How Lazy can a theatre company be?

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 10:25am

Ok, if anyone has seen me post about Casa Manana before, then you know I am not a fan of it's current artistic director Denton Yockey. However, I do think they have hit rock bottom.

For the third time in five years, they are doing "Wizard of Oz," which is no big deal, a friend and I are going because it's nearly always an enjoyable show to go see. However, it opens next week, and the previous two times they have done the show (once in normal proscenium, once in the mutated thrust), they had lots and lots of hype. This year, nothing. Not even ads in the paper. So, I get up this morning and turn to our Weekly Entertainment Supplement, and there is a picture from it, and the blurb next to it informs us that Casa has not done ANY of the work. They have, with the exception of David Coffee, brought what appears to be the sets, costumes and CAST of the Music Theatre of Wichita's most recent production.

Is it just me, or is this one of the laziest things ever? Yockey has learned that the show sells well, so he feels he doesn't need to put the effort in to come up with a new staging? And people wonder why this man was FIRED from the Houston Grand Opera.

/end rant

P.S. I have nothing against the Music Theatre of Wichita, or it's sets or costumes or cast.

[Kringas]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 10:29am

Don't theatres do that all the time?

[BreakingTheCircle07]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 10:38am

Not a huge deal. Where some would say lazy, others would say cost-effective. This happens often, especially with repeat productions over the course of, as you say, 5 years or so.

Posted: 8/10/07 at 10:39am

Bringing in another production would also garuntee that it will be different than the previous incarnations.

[Kringas]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 10:41am

And I don't wonder why he was fired from Houston Grand Opera. I KNOW why he was fired. And it will not happen again!

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 10:48am

Husk is just sensitive when it comes to El Casa.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 10:49am

This is called bread and butter. If a theatre company knows a certain show will sell out every year (Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz) it is not uncommon to buy or rent sets from a previous production. It saves both time and money and frees up the creative team to concentrate their efforts on something more challenging. How would you like to be the resident designer and have to do the same show year after year? Not a big deal at all. Sounds like you are looking for a reason to hate this guy.

Okay, now I want the dish from the HGO!

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 10:56am

Also, Husk, if you can claim that a company I've never really cared about, Casa Mañana, built up "hype" for a production of The Wizard of Oz, how can you claim that the DFW area is not an audience for an Out-of-Town try out? I think the new Opera House in Dallas will be perfect for it.

http://www.dallasperformingarts.org/

[misschung]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 11:07am

I'm jealous. I want to see the Wizard of Oz

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 11:11am

Oh, it's not the renting that bothers me. I understand the cost-effectiveness. It's the bringing in of the same director AND from all accounts I can find, the cast. That is where I feel cheated. Nothing agains their cast, I'm sure they were great, but I would rather see local talent.

And B3, their inital production in 2002 DID have hype, they started in May, for a production not opening until late July, early August, with full page ads, color ads, TV spots, flyers, etc. Now, it wasn't hype in the "People from out of town will come see this" but enough that everyone who opened the paper KNEW it was being done. Hence my claim on hype.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 11:19am

Why should they spend money on advertising if the show is going to sell out? That is just common sense, not laziness. You yourself said you were going. I don't get your beef. It sounds more personal than anything based on shoddy or lazy producers.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 11:30am

To me, lack of advertisement is lack of confidence in the product. Even if you know a show will sell, you should still advertise. And, with this production several people (including a friend who is also a big theatre nerd) had no idea it was being done.

A lot of the people who go to Casa grew up when it was still a theatre-in-the-round, and they would bring in mainly local talent, with maybe a few New York actors (Judy Kaye in "Jesus Christ Superstar" for example). The beef, as you put it, was a lack of originality. It's one thing to rent sets and costumes, they used the MUNY set for the 2002 production, but to also bring in the director and cast? If I had wanted to see the Music Theatre of Wichita's production, I would have gone and seen it in Wichita. I feel that if I am going to pay the insanely high prices to go to see the show, then I should at least be seeing something a little different than what was seen in Wichita last year.

I dunno if I'm making any sense, but just my feelings.

[Kringas]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 11:35am

Other regional theatres do that all the time, though. The Muny is big on that, as was the Rep in St Louis. In a perfect world, regional theatres would always use local resources, but it just doesn't happen.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 11:39am

Then don't go see the damn show! Pretty simple. By your reasoning Broadway producers are lazy if they don't reinvent a show for a national tour. You are not only being unrealistic you are being stubborn and childish. If you don't like their product don't go. Jesus.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 11:42am

Thank you for calling me childish Suleen.

And no, I do not think for a National Tour they should re-invent a show. It's the same show. When it's a regional production, I feel like I should be seeing something different than the Broadway/National tour.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 11:45am

Check out that sexy architecture, y'all.

http://www.dallasperformingarts.org/

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 12:02pm

I don't know, maybe you ARE a child. But whining about having to see the same sets that they used in Wichita seems pretty childish to me? Have YOU seen the sets before? Have most of the people coming to see Wizard of Oz seen these sets before? And most importantly, DO THEY CARE? Wizard of Oz is one of those shows where familiarity is part of the draw. It is a family show, no one CARES. I will bet you anything all the characters look pretty much like the MGM film version, too. Do you have a problem with THAT?

Posted: 8/10/07 at 12:07pm

TUTS in Houston does this all the time (ie The King and I with Stephanie Powers).

[Laura2]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 12:07pm

SueellenGay why are you always so nasty?

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 12:14pm

I am not the one who started this thread, which I find to be pretty nasty, myself. I am merely trying to point out the immature and childish reasoning of the person who did.

So Lauara2 do you have any opinion on the topic or are you just here to defend your friend? Because I would really like to hear what you have to say about it.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 12:14pm

Sulleen-
Again, said I have no issue with the set, it's the cast/director samness that bugs me. And, it isnt that they aren't using local talent for big roles, it's that they aren't using (at least how the paper reads) ANY local talent beyond The Wizard and the Munchkins.

And, yes I actually do have a bit of a problem with productions that rip off the film. While I do realize Dorothy needs to be in a blue gingham dress, and that Glinda needs to be in pink, etc, you do not need to completely re-create the film costumes. Make your own mark on the show.

And while most people probably do not care, I do, and therefore, if I want to "whine" as you put it, I have every right to.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 12:17pm

Whaaaaa! WHHHAAAAAAA!!!!

[Laura2]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 12:17pm

SuellenGay, I don't have any friends on here yet. Mainly because of people like you.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 12:18pm

Oh, and if you are an actor and are bitter because they didn't use you, get over it. This kind of stuff happens all the time. ALL THE TIME.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/10/07 at 12:19pm

"Mainly because of people like you."


Actually, one would assume it is mainly because you've made a grand total of 4 posts.