Monday, December 13, 2010

Mondays are Dark

Hope you're keeping warm in this sudden cold snap; and I hope you enjoyed the beautiful weekend.  Mosiac's Richard Jay Simon got married, making the best use of the day.  Congratulations, Richard and Dyani.

Here's your Monday Reading List.

Holiday House
A reminder that Conundrum Stages' Holiday House is tomorrow, Tuesday December 14.

Sometimes They Come Back
The Miami Herald reports that Judy Drucker is back - back in charge of Concert Association of Florida, and producing classical concerts.  While not on topic for this blog, we thought it worth noting that this South Florida legend has returned to the company she created after being ousted several years ago.  CAF floundered without her, and lost its pre-eminent position as an Arsht Center resident company.

In an odd tangent that fits the topic if not the subject, the Arsht Center POV tells us about South Floridians who have returned to grace the Arsht Center stage.

CATS and Nutcrackers and Steve Solomon, Oh My
The South Florida Sun warns us that CATS is coming back, informs us that The Nutcracker is playing all over the place, and heralds the return of Steve Solomon in his one hander My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm Home for the Holidays. Last year, Solomon had to cancel the show due to illness after only one performance, but he's back on his game.

Speaking of CATS
BroadwayWorld has details about CATS at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

The Ninth-and-half Ring
South Florida Theater Review turns a critical eye to certain theater patrons:
If Sartre was right in No Exit and hell is other people, the next circle of hell would be a theater with rude people.

We're Necessary
The Playgoer shares recent comments made by President Obama at the Kennedy Center..

Whoopi!
BroadwayWorld reports that Whoopi Goldberg will be playing one night at the Arsht Center in Miami.

Non-Profit Arts Explained. Ouch
Parabasis found a video that shows a common problem for not-for-profit performing arts organizations.

Master Class in Broward
BroadwayWorld reports that the Broward Center is hosting a voice class taught by two time Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel (Thoroughly Modern Millie, HAIR, Mary Poppins, La Cage Aux Folles)

Fall of the House of (an) Usher
TILES shares the story of a Mosaic Theatre volunteer who lost everything to a house fire.
Perhaps you also saw the news report.  I heard a very familiar voice and looked up to see that two of our ushers were indeed in trouble. Their home was decimated by a fire and their beloved dog killed.  You can see a video here or read the Sun-Sentinel article here.   This story tears at my heart.
Going to the Dogs
1st Draft reports that there may be a canine conspiracy afoot (apaw?) at Florida Stage.

Meanwhile...
... we could lose the Cocnut Grove Playhouse. Miami Today News reports that Miami City Commissioner is working against theatre in Coconut Grove by getting into bed with Sony.  Mr. Sarnoff apparently knows less about concert promotion than theatre, otherwise he would note that an existing facility concentrating on music - LiveNation's Fillmore at the Gleason Center - is far from successful.  But let's say Sony is able to make it work; it's still a bad deal for South Florida arts.

Here's the thing about partnering with multi-national corporate conglomerates; they don't care about anything outside of their own profits.  Sarnoff naively states that Sony would "make room" for GableStage, while the reality is that Sony is more likely to build the facilities to suit their own needs, and quietly find a way to crush small local distractions such as GableStage. One need only research what casino gambling did to local business in Atlantic City to grasp the dynamic: the year before gambling was approved, there were 3,500 independently owned business in A.C. - as of 2005, there were only 1,388.  Big corporations don't want any money going into small local businesses; they want it for themselves.

Consider; Sony didn't approach the existing board of the Playhouse, and they didn't approach Joe Adler.  They went to the county government, and you don't do that if you're planning on interfacing with local arts groups.

Mark Sarnoff is now the single greatest threat to the Coconut Grove Playhouse as a proper theater.

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