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

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 1:30pm

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

[theaterguy11]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 2:24pm

too bad the show isnt in the Curren Theater where it actually HAD it's pre-Broadway tryout. The real Jewel box of SF theatres. The Orpheum is in a terrible area and it really all not that attractive of a theatre. It's a shame.

[roseaddams]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 2:47pm

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.

[DryMartini]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 3:08pm

Wicked? Never heard of it.

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 3:10pm

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.

[theaterguy11]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 3:27pm

I dunno. I still wish it was at the Curren. Better venue all together. Right in union square. Perfect place for shopping and getting food. Oh well

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 3:35pm

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.

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 3:37pm

this is some pretty WICKED news....

not surprised at all.

at this point, I have nothing against the show (I enjoyed it and the material is decent) but I'm just sick of it. it's everywhere.

[jarretSF]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 3:53pm

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

[mll85]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:12pm

The area around the Orpheum isn't that bad, well not as bad as the area around the Golden Gate atleast. It's not my favorite of the three SHN theaters but I don't mind seeing shows there. But if what someone posted on the SF board has any validity, there's a possibility the Curran might get a long term resident. Which is probably one of the reasons why Wicked isn't going to be there.

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 8:46pm

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

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 10:11pm

Congratulations to Wicked!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/9/08 at 11:08pm

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

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 12:21am

Are you sure Wicked will be an "open-ended" show? I thought it was just going to be here for the year, maybe two? I hope no longer. Now, I'm hearing they are going to put something long term into the Curran?

Why? With Wicked at the Orpheum for whenever, do we need another sit down show? Humm...especially if they are dreaming about Phantom. Or are they moving Rent from NYC to SF now?

I wish they wouldn't do this.

I wish they would have put that BART station across the street but too late now. It blocks the Theaters view from the street. Very tacky.

I love the Golden Gate. It has vehicle approaches on both sides. It's the neighboring business' that I don't like about the location. It does have some transitional housing right around the corner, that also encourages some locals to hang around. Some of those people are probably disabled though. So more jobs around there couldn't hurt. I love the corner marquee design of the GG and I hope SHN can develop a better relationship with the City, so that everyone in the Neighborhood could benefit from renovations. Not just a few.

Of course, if we could just have some good shows in those three big Theatres, that alone would be a big improvement.

[Kevinoes]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 8:49am

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

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 10:00am

This news isn't too new, but it's good that it's finally leaving Hollywood!

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 10:14am

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.

[mll85]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 1:38pm

Why the San Francisco authorities cant clean up the last bad area of the city centre i don't understand.

I live in SF, and attempts have been made to clean up the area but it's near impossible to try to get anything done in that district due to the nature of SF politics. Too many special intrest groups/lobbyist and politicans with differing agendas get invovled and then it just turns into a shouting match between everyone because they all want to get their way without compromises and then it just ends at an impasse and nothing gets done. And it doesn't help that the supervisor of that district seems more intrested in pushing his personal agenda then improving the area he repersents.

But anyway, they have booked sitdown production at the Curran in the past. Jersey Boys was there for 10 months before it closed the first time and previously Phantom was there for 5 years. But when the Wicked tour played the Orpheum in '05 the run was sold out, so they know the show can do well in that theater. Updated On: 4/10/08 at 01:38 PM

[tourboi]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 2:09pm

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".

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 2:09pm

"The Starbucks of musical theatre"
I couldnt have said it better myself. Same color scheme too. Im so sick of this miserable musical.

[lildogs]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 2:21pm

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."

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 2:46pm

While I do agree that it is EVERYWHERE lol, I think that is due to its high demand. So I don't think the majority would call it a "miserable" musical lol. I think it's obvious that most people enjoy it. You may not like it, but it's by no means "miserable".

Sorry...I'm not even someone who defends Wicked that much...the wording just kind of bothered me

[Rigazzi2]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 4:37pm

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.

[theaterguy11]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 4:46pm

Thats not toally true. Yes, there is a BART station right there...however I the SF Bay area, most people drive. Honestly. It's main audience will be people coming in from the east bay, south bay and north bay. Hardly any parking near there...What is there is far away. If I had young children, I dont think I;d bring them to the area. A BART station= not what the majority of Wickeds audience will use.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 4/10/08 at 5:59pm

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.