for those of you in Los Angeles...

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/7/05 at 9:24pm

sorry if I shouldn't post this here... but anyways...

i miss the fact that we no longer have sit down shows here... or rather shows that play here for a long time... Phantom played here for a long time back in the day... Les Miserables ran for like two years I think... Miss Saigon for almost a year... same with Lion King...

do you think Los Angeles wouldn't make money on sit down shows? and I don't count the Ahmanson which makes their shows stay here for like two months...

[bjivie2]

Posted: 1/7/05 at 9:34pm

Didn't Hairspray sit down for like 7 months or something crazy like that? Don't be sad, we in Seattle hardly get shows more than a week. But the Lion King is staying almost 2 months. Too bad I'm too poor to see it... $100 for a tour. Crazy.

[MagicToDo82]

Posted: 1/7/05 at 9:46pm

bjivie, what is your pic from? It looks fun:)

Hey kids, I'm from Michigan. We're lucky if we get a week here in East Lansing. Detroit fares slightly better.

[lite2shine]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 12:24am

LA is still a film/TV town, so live theatre is hard to survive. Still, there are tons of small to medium theatres in LA and surrounding area.

Hey, after POTO left there is no sit down show in SF either. I doubt there is any other than Vegas that has a sit down show outside of Broadway, so don't be discouraged.

Big River is coming to LA next week, are you going to see it? You MUST!
Light To Shine unofficial fan site for Big River

[ElTico68]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 1:14am

bjvie2... hi... from Kirkland.

The worse part about the tours that come through Seattle is not only the they stay for one or two weeks, but they are WEAK. I saw "Chicago" on tour and it was bad; saw "Fosse" on tour, and when I saw the DVD, I was like "that's not the same show we saw live". It just wasn't engaging.

There are exceptions. The recent tour of "Rent" and the current "Lion King" are exceptional.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 1:18am

Magic, my pic is from a production of Little Shop I directed this summer. Check out this http://www.villagetheatre.org/Graphics/movies/Little%20Shop%20of%20Horrors%20trailer.wmv to watch a little video of it if you want.

ElTico, I saw Fosse, and I agree. It was weird seeing it done right on DVD. But then again I was in the 3rd row and was distracted by seeing sweat fly off people's bodies when they spun. I'm not sitting that close for a dance show again. But I disagree with Rent. There were some good performers, but the show as a whole was lacking. But JoAnne and Collins were AMAZING. I'm really looking forward to Big River. Go check out http://www.seattleactor.com for Seattle info. I write a column for it.

Updated On: 1/8/05 at 01:18 AM

[lite2shine]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 2:28am

bjivie, it is indeed cute icon! You want to sit close to the stage for Big River though to really enjoy the signing.

ElTico, as bjivie pointed out, Big River's final stop in the tour is at Seattle. I have a friend who will fly from Japan to see the closing performance. I wish I could go but I doubt it. I hope you will see the show.

[eslgr8]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 3:20am

Back to the topic at hand, I would say that the main reason shows don't have that type of extended run in L.A. is that in most cases (Lion King & Phantom being two exceptions) there is not the local audience to justify them. Broadway seems to me the only place which people travel to just to see shows, and Broadway shows which run for years and years depend on out-of-towners for their long long runs. We have plenty of tourists in L.A., but they don't come to see shows. Also, there are only a few theaters with the 1000 seats and stages big enough to host major new Broadway musicals (the Ahmanson, the Pantages, the Wilshire...what else is there? The Shubert is no more.) I'm curious as to why you feel the need for "sit down" shows. I much prefer the huge variety of productions we can see here in a given year. It's possible to see literally dozens of musicals in the L.A. area (in big theaters like the above mentioned, medium sized like the Geffen and the Pasadena Playhouse, 99 seat theaters, plus all the Civic Light Operas anywhere from Redondo Beach to Downey to Fullerton to Thousand Oaks). I'm pretty satisfied with what we have here. My only gripe is that it takes so long to get new Broadway shows here, but obviously that's because they want L.A. $$$ spent in NYC.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 3:50am

oh it's not necessarily a NEED for shows... i just realized that shows don't do that anymore here... i like that shows are here for 7 or 8 months at a time... but i was wondering if anyone misses that here... i know i do... i love watching touring shows and smaller theaters here in LA... but i will admit... i miss seeing sit down shows here (especially Miss Saigon)

[eslgr8]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 3:54am

I see what you mean. It would be nice to go back every few months and see a favorite show again, the way New Yorkers can. (Speaking of Miss Saigon, I'm seeing what I believe to be the first locally produced Miss Saigon at Fullerton Civic Light Opera in February! Very excited about this because their 1776 (which I missed, damnit!) swept the musical categories in this year's Ovation Awards, so I think we can expect a top notch professional production. At least I'm hoping for it.

