tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post7912004868184373098..comments2023-09-29T03:23:53.191-07:00Comments on Stage Thrust, with Bobo the Theater Ho: The 2008-09 Spokies: Here are your nominees …Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16492478732621202655noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-25047235426337190372009-07-21T13:50:22.361-07:002009-07-21T13:50:22.361-07:00I don't think the poster was bashing - some of...I don't think the poster was bashing - some of you are too touchy. The last post I read about this (from that poster) merely states a fact. More people see sporting events in Spokane than theatre (even if that happens in other places as well). That makes sense to me. BTW - I believe Civic pays like 8 staff members full time so they are professionals and isn't Interplayers a pro place - the new name says so? I bet the poster has a point. Ask the box office managers of the two theatre when attendance is at it lowest and I bet it is during the NICE weather months (no rocket science). Ask new people why they move to here and the main reasons - great place to raise family and the weather/outdoors.<br /><br />So let's conclude (before anyone flies off the handle again)....<br /><br />YES - no matter where you are Sporting events do better than theatre - with that said a small-mid size market like Spokane already has to battle to get any ticket sales of ANY kind (ask Barry Manilow).<br /><br />YES - folks here would rather be outside that inside (for the most part) during nice weather days.<br /><br />NO - Spokane does not have a major theatregoing audience like Chicago, Seattle, Portland, NY, Minneapolis, etc.... mostly due to market size.<br /><br />Did I miss anything? By my accounts all this spells out as: Do popular shoes in a well-balanced season.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-7609838075398539512009-07-14T20:09:30.589-07:002009-07-14T20:09:30.589-07:00The Los Angeles Colliseum seats over 100,000 peopl...The Los Angeles Colliseum seats over 100,000 people. Ten miles away, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (college games only) seats over 110,000 people. The two venues together seat the entire population of Spokane. I think the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion (Big LA musicals) seats a couple of thousand. The people in LA don't strike me as the Outdoorsy type. What's your point about sports and theatre? What do sporting events and the people who like those have anything to do with theater and the people that like those? I really don't get this whole market mentality comparison and the negativity from theater types toward the nice folks that enjoy a baseball game.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-73824916683674128142009-07-14T17:28:43.965-07:002009-07-14T17:28:43.965-07:00Then say the Theater is not professional as well, ...Then say the Theater is not professional as well, otherwise you're bashing sporting events! The spokane Shock players and coaches get a paycheck. That's professional according to the theaters in town. It certainly isn't a salary negotiated by agents, but neither are the contracts of the actors in town. Sports and theater are not professional in Spokane according to your definition. So don't bag the sports. Bag 'em all or none. I would prefer none. Personally, I don't think 80,000 seats a year in a venue that has a potential for over 3 million seats sold a year is all that much for one franchise (Shock). I think the Chiefs do worse than that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-90473087900309880842009-07-14T14:14:21.056-07:002009-07-14T14:14:21.056-07:00Oh for crying out loud.Sporting events will always...Oh for crying out loud.Sporting events will always dominate everywhere! Wake up and smell the football,basketball,baseball,hockeyetc,etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-3784119958025951122009-07-14T10:40:51.967-07:002009-07-14T10:40:51.967-07:00I am not bashing the sporting events... they ARE N...I am not bashing the sporting events... they ARE NOT professional!!! They are high school kids with pucks and 2nd league (not even MAIN league Arena - that has closed) football players and YET the SPOKANE population SWARMS them.... the point being... this is the challenge we face - no jealously here just making a point that SPokane is a CONSERVATIVE Sporting/Outdoor lifestyle markets and THUS the folks that want new theatre that has never been heard of before need to understand that THERE IS NO AUDIENCE for it - you said it yourself. So yes KUDOS to the smart rich folks that figured out that Spokane will come in tens of thousands to see non-pro sports - it is great for the economy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-87561846977285308192009-07-14T03:01:52.580-07:002009-07-14T03:01:52.580-07:00My favorite play this year was WAITING FOR GODOT. ...My favorite play this year was WAITING FOR GODOT. Musical...I can't be objective so I'll leave that one blank. <br /><br />But really...I'm still just trying to figure out the whole "crabs in the bucket" thing. Are supporters of local theatre the ones IN the bucket or the ones trying to crawl OUT of the bucket?<br /><br />(And speaking as one who has done quite a few shows at Civic, the only thing I really have against the Shock or Hockey or Cher or Elton John or whoever is the horror of trying to park at the theatre on a game/concert night!)Jeannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-78271994239822069032009-07-12T08:23:18.717-07:002009-07-12T08:23:18.717-07:00Loved Godspell,Le Miz compared in strength to many...Loved Godspell,Le Miz compared in strength to many other fine productions of it I have seen,Never Swim alone,The Women of Lockerbie was amazing,A Christmas Carol was fresh and entertaining and a few others I can't think of right now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-24353008332229463482009-07-12T07:44:13.011-07:002009-07-12T07:44:13.011-07:00Big venues NY, LA, SF, Dallas etc. are so much sma...Big venues NY, LA, SF, Dallas etc. are so much smarter than small ones - Spokane, Oklahoma City. Small venues behave like crabs in a bucket. As soon as one tries to get out, the others grab on to its leg whining "take me with you", and pull the crab back into the bucket. Or do they really whine, "If I can't you can't!" It's okay that I never did great and I'll make sure you never do either. What is the need here to bash Spokane sporting events as NOT EVEN CLOSE TO PROFESSIONAL?? Does it serve Spokane theater better to do that? Does it serve theater types to envy that the Spokane Shock sell 10,000 seats one day a week for eight performances a year? Stop comparing and being jealous. Shock fans probably are not your target market. Spokane can't have a professional football franchise because the population can't sustain it. The same reason it can't have a professional Equity theater. Even the INB brings in events from the big venue's second and third string understudies. Support your local town on all levels. Or just continue pulling the crabs back into your bucket.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-11414782517619728482009-07-09T19:06:48.148-07:002009-07-09T19:06:48.148-07:00Bobo!!!! You call yourself a critic??!
