Billy Elliot in San Francisco in early 2010 - Page 2

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 7:00pm

Details here: http://shnsf.com/theatres/index.asp?key=44 (Hover over "Theatres" on the left side to view the other ones.)

Curran: closer to tourists, shopping, nice hotels, excitement
Orpheum: closer to public transportation, roomy bathrooms, recently remodeled, knife fights, gun fights, public urination
Golden Gate: small, scares the tourists, has gold lame walls, knife fights, gun fights, public urination, crack hos

Updated On: 1/23/09 at 07:00 PM

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 8:09pm

Thank you for the info Lizzie Currie, unfortunately nothing in there to indicate theatre capacities!

[hpeabody930]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 9:29pm

The Golden Gate (although in a VERY shady area) is the largest of the three theatres, Orpheum is a very close second in terms of size but has a HUGE lobby, and the Curran is in a great area, but pretty small comparatively. I believe of the three though, Orpheum has the biggest stage.

[antonijan]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 10:20pm

Lizzie's tenderknob is gonna explode with all these exciting news!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 10:29pm

Curran: 1667
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curran_Theatre

Orpheum: 1700
http://www.theseats.com/venues/orpheum-theatre-san-francisco-tickets.aspx

Golden Gate: 2844 (somehow I doubt this)
http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/9863.html

[MusicalMo]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 11:41pm

I've played the Curran Theatre and the Orpheum before. The Curran is a wonderful theatre, but has nowhere NEAR the space BILLY would require. There is hardly sufficient dressing room/backstage space and the set wouldn't fit. The Orpheum is the ideal space, depending on how well WICKED does. The Golden Gate area is just downright scary, athough a huge theatre.

[mll85]

Posted: 1/23/09 at 11:54pm

I think the Orpheum has more than 1700 seats. I'm not sure but I think it has around 2000, give or take 100. And I think the Golden Gate has maybe around 2400.

[rowlinvale2]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 12:49am

According to my Phantom playbill, the Orpheum has a 2203 capacity.

[hpeabody930]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 3:36am

They took out over a hundred seats when they renovated the Orpheum 10+ years ago. It used to be the largest but that changed after the renovation.
If they spruced up the area surrounding the Golden Gate (which I honestly don't see happening) it could definitely go there...

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/24/09 at 2:09pm

Many thanks for the information, the Orpheum and Golden Gate is bigger than anything in New York, so alright and theatre sizee, the Curran is similar size to the Imperial in New York and the Palace in London, so could play all three venues would be suitable.

However the Curran, has too small stage, I did not think Billy Elliot wouls neet a big stage!

[antonijan]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 4:55am

Actually, I read that there is revitalization going on there and they are gonna call the area "Central Market" Neighborhood and those new highrises,hotels, apartments and condominiums could contribute to the area's businesses.

The adult superstore is closed for the moment.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 7:59am

Billy Elliot, could just sit down to gauge the market, if it gets a 1 run, it can always then move to Chicago, then Washington, back to the West Coast to Los Angeles, then to Toronto, all these city with the exception of Washington could do a long sit down, touring the cities above could easily take 5-6 years.

It would be possible to have a second touring company to do the minor theatre cities, such as Houston, Des Moines, kansas etc

That is the good thing with the USA, it is big enough to sustain a tour or 2, where back in the UK we are not really big enough to do this, lucky if a tour would last 2 years.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 10:47am

The physical size of the stage at Billy Elliot is not that big. Its the basement that needs to be.

I'm not sure if anyone has been below since BE did all the renovations at the Imperial, but it is seriously ridiculously intricate and extravagant. I honestly have no idea how this show would do a sit down, unless it ripped apart and redid the entire stage area of the theatre.

For example, they dug 16 feet further underground at the Imperial in order to put all of the mechanisms that make the house set, and other piece that comes up from the ground work.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 1/25/09 at 10:55am

Thats true they need a deep stage, for Billy bedroom/stairs/kitchen, which I imagine would need a drop of 30ft. You also have the dining room table/piano/Box that appears but this does not need to be that deep, also in the end you have the miners going down on a lift to resemble a mine shaft. the later two do not need that much depth. It is the Bedroom/stairs/kitchen that needs extra depth, I imagine you could improvise with this and guess you could have this scene come down from the roof, but this might compromise the wire for the Swan Lake scene?

It could be even possible to push this bit in?

[CMU_bway_lover]

Posted: 1/27/09 at 3:36am

Resizing shows is also not unheard of. I just have a hard time seeing them giving up the Curran with SHN needing at least one largeish theater for touring productions (and the Curran is closer to reputable hotels and restaurants, which is good for the touring companies).

Likewise you are forgetting the thing that most recommends the Golden Gate--proximity to the 24 hr. Check N Go, cash is a must for those window cards.

Also has anyone else noticed the bizarre semi re-painting of the Orpheum exterior going on? Wicked opens tomorrow and it's half white half green still.