More theatre closings in the news, etc.

[labricoleuse]

Man, I apologize, you guys--it's grim news up in here right now, what with first the TVA coal fly-ash spill MSDS analysis and now this.

The news today points up a couple more theatre closings to add to that batch from a few weeks ago.

• Boston-area stalwart of 55 years, the North Shore Music Theatre, has announced that unless they sell out their final show of the season and garner more than $4mil in donations before next season, they're dead in the water. They told the Boston Globe they're laying off 57 employees as of January 11th. Happy new year?
  
  
• California's 30-year-old Bakersfield Music Theatre, which operates a mainstage, a dinner theatre, and a school for performing arts, will decide today whether to close their doors, according to this grim little press release.
  
  
• The Baltimore Opera also tanked this month, declaring bankruptcy and cancelling its final two productions.
  
  
• Ballet British Columbia laid off all 38 staff and dancers last month--including their artistic director even--and hoped for magical Nutcracker ticket sales to stay afloat on a shoestring. They met their sales goals on tickets, but no word on if/when staff might be rehired.
  

Here, however, are a couple pieces of good news since i last discussed this topic:

• Locals save Theatre West Virginia! Recall my post of Dec 2nd, in which i mentioned that TWV had lost state funding and was closing within the week. TWV board member Susan Hambric launched an emergency campaign and raised enough money to keep the theatre afloat!
  
  
• Shakespeare Santa Cruz had also announced impending bankruptcy and needed to raise $300,000 in ten days in order to stay afloat. Locals stepped up and they surpassed their mark by over $100,000!
  

How awesome for the TWV and SSC staffs, and how gratifying to know that their community not only appreciates the work they produce, but also their intrinsic value as a vital part of their economy and culture. Theatres are closely connected to the hotel and restaurant industry in terms of patronage, and it's short-sighted to overlook the fact that when a theatre closes, all the peripheral business its patrons brought to an area--the nice dinners in restaurants before shows or wine/dessert afterward, taxi rides, parking revenue, hotel rooms rented, etc--dries up as well. Those industries are more diverse so it's not a domino effect, of course, but they lose that percentage of their business forever. I'm glad that the folks in these communities pitched in and saved their theatres. It's a bright spot in a dark time.



Let's hope 2009 brings me a lot more cool and positive things to write about and focus on.


...Oh! And speaking of positive things, a few folks have asked about how to help the residents of Roane County affected by the coal ash spill.

The organizations United Mountain Defense and Appalachian Voices have been sending relief teams into affected areas, distributing bottled water, safety information, and contact info for filing EPA claims and the like. Also, the Knoxville area Red Cross chapter has been on site as well, setting up shelter services and providing meals to locals and relief workers.

They're the only groups with boots on the ground whom i've heard of doing aid work with affected residents. (If you know of others, please comment and let me know!) They all accept online donations, via paypal or their own CC processing services, and if you poke around you can find mailing addresses for sending paper checks or other requested items. Water, photocopying services (for safety info and forms), and particle masks/respirator cartridges/related PPEs seem to be the big expenses?

Comments

[emzebel.livejournal.com]

Oy.

[greeklady.livejournal.com]

How funny. I live "over the hill" from Santa Cruz and I didn't catchwind of the impending bankruptcy. I either need to get out more or something.

unhelpful sorrow in Baltimore

[noralita.livejournal.com]

dang. could woulda shoulda bought more tix. I am sad in Baltimore, but will look forward to their "such time as we can return grand opera to the stage of The Lyric" and spread the word.

More info on closings

[(Anonymous)]

Hey, Rach, It's Em. I talked with Reina on FB and she said LA Opera is closing from March-July. We, here at Imagination Stage, made budget cuts and have to take one furlough day a month for the rest of the season. We're doing really well because we prepared in advance. Olney Theatre and Roundhouse here in MD have fired lots of people as well as Arena Stage in DC. Arena even canceled one of their shows. Most companies have hiring freezes as well. Looks like if theatres can cut sensibly and stay within their means, they can survive. It's a scary world for us theatre folk right now though.