Author Topic: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"  (Read 110570 times)

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RuthNY

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Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« on: Jan 02, 2009, 09:22 pm »
I am starting a list of theatres or other performing arts organizations that have closed or announced possible closings in the past year.  Please feel free to add any that I have forgotten.

In no particular order:

Buffalo Studio Arena
Theatre de la Jeune
Opera Pacific
Milwaukee Shakespeare
Magic Theatre
American Music Theatre of San Jose
Shakespeare Santa Cruz (recently saved from the brink, but for how long?)
North Shore Music Theatre
Carousel Dinner Theatre
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nmno

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #1 on: Jan 03, 2009, 11:25 am »
Wow, I hadn't heard about the Magic (which according to it's website hasn't closed but will if it doesn't raise $350K by next week...)  Interesting since I got lots of emails from folks about AMT and SSC; perhaps because those were due to loss of funds that was a little more beyond their control vs. the Magic which is just fiscal mismanagement.  or maybe I'm just better connected to south bay theatre.
Two years ago, AMT and SJ Rep were bailed out by the city before nearly closing...  now this new batch.  I may have to rethink returning to the bay area when my show closes - don't know if there will be any decent jobs left.

PSMKay

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #2 on: Jan 04, 2009, 06:48 pm »
House Theatre in Chicago's on the brink, they sent out a begging letter recently.  Next Theatre in Evanston did a show switch but seems to be doing alright otherwise.  Live Bait also shuttered recently but that was due to the owners leaving the industry rather than the economy.

Chicago seems to be doing OK in general so far, but our hundreds of tiny theatre companies do a pretty good ongoing impersonation of Napoleon's army in Russia on a perpetual basis.

loebtmc

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #3 on: Jan 12, 2009, 06:08 pm »
Along these lines, the LA alternative paper has decided, while keeping the writer, to eliminate the position of theater reviewer (note the language...) - boding a return to the days when LA theater was considered far, far beneath any other major city in terms of arts and culture. Sigh. Ah well...


Quote
LA Weekly Eliminates Theatre Editor
After almost 30 years, the Theater Editor position in a city with 2,000 professional plays opening every year was determined by Phoenix to be a fiscal extravagance.

smejs

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #4 on: Jan 15, 2009, 11:40 pm »
Baltimore Opera canceled the rest of its season and filed for bankruptcy.

Akron Ohio's Carousel Dinner Theatre closed Jan 3rd after 35 years.  (Oops, just saw you already had this one.)

And of course over a dozen shows on Broadway (though can we really count White Christmas in this list?) closed this month.
« Last Edit: Jan 15, 2009, 11:42 pm by smejs »

smejs

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #5 on: Jan 19, 2009, 12:57 pm »
From the Shreveport Times:

Officials with Shreveport's historic Strand Theatre have mailed out a fundraising letter saying that the Strand must receive $175,000 in emergency donations by March 31 or it will close at the end of this season.

And there is a longer term danger for the theater: Officials say the Strand could be boarded up if it doesn't raise an additional $200,000 by the end of 2009 while maintaining corporate sponsorships and selling 55 percent to 60 percent of its tickets for the 2009-2010 season.

The historic building in downtown Shreveport opened in 1925 as an opera house and movie theater. After a closure in 1977 and an extensive renovation, it reopened in 1984 as a nonprofit performing arts center for Broadway touring shows.

MatthewShiner

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #6 on: Jan 19, 2009, 01:19 pm »
The Met is also in trouble . . . and when the Met is in trouble, the whole world should be shaking . . .

From the NY TIMES
January 16, 2009
Metropolitan Opera Faces Cuts, Its Leader Says

By DANIEL J. WAKIN
Just as it was riding high in the opera world, the Metropolitan Opera has been bludgeoned by the recession and now faces a “disaster scenario” unless the company finds major cost cuts, including concessions from its powerful unions, the Met’s general manager, Peter Gelb, said on Thursday.

