New Equity Chief on Mid-Sized Theaters; ‘Chess’ Makes a Move on Orange County

Reviews are mixed on the promotion of George Ives to the top job in the West Coast office of Actors’ Equity--at least if you talk to the producers who will be, figuratively speaking, on the other side of the table.

Ives will replace the retiring Edward Weston as western regional director, moving up from the job of senior business representative, on Sept. 1.

“A terrific choice,” said Stephen J. Albert, managing director of the Mark Taper Forum. “He’s very fair, very professional, constant in his vigilance for the interests of actors.” But he’s also “broad-minded” and “able to step back and look at the the big picture.” Stan Seiden of the Nederlander Organization expressed similar views.

“A disaster,” responded Laura Zucker, chairman of Associated Theatres of Los Angeles, the organization of producers that was at loggerheads with Equity during the recent “Waiver Wars.” “(Ives) is extremely resistant to a (mid-sized theater) contract formulated expressly for this community. Without it, there will be a lot of dark theaters, but he looks you straight in the eye and says he doesn’t see a problem.”

But hold it--Zucker’s initial response was given before she was told about one of Ives’ self-professed priorities.

In a telephone interview, Ives stressed the importance of developing a new Equity contract to replace the old Hollywood Area Theatre contract, covering theaters in the 100-400-seat range.

“I’m shocked and surprised,” said Zucker, when told of what Ives had said. “That would be great. Perhaps we’ll find he held other opinions all this time.”

“The old contract needs to be looked at in a new light,” said Ives. “We’ll have to take the initiative and negotiate it with the people who want to use it rather than waiting for them to come to us. Our sticking point was that they didn’t have spaces or funding or budgets in place. That’s backwards. . . .

“If there isn’t a group of producing theaters operating in spaces (for Equity) to negotiate with, the ground rules will have to be promulgated by us to fill that vacuum.” He added that the figures in the old HAT contract “are out of date with today’s grosses.”

Future Equity policy may become clearer in early May, when six seats on the union’s 18-member western advisory board will be filled in an election. Four members elected last year were allied with dissident factions, and others with similar views are among those running this year.

Ives, whose initial contract is for 18 months, said he is confident he could work with any of the candidates now running.

A 64-year-old professional union worker who hasn’t acted on stage since 1964, Ives was asked if he might not face retirement himself in the near future. “It depends on the levels of frustration and help,” he replied. “Five years might be it.”

CHECKMATE: “Chess” will play Orange County Performing Arts Center May 8-13 in the final stop of a four-month tour, directed by Des McAnuff, artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse.

The musical is a love story set against the background of a chess competition between an American champion and a Soviet challenger. Tim Rice created the idea and the lyrics, Richard Nelson wrote the book, and Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (of ABBA fame) did the music.

An initial announcement of the tour had slated the show to play Orange County in September, but the center didn’t confirm those dates--and the tour was cut short because of “mixed box office results,” said a spokesman.

MISSING MUSICALS: The sound of musicals won’t be heard in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as much this summer as in the past. Fran and Barry Weissler, the New York producers who brought “Gypsy” and “Fiddler on the Roof” to the Pavilion last year, amid much talk that they might produce there again, will have “nothing ready” by this summer, reported Music Center Operating Co. president Sandra Kimberling.

The Weisslers were discussing revivals of “My Fair Lady” and “The Sound of Music” for this summer, said Kimberling. But they have been “so busy with ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ (their revival which recently opened on Broadway) that they haven’t had time to put anything together.”

Talks with producers of the touring production of “Chess” went nowhere, added Kimberling, because they wanted guarantees “we weren’t in a position to do” and because the show would be too small for the 3,200-seat Pavilion.

The open dates, in July and August, are now being filled with one-night concerts and benefits. Even if a musical package could be put together immediately, said Kimberling, “it would be difficult to sell because our events calendar has gone to press.”

The Pavilion won’t be completely bereft of musicals. As previously announced, Los Angeles Music Center Opera will do 12 performances of “Oklahoma!” there, opening June 22.

MOOLAH EXPRESS: “Starlight Express” set records for a one-week gross at the Pantages Theatre during the first, fifth and final weeks of its six-week run. The show closed Sunday before moving on to Orange County Performing Arts Center Tuesday. The final record, from last week: $666,362.

PHANTOM REFUNDS?: Inquiring minds wanted to know why the management for “The Phantom of the Opera” won’t issue refunds to those who request them after learning that Michael Crawford won’t appear at the performance they’re attending. The question arose after he missed a week of performances two weeks ago, as well as last Thursday’s matinee.

It’s because Crawford’s name is not above the title, said a spokeswoman for the show, citing a “tradition” that refund requests are granted only if the absent star is billed above the title.

“There’s nothing written on this--it’s at the discretion of the management,” said Harvey Sabinson, executive director of the League of American Theatres and Producers. But he agreed that “Phantom” is not the sort of star vehicle that usually would merit refunds, pointing out that the show continues to sell out in New York, without Crawford.

Furthermore, there is no indication that the announcement of Robert Guillaume’s replacement of Crawford on May 1 has had an immediate effect on advance sales. A spokeswoman said the gross on the Tuesday after the announcement was up $5,000 from the previous Tuesday.

APOCALYPSE NOW: “Future Stages: Will Los Angeles Theatre Survive the ‘90s?” is the provocative topic of a day-long seminar to be sponsored by Theatre LA at Los Angeles Theatre Center May 14. Theatre LA members will be admitted free, but non-members and the public are also welcome. Reservations are necessary; call (213) 614-0556.