The Media, L.A. Theater and the Price of a Ticket

Mayor Tom Bradley’s call for more recognition in the media of Los Angeles theater (“Have You Heard? L.A.’s a Great Theater Town,” Counterpunch, July 1) ignores two factors:

First, compared to a movie ticket at $3.50 for the bargain matinee and $7 for general admission, the lowest-priced ticket for “Phantom of the Opera” in the upper balcony at matinee time is $37.50. Most people pay between $50 and $75 to see a show such as “Phantom of the Opera” or “City of Angels.”

Second, New York City and London are known as theater towns, but both lack the “tourist attractions” of Los Angeles, such as Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm, Magic Mountain, the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard and more. New York and London have the museums, college campuses, libraries, botanical gardens and recreational areas Los Angeles is known for, but whereas New York is “Broadway,” Los Angeles is the theme-park capital of the world, and, expensive as they are, they cost much less than a theater ticket.

RICK ROFMAN

Van Nuys