Its once-mighty endowment of more than $300 million has dropped by a third, to a point where it cannot be drawn from; donations are down by $10 million this season; and ticket sales are expected to be off by several million dollars from what was expected, Mr. Gelb said in an interview.

Mr. Gelb said that he and senior staff members have taken a 10 percent pay cut and that the rest of the staff would do so at the end of the fiscal year, which concludes after the season. He said at least four expensive productions have been canceled or replaced next season as well.

Without drastic action across the board, he said, shortfalls could reach “double-digit” millions of dollars next season. One person who attended a meeting with Mr. Gelb and spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid jeopardizing any future talks said he used the hypothetical figure of a $40 million deficit. This season’s budget is $291 million.

The good news? The Met has scrapped plans for a cumulative 8 percent increase in ticket prices. “We think people can’t afford them,” Mr. Gelb said. Ticket prices now range from $15 to $375. But the decision also means less revenue.

Mr. Gelb delivered the dire message over the past seven days to all 16 of the Met’s unions, and outlined the situation at a regularly scheduled board meeting on Thursday. He said he would address the entire company on Friday in the Met’s auditorium.

“The economic crisis has had an effect on all cultural institutions, and the Met is no exception,” Mr. Gelb said. “It’s affected our endowment, it’s affected our cash flow, it’s affected our revenue streams. What we don’t want is for it to affect our artistic productivity.”

Opera companies, orchestras and most other performing-arts institutions around the country are facing similar problems as ticket buyers are opting for cheaper nights out, foundations have less to give and the wealthy upon whom high art depends are looking at shriveled portfolios.

Mr. Gelb said that thanks to $7 million in administrative cuts this year and support from board members, the Met expects to meet its planned budget goal of a slightly less than a $2 million deficit this year. But the situation will become dire next season without cost savings, he said.

“We’ve asked the unions to work together with us to meet this challenge,” Mr. Gelb said. “If the word is concession, then say they’re concessions. I think the unions and the larger family of the Met believes in the Met as an institution. My belief is they will want to do what is right to keep the Met a vibrant, thriving organization.” Mr. Gelb said he would also ask principal singers to take a reduction in fees.

Two people who attended the meetings and spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were considered confidential said Mr. Gelb asked for 10 percent pay cuts from the unions for each of the next two years.

The New York City Opera, also in big economic trouble, has said it would seek union concessions as well.

The three main unions at the Met represent the orchestra, the chorus and the stagehands. Through a spokesman, officials of Local 1, the stagehands union, declined to comment, as did the chorus members union, the American Guild of Musical Artists. Members of the orchestra’s leadership committee did not immediately return phone messages on Thursday. It was probable that the unions would ask to examine the company’s books before agreeing to any givebacks.

The crunch comes just as Mr. Gelb was to announce the first season programmed on his watch. He took over as general manager in the fall of 2006, and extended the company’s reach through movie-theater broadcasts and the Internet, brought in a bevy of new directors and new productions and raised the star quality of its singers. Mr. Gelb said ticket sales were still stronger than what they were before he took over, pointing out that 21 of 32 performances in December were sold out.

The money woes put a damper on his plans for next season. The planned revival of John Corigliano’s “Ghosts of Versailles” has been canceled, to be replaced by “La Traviata.” Another expensive revival, “Benvenuto Cellini” by Berlioz, has been sidelined. “It’s a great sacrifice, frankly, because it’s a great piece of repertory,” Mr. Gelb said. Its loss was also a blow to James Levine, the music director, who holds Berlioz dear.

Revivals of “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” by Shostakovich and “Die Frau Ohne Schatten” by Richard Strauss are being replaced by two other Strauss operas: “Ariadne auf Naxos” and “Elektra,” respectively.

