I'm going on Wednesday. How ironic that people once again talk about avoiding certain venues because of street crime. But I'm not gonna stay at home and watch Netflix. I can remember when you had to run the gauntlet from the subway to the theater in Times Square to see GREASE, THE WIZ, A CHORUS LINE, PIPPIN, and yes, ANNIE. Heck, my friend and I were talking just last night about what an act of courage it used to be to go to Avenue A or Ludlow Street.
I live walking distance from this venue; turns out I've got a death wish. Never woulda known if Annie hadn't come in! Guess I better start carrying a switchblade. Thanks for the heads-up.
Wife was supposed to attend a concert at the venue on Friday night that was cancelled with no reason given --- wonder if this is the reason ( was the 2nd time this particular concert was cancelled)
Saw Josh Groban there a few months ago - the theatre is beautiful, but the surrounding area one of the worst we've ever seen, and we live in Brooklyn .
Heads will roll over who thought renovating a long closed theater in a high crime area was a good idea.
It is a beautiful theater. Having said that this was the worst idea in quite some time. People are staying away which is apparent due to low ticket sales and events being cancelled. I think Annie's engagement was curtailed due to this. On BWW it says 12/27 but on another site it says 12/20. The Brooklyn Paramount renovation is different as it was in much better shape and I do not think the area is nearly as bad.
Gumption is one thing but going into this area at night is madness. It is like walking in Central Park at 2 am with 100 dollar bills hanging out of your pocket. I wish you luck. Even "The Show" might have trouble selling out there and the theater is almost 3 times the size of the theater it is playing at.
skies said: "Sadly many theatre goers have lost their gumption. Netflix indeed."
Gumption means "shrewd or spirited initiative and resourcefulness." How does that relate to anything being discussed here?
Getting to the venue is both time consuming, costly and not very safe. This is a show that depends on kids to fill its seats. The target audience is not "theatregoers" so this is not comparable to going to the Limbo Lounge in the extreme east village thirty years ago.
The only reasonable way to take your kids to see this show instead of going to, say, Matilda, is to take a cab (or Uber, car service etc).That'll set you back over a hundred bucks from midtown.
The theatre, on and off and off-off Broadway is thriving. Just because people don't want to be an innocent victim in a war between rival drug gangs does not mean they are staying home watching Netflix. A bit of perspective seems in order.
You renovate this theater after or while the area is coming back, not when it is still bad. My first reaction when I heard they were renovating it was that someone had lost their mind. They did a better job than the New Amsterdam as it was in worse shape but the main question was why it was done. The theater had been closed and exposed to the elements for over 40 years ..Hopefully one day the area will have a renaissance .
Going to this theater at night would be akin to reliving American Sniper with patrons as the targets.. Let us know your thoughts when you return. I will light a candle for your safe return
Yikes, I have comps for Thursday evening but now I am scared to be in the neighborhood. The pics of the renovated theatre look absolutely beautiful but the neighborhood...
No, DAME, do not listen to me. For that matter, do not listen to the other posters saying the same thing. Look at post # 15. Do not question why events are cancelled or Annie's run is being shortened. . Do not look at that map/chart someone else posted. No ignore all evidence. We are famous for ignoring evidence on things we do not want to hear. I would love to see the theater renovated as I was in it a few times before it closed and since it closed. I know the area.,
Do what you want. Just do not castigate people who will not go because of well justified safety concerns .
As so often happens here, this discussion has now fully confounded two ideas.
I would not hesitate to go to this show if I had the slightest interest in seeing a third tier touring production of a play that just had a meh revival on Broadway in a recent season and another production that seems like it was a few minutes before that.
But I would not translate my belief that I know how to handle myself on the mean streets of Brooklyn to a belief that families with children are going to leave the comfortable confines of their hotels rooms in Times Square or their apartments on the Upper West Side or their homes on Long Island or even their brownstone in Park Slope to travel to Flatbush and Beverly. And that's the issue here. This production is not about revitalizing neighborhoods; it is about filling seats and in this case a lot of them.
I feel worried about the cast. I hope they have protection when they exit the theatre especially the children.
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement
HogansHero said: "As so often happens here, this discussion has now fully confounded two ideas.
Talk abou confounding:
Hogan's own words:
"Just because people don't want to be an innocent victim in a war between rival drug gangs does not mean they are staying home watching Netflix. A bit of perspective seems in order."
Its one thing to say the theatre is inconvenient; it's another to say that the drug gangs make the venue untenable to navigate.
"when I’m on stage I see the abyss and have to overcome it by telling myself it’s only a play." - Helen Mirren