Sorry to of...Bobo!!!! You call yourself a critic??!<br />Sorry to offend you but how in the world can you nominate NATIONALLY RENTED set pieces and costumes?<br /><br />You mean to tell me that they (whoever it was person) that "assembled with instructions" the Les Mis set did a better job that Davis Baker on his Carol set?<br /><br />He DESIGNED... sketched, CONSTRUCTED a masterpiece that could have been on any pro stage in NY. SAD - TRULY SAD.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-44539500188161880982009-07-09T19:02:52.378-07:002009-07-09T19:02:52.378-07:00I for one liked Godspell and Cuckoo's nest and...I for one liked Godspell and Cuckoo's nest and Never Swim Alone - they were all edgy and challenged me.<br /><br />As for ARt - it failed for ALOT of reasons - this blog not be one of them. ARt could not even figure out how to stay afloat with MINIMAL set costs, MINIMAL Tech costs and LOW to NO (% of the door!!!!!) rent. Think please - just think... what could YOU do with that set up. Man, not a bad set up and they STILL screwed that up.<br /><br />As for transparency - I don't this this blog is it - Um - theatres in this town are Non-Profit Public Entities - NOT PRIVATE Business - meaning they are as transparent as they can get - you want to know what they do - simply walk in and ask to read their minutes. Plain and simple.<br /><br />Believe or don't believe what you read as I am sure words are stretched and changed in the books but that is opinionated argument. Good luck with that.<br /><br />New works as in local works - don't work, New works as in UNKNOWN works, have to be marketing extremely well to have a chance to work - fellow performers and patrons, we LOVE theatre but we must face the facts here... we are a select few when it comes to this market place - SPOKANE is NOT a theatre town. Whomever wrote the think about hockey players and shock football - you are DEAD ON. To think our town intellect is based on NOT EVEN CLOSE TO PRO sports is so so sad but true. The media, even Bobo's own ARTS MAG/PAPER covers that crap WAY TOO MUCH.<br /><br />I look back on years of bashing Civic on this blog and wonder why oh why most of us (including me) can't figure this out... Civic has usually had the best shows and keeps it doors open. We need to cut that organization some slack.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-70098750026291683742009-07-07T14:24:39.751-07:002009-07-07T14:24:39.751-07:00I'm curious fellow bloggers what were the prod...I'm curious fellow bloggers what were the productions you liked this season?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-41884462207882232282009-07-06T20:38:48.393-07:002009-07-06T20:38:48.393-07:00oh please...art died of overspendingoh please...art died of overspendingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-40398654409655841132009-07-05T12:32:04.857-07:002009-07-05T12:32:04.857-07:00If the free speech on this blog has the power to k...If the free speech on this blog has the power to kill a theater, how come InterPlayers still breaths? Welcome to the new millennium. People have opinions and want to express them. The days when a theater's dirty little secrets (Mismanaged funds, embezzlement,nepotism, and yes, UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR)were kept in house are being flushed away in a swirl of Twittering and blogging.Personally I like the new transparency.<br /><br />All businesses have things they would like to keep to themselves.That secrecy is acceptable in most cases except in Non- profit organizations. I hold our local non-profit arts organizations to a higher standard.You want my money? I want to see where it goes.You want my support? I want my hard work to not be trashed by inexperienced management who want to play theater.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-8077805750610985512009-07-03T16:26:53.931-07:002009-07-03T16:26:53.931-07:00Art failed because of mismanaged funds.Enough alre...Art failed because of mismanaged funds.Enough already.I miss Art .Any theatre closing is a shame and causes a monopoly which is not always healthy for the growth of the Artist and the Community.Thank goodness for the consistant and professional level of work at Civic but it is healthy to have other theatres for healthy competition.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-37648191703365260522009-07-03T11:51:37.425-07:002009-07-03T11:51:37.425-07:00Bobo these r a joke actors in Idaho have done the...Bobo these r a joke actors in Idaho have done the national tours of some of these shows.Most of these dancers have studied all thier lives,give me a break.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-62407521947513585972009-07-03T10:35:00.170-07:002009-07-03T10:35:00.170-07:00If ARt failed (and they did) doing productions as ...If ARt failed (and they did) doing productions as good as they did then maybe that's proof that new plays can't work in Spokane.