[shira467]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 11:56am

While I understand the yen for sit down shows, etc... I'm okay with them being in NYC. But what I don't understand is why any new theater (Opposite of Sex, White Christmas, hell, even Wicked) and many many concerts and things only happen in NorCal.

Everytime I see something and go "Oh, it's in California", I look it up and it's an 8-9 hour drive. Oh well.

So that's my griping. On the other hand, I'm finding plenty of work as a photographer, somehow. I'm just waiting for BWW to send me to San Francisco on trips! (not happening, but a girl can dream)

Before some people start killing me, yes we have had some great things here in LA. CoC, Paint Your Wagon, and others...but not in comparison to NorCal.

[lite2shine]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 12:39pm

>But what I don't understand is why any new theater (Opposite of Sex, White Christmas, hell, even Wicked) and many many concerts and things only happen in NorCal.

That's funny I was thinking the opposite that many new shows start in So. Cal: DRS, TMM, Ragtime (okay it's an old news still it didn't come to SF), Sunset Blvd. (again old news), even Oliver! national tour stops SD and Orange, not No. Cal. And you have Encore! series for concerts!

And as for medium to small theatres, I would say definitely So. Cal (LA, Orange, SD) has more interesting theatres. No. Cal has Magic Theatre, Berkeley Rep, and Theatre Works, (of course ACT but I think they are a large theatre, no?) and they are good but I see more line ups that are interesting for me in So. Cal.

So I guess it's true "the grass isn't always green on the other side."
Light To Shine unofficial fan site for Big River

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 2:53pm

eslgr8... i did not know Miss Saigon was being done at Fullerton... i am definitely going to go now!!!! i love this show so much!!! any idea who's in the cast?

and lite2shine... i am debating on if i really really want to go to see Big River (i think it may be sold out soon but I'm hoping to buy 1/2 price tickets since most Ahmanson shows have it)... actually i really want to see it... but there are so many shows coming to LA or to the So. Cal area and this Christmas was a an ass kicker to my wallet.... but AIDA is returning and Pippin is being done by Reprise... just too much

[lite2shine]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 3:57pm

eatlasagna, I don't know if Big River will have 50% off as they are selling really good. But regardless, you have to see it! Especially, OBC cast Tyrone Giordano, Michael McElroy, Daniel Jenkins, and Phyllis will be there. Dan's contract ended last month but he extended his contract just to appear in LA run! It's a treat for us :)

Posted: 1/8/05 at 4:15pm

FYI: Big River is up on goldstarevents.com


As for theater in LA. I have lived here for 19 years, having grew up in Philadephia, near to Broadway. As I LOVE NYC and theater, I have found more than enough good (and not so good...Paint Your Wagon, being the latest...Paint your Nails..it's more fun) things to see than I ever imagined. How amazing it was to see the birth of Millie, Full Monty and Scoundrels down SD way. BSM in Ragtime, Glenn Close in Sunset, Crawford in POTO. On the medium to small front, Arabian Nights was breathtaking, Flower Drum with Lea Salonga, Big River, some great stuff at Reprise! including SITPWG, 1776, Merrily We Roll Along, Mack and Mabel. Liza in the S.T.A.G.E. benefit, Chita Rivera honored at a spectacular dance concert. Valeria Pettiford workshop of her one-woman show....Diva's Simply Singing with a stunning Megan Muhlally....Maureen McGovern slaying them in W Finn's Elegies...The Producers with Marty Short and Jason Alexander, a steady stream of quality National Tours, including Marissa and Matthew in Hairspray....I could go on.

Say what you will about "La La Land", "The Left Coast", "The Land of Fruits, Nuts and Taco Huts", but it's been a terrific time here for theater, so far. And I have about 3 or 4 new things to see this month...talk about going broke!

As far as bigger houses, we now have The Kodak, and Disney Hall could be interesting if used properly.

PS: Years ago I came in contact with Barbara Marshall (Garry's Wife and huge Ahmanson supporter). Her words: They ONLY reason they closed POTO is because the Ahmanson was in desperate need of repair. That show probably would still be running!

Yay LA!

[lite2shine]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 5:53pm

>FYI: Big River is up on goldstarevents.com

I just checked, because it says $20 for $75 tickets and my heart dropped! Well, all the performances are sold out on Goldevent now. I guess the minutes people got the e-mail notice, they jumped on it. I'm glad some people could take advantage of that price!

I'm paying the full price but it's all worth it!!!!

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 1/8/05 at 6:12pm

philly doesn't get ANYTHING for more than a week and a half, sometimes more.

[lite2shine]

Posted: 1/10/05 at 6:02pm

I just checked Goldstar Event and they put more discount tix for Big River ($35-37.50)! Those are Rear Orchestra and Front Mezzanine.