That's the difference between being a big Broadway producer and being a big professional wrestler. When you're a big Broadway producer, everybody's always looking over your shoulder, and everybody wants you to be upright and honest. When you're a big professional wrestler, everybody's always flipping you over his shoulder, and nobody -- not your opponents, not your promoters, and definitely not your fans -- wants you to be anything other than utterly fraudulent. That's the fun of it. Theater impresario Garth Drabinsky learned this painful distinction last week when he was suspended for possible massive accounting fraud. Just the week before, he had prevailed on the city to reject the World Wrestling Foundation's plans to open a Wrestlemania Cafe theme restaurant in Times Square. At that moment, Drabinsky was probably delighted to be on the side of decency and probity. Wonder if he's gotten over that.

Related:

• Archive: “Gotham: Life in the New City”
• Table of Contents: Aug 24, 1998 issue of New York | Subscribe!