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-36767038508741041092009-07-03T00:03:31.563-07:002009-07-03T00:03:31.563-07:00ARt failed because of gossip on this blog and in t...ARt failed because of gossip on this blog and in this town not because of a lack of audience.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-74804835854067340332009-07-02T22:28:46.461-07:002009-07-02T22:28:46.461-07:00Thankyou Jean for saying what a lot of people have...Thankyou Jean for saying what a lot of people have expressed,did you not see the fine performances by many strong female actresses this season.I understand that you may not always agree with the plays premise but what a shame to ignore fine work.As much as I appreciate your efforts over the years have you considered stepping aside for 3 or 4 years in favor of a fresh look from someone else.I think it would be good for you and the local theatre.Or prehaps share your platform with a 1 or 2 people who would review along with you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-61932390446468902742009-07-02T16:29:59.723-07:002009-07-02T16:29:59.723-07:00it is proven in this town that people DONT see new...it is proven in this town that people DONT see new works.<br />It is SAD. But it is true.<br />They just don't - they'd rather get SHOCK TREATMENT to watch young NON-PRO teens hit a puck around the ice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-72222938093007920912009-07-02T10:41:52.274-07:002009-07-02T10:41:52.274-07:00ARt failed and you want to know their secret?ARt failed and you want to know their secret?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-25478928548323326322009-07-01T23:21:45.826-07:002009-07-01T23:21:45.826-07:00ARt did a nice mix of old and new and seemed to be...ARt did a nice mix of old and new and seemed to be able to sell it. What was their secret?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-22298683956334119832009-07-01T18:11:13.239-07:002009-07-01T18:11:13.239-07:00ANONYMOUS 7/1 Said:
'New as it not scene by th...ANONYMOUS 7/1 Said:<br />'New as it not scene by the Spokane Market or new as in first time ever produced... in which case no will come see it.'<br /><br />No. I don't want to be a playwright (and that's how it's spelled by the way). But I think it's naive and shamelessly incorrect to say that people won't go to new theatre. The whole of producing, whether in theatre, movies, or television, is betting on what will be a hit. What new work will rbing in the most money. NOT "What can we rehash and get people to see." It's THAT thinking that gives you Saw V, Wolverine 4, Transformers 2, and the theatrical seasons for interplayers, the Civic and CDA for years. The whole of theatrical and movie history is based on bringing people in to see a new shows. And it's closed minded people like you that can't get off your ass to buy a ticket to something you've never seen nor read and instead pumps money into revivals, old timey hits, and Michael Bay like Blockbusters that makes theatre a struggling art, movies vacant pieces of crap that are made entirely for opening weekend profits, and, to be honest, making America dumber and less intellectually curious. Try something new once in a while. It might be good for you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-46792278275798842712009-07-01T13:03:25.893-07:002009-07-01T13:03:25.893-07:00Define new...
New as it not scene by the Spokane...Define new...<br /><br /><br />New as it not scene by the Spokane Market or new as in first time ever produced... in which case no will come see it. If you want to be a play write - move to a theatre town or at least Seattle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-56573176394309081662009-07-01T11:21:57.837-07:002009-07-01T11:21:57.837-07:00It'd be grand to have a BEST NEW PLAY award wo...It'd be grand to have a BEST NEW PLAY award wouldn't it?<br /><br />Oh wait. Nobody's doing new work in Spokane.<br /><br />NevermindAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15527783.post-23074886455995665692009-07-01T07:23:13.156-07:002009-07-01T07:23:13.156-07:00Jean, I wasn't making an excuse about Billy Ea...Jean, I wasn't making an excuse about Billy Early's name. I just got sloppy. I got it wrong. I was just pointing out that I did try, ineptly, to get it right. That's all.<br />Thanks very much for your Spokie suggestions. Today by e-mail, I'm inviting a dozen local theater luminaries to form a Spokie voting panel for this coming season. I'll keep you posted on how willing/able they are, and how feasible this idea works out to be.<br />Thursday *Inlander*s are actually available on Wednesdays, noonish, at our downtown office on Riverside.Bobo the Theater Hohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02543482882758983557noreply@blogger.com