Broadcast series a rare opportunity for locals
I wanted to play it safe, so I arrived at the box office at 5:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. one-time only broadcast of the National Theatre of London's "Traveling Light." When I asked the cashier if I should wait in line or if it was OK to go to dinner, she smiled and replied, "I don't think there'll be any line."
She wasn't kidding. There were maybe five of us in the house. This series gives Las Vegans a rare opportunity to see what I suspect is, on occasion, some of the best stage acting in the world. Fathom Events has a full season lineup of internationally broadcast productions. I wish I had seen some local actors and directors in the theater, since watching masters at work is obviously a great way to learn.
Nicholas Wright's new play is a look at the East European influence on the golden days of Hollywood. (The showing began with an announcement: "If you're here to see 'Mission: Impossible,' please leave the theater now.") Coming up is Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Never Dies" (the "Phantom of the Opera" sequel which hasn't yet opened on Broadway) on Feb. 28 and March 7, William Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors" March 1, and Oliver Goldsmith's "She Stoops to Conquer" March 29. Several local movie houses will host the showings. But I wonder how long Vegas will continue to be on "the list," if the box office doesn't pick up. (Info: FathomEvents.com)
What do you do when you want to salute a movie? If you're Gregory Hinton, you write a theater piece.
On Saturday, eight performers paid tribute to the 2005 film "Brokeback Mountain" at the Clark County Library with a series of essays, poems, songs and music. The touring program (featuring local stage talent, directed by Todd Espeland) was the result of Los Angeles-based Hinton's "Ultimate Brokeback Forum," which invited people to comment on their experiences with the coming-out film. The entertainment was a mixture of sadness and humor, representing the views of a surprisingly wide spectrum of ages and experiences.
I don't often get press releases on company letterheads in which an employee announces his resignation and knocks his bosses. Sirc Michaels put out a notice Monday saying he is stepping down as artistic director of the Onyx Theatre, effective this week.
After listing his credits, Michaels writes, in part, "There are many shows in the works that may or may not see the stage. It's a shame as I was hoping to see the theater expand even further. Unfortunately, the owners of the Onyx felt I wasn't taking the theater in the direction it needed to go. I don't agree."
Co-owner Mike Morse is quoted as saying, in part, "We want to move on to projects that we think more closely represent the edgy, exciting, alternative material our audiences have come to expect."
It'll be interesting to see in future months what exactly that means.
Anthony Del Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat @aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.
