Best City [outisde of New York State] to live in, theatre-wise- Page 2

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 11:36pm

Birmingham, Alabama

The theatre community has grown to ENORMOUS hights there.

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 11:36pm

Birmingham, Alabama

The theatre community has grown to ENORMOUS hieghts there.

[mint0621]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 11:59pm

I second San Diego!

Many shows begin their pre-Broadway run there, i.e. DRS, Rent, Thoroughly Modern Millie & The Times They are a Changin'. La Jolla Playhouse & Old Globe has great theater, and tours are always going through the city.

SD has a fabulous symphony as well.

The only complaint I have is that San Diego does not have an active ballet company.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:02am

mint, Rent did not have a pre-Broadway run in San Diego.

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:21am

I always make it a point to look for shows to see when I travel on business, and while London has never let me down, there was nothing interesting playing in San Francisco either this March or last.

But I had to second Philadelphia as a city worth a theater field trip. Take a Peter Pan bus from Port Authority for $40 round trip, and see whatever's on at the Walnut St., Arden or Prince. We saw Dreamgirls last Christmas and are still talking about it.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:24am

"Birmingham, Alabama" Ummmmm....OK...Sure.

The problem with that is that when the show is over, you are still in Birmingham.

I still say SF and I have lived in NYC most of my life and a few years in Boston.

[BroadwayRandy0711]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:40am

Thanks TomMonster for mentioning Houston. I live here and believe that Houston entertains their citizens with great shows, tour and local. Well at least the best in the south. IMO.
I do agree that San Francisco and Chicago are superior to Houston, in terms of theater and some other attractions.

[IveGottaBeME]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 1:42am

Philadelphia is great. Caroline or change!!!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 1:53am

The Fort Lauderdale-Miami-West Palm Beach area sux. I had to go to Clearwater FL(5 hours away) to see BOMBAY DREAMS and MY FAIR LADY. I will also have to drive a few hours to see LEGENDS!

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 2:23am

Yes, Chicago has a LOT of theatre. And a lot of it is not very good. But there is great theatre among the crap. There is always something to see. Not that all of it is worth seeing, if you know what I mean.

By the way, if you are moving here (or even if you aren't) no one who lives here calls it "Chi-town." At least that I know. It's like calling San Francisco, "Frisco". Just a tad touristy.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 6:00am

I'd prob go w San Fran & Chicago too. Toronto could be included but only ( and its a stretch IMHO) if u include Stratford and Shaw festivals each about a 2 hr drive frm TO proper.

[IssaMe]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:08am

As a resident, I'd have to say London in every way.

Miami will get better when the new PAC opens with "Piazza" and tons of other shows and events beginning in Sept. (official opening ceremonies take place the first week of October, so technically "Piazza" is playing there before the place opens).

So when Miami is coupled with Ft. Lauderdale, that area is much improved. It took them long enough though.

[ILUVTOMG]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 7:18am

Chicago! they get all the big tours, have great off bway and off off bway type theatre - the best. oh, and 'boystown' ain't so bad either (and i'm not talkin spencer tracy)

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 9:18am

sabrelady, have to disagree with you because even without Stratford and Shaw, Toronto still has more theatre opportunities than Chicago, and WAY more than S.F. And if you do include Stratford and Shaw, there's no comparison. I wasn't including them when I made my original comment but I suppose you could include them because the bulk of their audiences come from the GTA. In any case, Toronto fans have an abundance of opportunities to see stage work, of all kinds and at all prices.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:28pm

Even with the new theatre in Miami and the fact I still have West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, I still find the theatre very limiting down in South Florida, and the theatres are way too big.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:45pm

The Fort Lauderdale-Miami-West Palm Beach area sux. I had to go to Clearwater FL(5 hours away) to see BOMBAY DREAMS and MY FAIR LADY. I will also have to drive a few hours to see LEGENDS!

And that is a BAD thing?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:52pm

Yes it is! We also got some really bad shows, ok, i will say it, Barbie in Fairytopia, Oklahoma, Movin' Out, 42nd Street, Spamalot, Stomp, etc.

[sondheimsweetie07]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:56pm

the second city = love

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:57pm

muscle, you didn't like Barbie in Fairytopia? I am shocked.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 12:59pm

"Toronto still has more theatre opportunities than Chicago, and WAY more than S.F."


But when the show is over, you are still in Toronto!

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 1:06pm

Sueleen, what do you have against Legends!?, My Fair Lady or Bombay Dreams? This new revival of Legends! hasn't even opened, so it is very vulgar to talk about shows you haven't even seen, I doubt you saw the other 2 either.

[trikaraokeidol]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 1:08pm

As crazy as it sounds, LA has really been shaping up as a theatre town in recent years. Any given weekend, there are at least 100 live performances going on within a 25-mile radius from cabarets to touring shows to sit-down productions. Plus it's not too far to San Diego for a day trip at the Old Globe (which I have done many times).

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 4:06pm

That's 3 votes for Philly and if Eddie V. and that adorable Michael McArdle were reading this...bet we'd have 5!

Tastykakes and soft pretzels for the house!

(perhaps BWW would fly me around to do an article on my top 10 favorites...let's start with LaJolla)

[jimnysf]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 4:15pm

I once spent a year in Philadelphia, I think it was on a Sunday.

Last week, I went to Philadelphia, but it was closed.


Here lies W. C. Fields. I would rather be living in Philadelphia.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 4:21pm

lovin' it...