A Block of Tickets Proves to Be ‘Phantom’; Theatre LA to Award OVIs Starting Monday

The Opera Ghost sent us a copy of a letter to the Ahmanson Theatre from a teacher unhappy that she had to wait until May, 1990, before she could take the 50 students in her Fine Arts Club to see “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Granted, teacher Loma Karklis of Arroyo High School in El Monte was particular. She wanted only the best orchestra seats for her young audience. (“They were paying the full $50 price,” she reasoned. “Why settle for less?”) But what angered Karklis was that even though she had approached the theater in April about a January date, it would be May--a full year later--before her request could be honored.

Why? Because in January and February blocks of prime orchestra seats have been set aside for American Express Gold Card holders and, in March and April, for Ahmanson subscribers. As Rosalie Lazarus, the group sales representative for “Phantom,” explained, that made it difficult to carve out a 50-seat block of really good seats. So she recommended May.

A long wait, yes, but ultimately no problem as long as Karklis and her students get what they want. But a lot of other people have made their unhappiness known about the preferential treatment for American Express Gold Card holders. When it was first announced, Tro Konalian of Pasadena complained that “now the public is expected to somehow combine the worth of art and their finances.” Laura Goldman of Redondo Beach called it an “elitist market tactic.”

“I wouldn’t call it preferential treatment,” said “Phantom” general manager Alan Wasser. “We have a longstanding relationship with American Express. What we worked out was that they provided certain incentives for us and we provided a relatively modest allocation of seats.”

What incentives? “They sponsored our opening-night party and placed some advertising. We offered them 120 prime seats (per show) over a period of eight weeks. Out of 931 orchestra seats and 334 front parquet seats, that’s not many. Generally, we try to keep seats available for groups, but with ‘Phantom,’ because of the demand, it’s been awesome to try to keep tickets out the hands of scalpers. At least the seats that went to American Express didn’t go to the scalpers.”

Which brings up a whole other issue that won’t go away until the theaters themselves decide to do something about scalpers.

No wonder the Hilarions, a.k.a. Gladiators of Comedy (currently at Theatre/Theater, Saturdays, 10:30 p.m.), chose to trade on the trauma of getting tickets to “Phantom” in a skit called “The Phantom of the Ahmanson.” No matter how you slice it, it’s a nightmare.

Meanwhile, the “Phantom of the Opera’s” real and quintessential Phantom, Michael Crawford, still isn’t saying if he’ll stay with the show beyond February when his contract is up. But people are calling and asking.

“Are they employers?” quipped Crawford over the phone, sounding more earnest than Phantomesque. “As I’ve boringly said, it does depend on health. I’m all right now but if I get too tired, I may have to leave the show. I just don’t know.”

It’s been suggested that Crawford might consider playing six performances a week instead of eight, the way Dale Kristien shares the female lead with Mary D’Arcy.

“I couldn’t do that,” said Crawford who has a reputation for being an insatiable performer anyway.

“Some people have booked ahead expecting to see me and I have a responsibility to them. I’m sort of old school about that.”

The point exactly. It’s the people with tickets in March and April and May who call wanting to know if they’ll still be getting Crawford.

“I can’t guarantee that,” he said, a bit taken aback. “It’s three years that I’ve been with the show.”

Does his contract have to be renegotiated in February?

“As a businessman I’m a good mountaineer,” Crawford said, without missing a beat. “Presumably, if the contract ends then it will have to be a renegotiation.”

Which may be the real answer to the question.

AND THE WINNER IS . . .: There’s a new baby at Theatre LA, the support organization for Los Angeles area theaters. It’s called the Ovation. OVI, for short.

That’s the name that won the contest run by Theatre LA for its sculptured bronze and gold-leaf award, designed by Robert Graham. (Some people had saltier words for the free-form object that looks like a kindergartener’s skewed rendering of a table lamp.)

Submitted by Ann Sutton of Gardena (her prize: a pair of tickets to shows at 12 Theatre LA member theaters), OVI, the word, suggests something eggy and seminal. This is perhaps not inappropriate, since the newborn will be officially christened Monday at the first annual black-tie, star-studded Theatre LA Governors Awards at the Pasadena Playhouse.

The time is 8 p.m. Tickets for Theatre LA members are $30 or $50, non-members $150 or $500.

Information: (213) 614-0556.

Does Sutton get to go . . . ?

BENEFITS & BOOK SIGNINGS: The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble has been in its new quarters at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. since September, but the official “Opening Event” takes place Sunday at 2 p.m. For $100, patrons get to choose one matinee out of three shows now at the theater (“Accidental Death of an Anarchist,” “Nightclub Cantata,” “Kvetch”) and enjoy a champagne reception/buffet with the actors, artistic staff, city officials and Odyssey board members.

Saturday, 4-7 p.m. Peter Hay will be signing copies of his book, “Broadway Anecdotes” at Sunset Gower Studios, rehearsal Hall 14, as a benefit for First Stage. For $30 per person ($40 per couple) you get a signed copy, wine and hors d’oeuvre buffet and Carol Channing as your host. But reservations are a must at (213) 850-6271.

LATE CUES: Artistic director Gordon Davidson, who has not yet found a suitable replacement for the Ahmanson subscribers’ bonus event, “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway” (postponed to 1991), is saying that he may have to consider refunding the money or asking subscribers to roll it over to 1991. . . . Women in Theatre is presenting “Integrating the Arts,” a multi-ethnic forum exploring creative challenges within the industry, at LACE Sunday, 2-5 p.m. Information: (213) 465-5567. . . . Anyone who brings a non-perishable food item to the box-office Wednesday or Nov. 24, will receive two tickets for the price of one to the special matinee performances of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” at the Doolittle Theatre. Proceeds will be donated to the “Necessities of Life Program” of AIDS Project L.A. . . . Meanwhile, over at the Mark Taper, tickets are on sale now for Wednesday’s “Pay-What-You-Can” matinee (1:30 p.m.) of Manuel Puig’s “Mystery of the Rose Bouquet.” . . . And a press conference to announce the expansion of Crossroads Arts Academy and Theatre and the development of a major inner city arts complex in the Crenshaw-Liemert area had to be canceled next Tuesday for “logistical reasons,” but Crossroads artistic director Whitman Mayo says the expansion plans are on and the conference will be rescheduled.