American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TOTS responsible?
American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TOTS responsible?
#1American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TOTS responsible?
Posted: 12/1/08 at 10:34pm
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/123849.html
This is disturbing and sad.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
Updated On: 12/5/08 at 10:34 PM
--Aristotle
#2re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:17pm
Since I live in Atlanta, I was a little shocked at Theater of the Stars when I read the article.
"I'm a whirling mass of contradictions." - Douglas Carter Beane, The Little Dog Laughed
Equus (11/8), Billy Elliot (11/8)
Updated On: 12/1/08 at 11:17 PM
Equus (11/8), Billy Elliot (11/8)
#2re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:25pmI said a little... Make that a lot.
"I'm a whirling mass of contradictions." - Douglas Carter Beane, The Little Dog Laughed
Equus (11/8), Billy Elliot (11/8)
Equus (11/8), Billy Elliot (11/8)
#3re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:25pmBit more here: http://www.examiner.com/x-428-SF-Theater-Examiner~y2008m12d1-American-Musical-Theatre-of-San-Jose-ceases-operations
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
gcal
Leading Actor Joined: 10/19/04
#4re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/1/08 at 11:59pmThis is a real shame since AMT recently returned to their "roots", as it were, and started producing their own shows again rather than only bringing in (sh*tty) national tours. Their Full Monty a few months ago was quite good. AMT was also a great advocate of Bay Area High Schools-- that program will very much be missed. I feel awful for the staff and crew... many of whom I know quite well.
singerunlimited
Understudy Joined: 3/19/06
#5re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 12:21amSo, will this affect the tour of "Tarzan" from continuing, or will it close too?
#6re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 12:40amI'm surprised this isn't a hotter topic. This is just disgraceful. I want to hear what TUTS has to say.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
#7re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 1:58amThis makes me sad. I was really looking forward to seeing TARZAN.
Brick
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/21/06
#8re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 2:43amThis is a quite a large company. I'm pretty shocked.
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#9re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 5:48am
What a shame! The sad thing is that by the time the legal action is settled, it will probably be too late so save/re-open the theater.
If the other theater survives this....there is going to be a NUMBER of heads rolling over this.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
emanresu
Swing Joined: 11/22/08
#10re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 5:59am
This may be far fetched but...
I wonder if any GA Christian fundamentalist have anything to do with diverting funds with an intention of hurting the AMTSJ and the CA theather going public as a retaliation for the ousting of a Christian artistic director at CMT.
#11re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 6:43amI blame the Christians.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#12re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 6:58amI believe, shockingly, that HSM 2 is the production they are referring to that lost all this money.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#13re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 9:33amdoes this mean the Tarzan tour is cancelled? I have a friends who's supposed to be in it. Anyone have any info?
#14re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 11:11am
Tarzan is cancelled. The sad part is that The contracts for the show hadn't been sent out even though offers were made in the late summer. Production was supposed to start 2 weeks from yesterday. Equity rules state that you have to have a signed contract on the first day of rehearsal, so the producers were following the letter of the law. However If they had a signed contract today , the actors would have at least been entitled to some kind of compensation out of the bond that the producer has to put up in cases like this.
Needless to say: this has left a bunch of actors in NY in the lurch. A lot of people were counting on that money and had already sub-let their apartments. Bad news all around.
Other than that, did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln?
#15re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 11:20amIt's safe to say that it was HSM2 that caused this. Les Miz preceded it, and it made money hand over fist. It was also partly financed my Cameron Mackintosh so there wasn't a lot of risk involved for TOTS
Other than that, did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln?
#16re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 11:31amI guess instead of show business...this is a case of no business.
#17re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 11:44am
From David Henry Hwang:
"Well, your email was the first I’d heard of this development. I’ve since read the sad news online, and, at this point, can only say that I’m shocked. It seems incomprehensible to me that an established, reputable organization like Theatre of the Stars could have engaged in, at best, gross negligence, at worst, outright deception. Having just enjoyed a blissful experience with AMTSJ on ‘Flower Drum Song,’ I was so looking forward to continuing our collaboration on the American Premiere of this revised ‘Tarzan.’ Needless to say, I’m crushed, not only for myself, but even more so for the demise of AMTSJ, which has enjoyed such a long and distinguished history in the Bay Area. I’m very interested in learning further how this tragic chain of events could have happened."
SJ Mercury News blog
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#18re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 11:51amIsn't "TUTS" Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, TX?
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#19re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 11:55amYes, the one in Atlanta should be TOTS.
#20re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 1:10pmI'm actually amazed at all this. I was in a show for Tots earlier this year. Everything was totally above board.
Other than that, did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln?
junglered
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#21re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 4:00pm
As a patron of Theatre of the Stars in Atlanta for many years, I was dismayed to read this news. Season ticket holders were alerted recently that the upcoming Tarzan production would be cancelled (due to production costs, lagging economy, lackluster sales from the previous production...)and that another show would be scheduled in its place later in 2009.
I just spoke with an authority at TOTS who is aware of the Playbill article in question. Though not much detail can be provided for legal reasons, he asserts that only one side of the story has been told and a rebuttal will be forthcoming.
DrMike
Chorus Member Joined: 5/1/08
#22re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/2/08 at 10:12pmHaving seen TOTS production of High School Musical 2, I understand why it lost money. I left "humming the scenery."
#23re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/3/08 at 11:57amI look forward to reading the rebuttal from TOTS too. Of course, if they were on the ball, they would have already released their press release on this.
#24re: American Musical Theater of San Jose closed, Atlanta's TUTS allegedly m
Posted: 12/3/08 at 12:01pm
Is this their rebuttal? If so, it's kinda lame.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/12/03/tarzan.html
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
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