“When I took this job, I didn’t expect this to happen,” Mr. Gelb said. “Because of all the success the Met has had in the past couple of years, we’re in a better position to face this challenge than we were otherwise. When you go to the hospital for an operation when you’re fit, you recover faster.”
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

jspeaker

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #7 on: Jan 21, 2009, 01:22 am »
Mill Mountain Theatre will be closing its doors this Friday January 23, 2009.  The theatre will complete the run of Driving Miss Daisy with a skeleton staff.  All future auditions and productions are cancelled.
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RuthNY

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #8 on: Jan 21, 2009, 08:42 am »
Here are two  links to support this very bad news:

http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/mill_mountain_theater_closing_to_reorganize_layoffs_begin_wednesday/25423/

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/191841


Mill Mountain Theatre will be closing its doors this Friday January 23, 2009.  The theatre will complete the run of Driving Miss Daisy with a skeleton staff.  All future auditions and productions are cancelled.
"Be fair with others, but then keep after them until they're fair with you."
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smejs

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #9 on: Jan 30, 2009, 11:56 am »
Connecticut Opera Cancels Season's Remaining Shows
--------------------

By DONNA LARCEN
The Hartford Courant

January 30 2009

Connecticut Opera's 2,000 subscribers will get letters today informing them that "Daughter of the Regiment" in March and "La Boheme" in May, the remaining two productions of this season, are canceled. The decision was made by the opera's board Wednesday night.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.courant.com/features/hc-ctopera.artjan30,0,5123393.story

sievep

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #10 on: Feb 04, 2009, 09:55 am »
Connecticut Opera Cancels Season's Remaining Shows
--------------------

By DONNA LARCEN
The Hartford Courant

January 30 2009

Connecticut Opera's 2,000 subscribers will get letters today informing them that "Daughter of the Regiment" in March and "La Boheme" in May, the remaining two productions of this season, are canceled. The decision was made by the opera's board Wednesday night.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.courant.com/features/hc-ctopera.artjan30,0,5123393.story

I think it's important to note that this is not a company closing.  They are making a smart financial decision to ensure the future of the company and future jobs, and I would much rather see this than the complete demise of the company.  I know I participated in these threads to begin with, but I wonder if we're doing more harm than good by feeding into the panic over the economy.  By trade, we are supposed to be the folks keeping a cool head when everything around us seems to be falling apart . . .moreso we are supposed to take action when this happens.  We are a nationwide network of stage managers . . .how about calling your senator today to get the stimulus package through?  Go to http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml and get your elected officials contact info and make some phone calls!
"This lovely light, it lights not me" - Orson Welles

smejs

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #11 on: Feb 04, 2009, 11:57 am »
I have mixed feelings regarding whether to keep these aware for everyone.  While there is a point about "spreading the panic", it's also a little comforting for me to hear I'm not going the only one going through this.  I won't say the name of my company (if you know me personally, you know who it is), but our (non-profit, performing) company has cut every full-time staff member's salary by 10%, and has reduced many of the hours of the part-time staff, and is in negotiations with all the unions.  You try not to say how bad your own business may be doing to the standard passerby, but at this point, I start the conversation with "I don't know of ANYONE in ANY industry that isn't in a similar situation" if anyone asks. And there is the "at least I have a job" mentality that everyone in our office is trying to keep.  Also, we can say "The Met has also reduced by 10%" and feel it's not as bad.

sievep

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #12 on: Feb 05, 2009, 03:38 am »
I see your point Erin.  I think we are all taking one for the team right now, but, I will say that I'm tired of sitting around watching it and not doing something.  I feel like we are on the brink of apathy, or worse whining about the problem.  It's in my nature to do something . . . .The only course we have is to encourage our elected officials to pass this legislation, and quickly, so we can begin the road to recovery.
"This lovely light, it lights not me" - Orson Welles

NomieRae

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #13 on: Feb 05, 2009, 11:31 am »
To add to the list...one of my favorite spaces in NYC, The Zipper Theater closed its doors suddenly a few weeks ago with no talks of re-opening. They also put a lot of shows that were on their program out on the street searching for a venue at last notice.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/125224.html
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Amie

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Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« Reply #14 on: Feb 05, 2009, 10:31 pm »
RE: North Shores

Found this on Youtube on my subscriptions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfXahmx3aPM

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