North Shore Music Theatre in danger of closing

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 11:37am

Is this the curse of "High School Musical II?"

Broadway shows may come and go, but if the current lousy economy sinks the great regional houses like North Shore and Papermill it will be a loss that will take years to recover from. I hope these guys pull through.


Financially strapped North Shore may close its doors

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 11:40am

I know Ogunquit was in the hole at the end of last summer, and it looks like their picks for this summer are tiny little shows. Who knows if they'll make it.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 11:40am

Me freaking too.

NSMT was one of two regional theatres offered HSM2, and with the huge success of HSM last year, it seemed like a good idea. What can ya do.

[Cearsgk]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 12:32pm

Don't get me started on how much I missed David Coffee and Christmas Carol, and now this?

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 1:18pm

I hope there's not a HSM2 curse! North Carolina Theatre is doing it this summer! I can't even imagine them closing! D:

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 3:02pm

Yeah it might be a curse...the reason why AMTSJ closed was cause of Theater Under the Stars was doing HSM 2 and did not sell!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 3:07pm

Usually in cases like this, it has SOME to due with ticket sales; but more importantly it has to do with corporate sponsors. If those companies are facing hard times they are NOT giving money away.

And yes, sad for NSMT. They do some really great work.

[ARIELT]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 3:18pm

This is too bad. I performed here several years ago.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 4:00pm

In addition to declining ticket sales and corporate donations North Shore is having to contend with debt it incurred after a devastating fire in 2005. Unfortunately there isn't much flexibility when it comes to restructuring this sort of debt these days.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 4:09pm

I forgot all about the fire! And I'm sure you are right that that is a contibuting factor!

[Princeton78]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 6:38pm

A large part of NSMT's member base is made up of old people. Many were very upset to find that the annual "Christmas Carol" was being replaced by "HSM2," which they have no interest in seeing. "Christmas Carol" also drew huge school crowds and being a teacher, I can tell you that it's easy to justify taking students to see a stage production of a Charles Dickens masterpiece, but in this day were teachers/schools are held accountable for every move they make, you can't justify the time and money spent at HSM. The older crowd wants to see "Carousel" and "Hello Dolly" and I think NSMT has recently been trying way too hard to compete with Broadway, producing terrible productions of Hairspray and Millie. They used to put on great productions of old shows. I wish them well, but think they may have screwed themselves over with HSM2.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 7:06pm

I don't want to even IMAGINE how expensive it must have been to get something of Disney's on stage, but either way, A Christmas Carol did NOT do fantastic last year. I wonder if they'd still be in trouble had they stuck with it.
It will be a shame to lose it. I hope someone comes through. I've donated 100s of hours of my time to NSMT, more then I could ever give in money.

[Mythus]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 9:55pm

There goes my job.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 10:12pm

1. Yes, the disney productions are pretty damn expensive.

2. I can't imagine that ONE show is the make or break situation. They would have already had to have been in bad shape.

But yes, NSMT will be missed here in the NE.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 10:38pm

Apparently they were in bad shape, but I mean, every night I was there has always been at least 1200+ people. WHich is pretty decent. It has been very upsetting for both the cast and everyone involved hearing "the house count is 150".

[BroadwayBoy2]

Posted: 12/30/08 at 10:41pm

It is a shame, because since there are so many old timers there and if a show is put up there that does not appeal to them its pretty much a loss cause for them. I think this was one of their best seaons for them. Not to mention CONTACT was the best production I have ever seen there, and every old timer around me HATED the show. Theres a great example.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 12/31/08 at 1:00am

from watching videos there productions looked top notch and really good but HSM2 looked dull to me.
Updated On: 12/31/08 at 01:00 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/31/08 at 1:18am

If anybody's associated with them, they should be told to streamline the online donation system. Register? Have an account? That's really stupid. A secure credit card donation page that involves filling out a few fields is the way to go.

I have no significant cash to spare but after listening to Ira Glass harangue me about pitching in a little for all those This American Life podcasts I download, I made a small donation and it was quick and painless.

Unfortunately, NSMT makes it complicated, not that I could give much to make a difference, but still. USER FRIENDLY is the key phrase they need.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 9:42pm

Here's an article from The Salem News that gives some more details about North Shore's financial crisis. It sounds like everyone other than a caretaker or two is about to be laid off.



Grand plans gone awry

[tmm_fan]

Posted: 1/9/09 at 10:55pm

This so terrible; I am very upset. I saw this coming a long time ago ... extremely terrible things happening as the result of tiny negative ripple effects in society. Everything is connected; think about it.

A friend and I are working to preserve and expand an extremely tiny theatre company in San Jose; I am actively promoting the cause to save SF's landmark Magic Theatre; I donate $85 every month to Theatreworks. Please don't just take theatre for granted, guys, and just purchase tix and audition. Become involved on a deeper level. Donate. Intern. Volunteer.

These are not major companies with actors/singers barely -- and very, very unfairly -- getting paid anything by owners worth millions; these are non-profits.

Updated On: 1/9/09 at 10:55 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/10/09 at 12:35am

The comments at the end are SCATHING. Sounds like a day here on BWW!

[tmm_fan]

Posted: 1/10/09 at 2:17am

Well...

[Neverandy]

Posted: 1/10/09 at 9:51am

They should move that reply blog over to this board! Reading it after clicking on a link from this board is is like traveling to Disney World with your dysfunctional family and hearing an equally dysfunctional family scream at each other on the line for Space Mountain!

[Cearsgk]

Posted: 1/10/09 at 9:57am

Oh that's so true and so clever. We laughed out loud and there's not much here to laugh about, so thanks!

[Cearsgk]

Posted: 1/10/09 at 10:04am

As a long time subscriber and (small time) donor, over the years I've had lots of little "issues" with them and questioned myself for being picky. Now I think I'm seeing a big picture.

Also, I wonder how I should really feel about being told I can donate the deposit I already made for next season, but should not expect to get it refunded. It doesn't feel good.