WICKED will have open-ended run in San Francisco's ORPHEUM THEATER.

Pardon me, if this has been posted already... you know I dont keep up with 'the Wicked-ness' ...but since I am going to San Fran and hopefully I can do a thread on the ORPHEUM THEATER....here you go...

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116634.html
West Coast Wicked fans, fear not. Although the Los Angeles production of the hit Stephen Schwartz-Winnie Holzman musical will play its final performance at the Pantages Theatre Jan. 11, 2009, another open-ended production will begin that same month in San Francisco.

San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre will be the home of the latest sit-down production of Wicked, which began life in a tryout at San Fran's Curran Theatre before arriving on Broadway

Updated On: 4/9/08 at 01:30 PM

I've never been in the Orpheum, but it's not in all that terrible of an area. It's on Market Street a few blocks down from Union Square. There isn't too much around it, but it's actually quite pleasant and much less grungy than a lot of other places in the area.

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The Orpheum is not as bad as the Golden Gate, and you can basically step out of BART and into the theatre. Or step off BART and huddle in the Starbucks across the street, which a lot of people seem to do.

There are a fair amount of aggressive homeless people and it's not the nicest area, but it's not the worst, either. It will be interesting to see how it goes with the lotto folks hanging around.

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Yeah, the Orpheum is a bummer. The Curran happens to be one of my favorite theatres -- anywhere -- and the Orpheum is among my least favorite. Ah well.

Hey they Finally announced what I've been saying for a year now.

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That show really is becoming like the Starbucks of musical theatre...

The best part about the Orpheum (besides its proximity to BART) is the bathroom situation.

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Maybe San Francisco will pull a Giuliani like in the mid 90s in NYC.

Try walking around the Orpheum just after a show gets out and the crowds thin out. Its a dire area. It is a shame it couldn't play The Curran but as that is San Fran's premier touring theatre they arn't going to let that get booked up for a year or more. Why the San Francisco authorities cant clean up the last bad area of the city centre i don't understand. I love going to San Francisco on my 2 visits a year but the theatre district is one of the most unwelcoming and a dangerous i know.

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They're calling it open-ended, but I believe it's only actually booked for a year or a year and a half. They'll just release "blocks" of tickets (a few months) at a time and keep saying it's being "Extended".

Oy--I played that theatre with GREASE for several weeks...not a fun spot at all.

As Dave Chapelle once mused "I've never seen crack smoked so casually."

Let us not get our proverbial panties in a twist. I think the "second sit-down show in the Curran" rumor is false. I know SHN well enough to know that even they know that would be a sketchy choice to have two of its three theatres booked with open-ended sit-downs.

The Orpheum isn't nearly as bad as many are moaning about. Granted, the Curran IS in the better neighborhood and is a lovely theatre, but the Orpheum has had some MAJOR restoration work over the last decade and is in fantastic shape. It's a beautiful theatre and it IS right above the Civic Center Station, making it the most convenient of the three for audiences. The Orpheum is a much more sensible choice for an open-ended run of "Wicked" than the Curran simply because SHN would most likely want to keep their most Broadway-like theatre available for other high-profile shows, etc.

I think this is all good news and nothing to be too tizzied over.

Well, I really think that many will use the Bart system to see this show. It will make it convenient for those Teens and College students to get in and out of San Francisco. I just don't like how it blocks the view of the Theatre. I agree that is it is beautiful inside, with a covered entrance so you don't have to stand in the rain to buy a ticket.

I'm hoping you are right tourboi. I missed that announcement stating it was open-ended. As long as we get the majority of popular shows it won't matter to me.

I agree to a point about the Orpheum's location. It isn't much better than the Golden Gate. Lot's of people are complaining and talking about this problem in San Francisco. Like mentioned though, it isn't easy solve. Write the Mayor, like SHN does and tell him, Van Nuys now looks decent, it's time to focus some attention into bringing more tourist friendly business' to that part of Market St. The economy is going to get tougher but for some, it should be an opportunity to pick up some Real Estate at a reduced price.

It's time too for the City to start issuing fines to those who are not taking responsibility for the upkeep of their properties. Both of these tactics will improve the Neighborhood and make it a better place to visit.

Though honestly, I just walked around those areas and spoke to many of the locals. Very few muggings and I ran into no one who was ever threatening to me. The biggest problem was a lack of something to do during the day in that area. Too many vacant business'. As soon as they move in some viable business' in that area, the drug dealers will be forced to move somewhere else. I only see them being there because the Golden Gate is basically abandoned when there isn't a show running out there. I saw cops patrolling the area on foot, so at least now anyone should feel a little bit safer out there when seeing a show. It seems the GG has more parking than the Orpheum does. So for the Orpheum, the best route is Bart for that venue. I'm considering the Ferry from Marin. Trying to get a cab on Market St is almost hopeless. Carry some change for the bus! Those cabs do hang out mostly in front of the better Hotels.