The San Francisco SHN-SF vs. CSH Debacle. — Page 2

^I didn’t forget about Berkeley Rep and ACT, they just aren’t really what I’m talking about. As you yourself said, ACT only sporadically houses Broadway productions. And when they do it’s usually just a limited tour or other special post-Broadway engagement. And when was the last time that even happened? 7 or 8 years ago? And Berkeley Rep’s pre-Broadway engagements are nice, but again, that’s not really what we’re talking about here.

Sho-Tunes-R-Us, I think you're missing JBroadway's point.

ACT - and the Geary, its largest theater - certainly could host Broadway touring productions. The seating capacity is just over 1,000, comparable to a smallish Broadway house. But that's not what they do. (I don't recall whether they did so in the past.) Moreover, it doesn't really seem to be what they want to do, nor what I would prefer them to do. They have a nice mix of off-Broadway plays on tour, revivals, perennial favorites and original productions. The upcoming sequel to Vietgone is probably the play I'm most looking forward to during the 2019-2020 season.

The Berkeley Rep has two nice theaters, and hosts a mix of regional productions, off-Broadway plays on tour (A Doll's House, Part 2, Fairview) along its own productions and the out-of-town tryouts you mentioned. The Roda Theatre, the larger of the two, seats 600 and there isn't a bad seat. Obviously, it's had several shows start there and head to Broadway, with Ain't Too Proud being the most recent example.

But JBroadway was referring to touring Broadway productions. And it's here where the Curran is the ideal venue for more intimate shows because it's not so big. There's nothing wrong with the Golden Gate Theater or the Orpheum (once inside) to see a big show like Hamilton or Hello, Dolly. But shows that work better in smaller venues can get lost there. Fun Home worked better at the Curran than it ever would have at either SHN house. I fear that The Band's Visit is too small a show to work at the Golden Gate.

From a selfish perspective, the Curran was nice for someone like me who enjoyed seeing smaller touring productions like Bright Star, usually for bargain prices and good seats, while also getting a chance to see new shows and more daring productions. The last play I saw there was The Jungle.

I don't think JBroadway was criticizing ACT or the Berkeley Rep, just pointing out that their mission and programming appears to be different. And as far as seeing new shows that might end up in New York, the Berkeley Rep and the Curran are the two that do that. Losing one of them doesn't seem like a great thing for the SF Bay Area theatergoer. And at this point, it seems unclear what's going to happen going forward at the Curran. None of this is a comment on the merits of the litigation or on the individuals involved. 

Thank you both for clarifying. The Geary, the Roda and the Curran are my favorite houses, but for the massive touring shows the Orpheum is great. Golden Gate just seems "cold" to me . Can't explain why.

I saw that on SFist today. The name is perfect and immediately tells the general public (not us theater nerds!) what it is about. Harkens back to the former season title “Best of Broadway” before SHN scrapped that name. I don’t remember why or when, but it’s been at least what, 20 years?

PatrickDC said: "I saw that on SFist today. The name is perfect and immediately tells the general public (not us theater nerds!) what it is about. Harkens back to the former season title “Best of Broadway” before SHN scrapped that name. I don’t remember why or when, but it’s been at least what, 20 years?"

It's been SHN for so long, I can't recall but I think it was somewhere in the '90s.  But even when it was Best of Broadway, I remember seeing Shorestein Hays Nederlander at the bottom of the ads in the Chronicle's Pink Section.  I think it might've been on the tickets too.

I agree the new name conveys its purpose to the general public, but I liked how SHN was so San Francisco.  Where Chicago, San Diego, San Jose and others are all branded Broadway (insert city name), San Francisco had a name that wasn't concerned with explaining itself.  Another sign of the City losing its edge.