moment: Longitis

Longitis is a term that captures the insanity of long-running Broadway shows, the hateful wardrobe department at "Jersey Boys," the fact that the departments don't talk to each other at "Phantom of the Opera." My father once said of "Cats" that "The show has been running so long that the stagehands are starting to talk to each other again." I think that was a line he stole from "Phantom." The most base motives come out in long-running shows--at "Phantom," a principal actor started stealing from the musicians. I give credit for the term to that beautiful man John Thomson of "Jersey Boys."