Donald V. Calamia (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} critic_don) wrote,@ 2009-10-13 12:06:00 |
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YET EVEN MORE RANDOM THOUGHTS
- It's got to be very disappointing for an actress (or actor) to look out into the audience and see only four people sitting there. But that's what happened last Saturday at Matrix Theatre where I was reviewing Happy Days. If she was frustrated by the severe lack of attendees, she sure didn't show it. Instead, she gave one heck of a performance - in a difficult role and in a difficult setting. For that alone, I was impressed! Read my review here: http://www.encoremichigan.com/article.ht
ml?article=2049. - If you're a subscriber to EncoreMichigan.com's newsletter, Curtain's Up, take a look at the number of professional productions that are opening this week: 19! I think that's an all-time record!
- But that's not all. My master calendar shows 88 openings this month - which is a combination of the state's professional, amateur and collegiate theaters. Last year there were 78 shows. if I factor in a handful of companies that only began listing shows with us, there's still a year-over-year growth - and that's a very healthy sign, I think. Do you agree?
- Since when did Thanksgiving weekend become a popular time to open a new production? Evidently, THIS year - because the following professional theaters are all opening shows that week, either in previews or as the official start of their runs: Performance Network, The Gem Theatre, BoarsHead Theater, The Encore Musical Theatre, The Box Theatre, Blackbird Theatre and Williamston Theatre. (Did you notice that ALL of Washtenaw County's pro theaters - except for The Purple Rose, which will still be running Escanaba in November - are opening or previewing shows that weekend? Is that crazy, or what?) It will certainly be interesting to see how well attended these shows will be. But it will ALSO be interesting to see how much we in the media - those that are left, that is - will be able to cover...
