From Famine, a Feast of Musical Theater

When Pasadena-based California Music Theatre collapsed early in 1992, the future of fully professional musical theater in that area looked bleak. But now two new series plan to fill the gap.

First to start, next fall, will be a season of musicals at the former home of California Music Theatre, Pasadena Civic Auditorium. “Broadway at the Pasadena Civic” is a joint venture of a nonprofit producer--Theatre League Inc., based in Kansas City and Phoenix--and a for-profit promotions company, Salt Lake City-based Space Agency Concerts & Theatricals. Theatre League will produce two of the four shows, “The Sound of Music” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” specifically for Pasadena and Phoenix; the others, “Cats and Les Miserables,” are existing national tours.

The second endeavor is locally-based. Theatre Corp. of America, which runs the Pasadena Playhouse and now the Alex Theatre in downtown Glendale, plans to present two three-musical seasons each year at the Alex.

The Alex series doesn’t have a name. It probably won’t be “Broadway at the Alex,” because Theatre Corp. chief executive officer Lars Hansen doesn’t want to limit the programming to shows that come from Broadway. Anyway, the 1,452-seat Alex is too small for many national tours. Hansen wants to emphasize original productions, though he acknowledged that “it will be hard to take a huge amount of risk.” Co-productions will lower that risk.

The 3,000-seat Pasadena Civic was often criticized, during California Music Theatre days, for being too big. But Theatre League president Mark Edelman said his shows are built to tour, unlike CMT’s, and will bring first-class sound systems.

“My niche is the national tours, big musicals that will fill a big house,” said Pasadena Civic’s Richard Barr. “Broadway at the Pasadena Civic” is renting the hall.

Theatre Corp. pays no rent at the Alex. In the first season, it’ll owe the Alex board nothing until after the first $7.5 million in gross receipts (from its musicals plus other programming), above which 3% will go to the Alex. During the second season, the 3% will kick in after the first $5 million. During the third year, the board’s share goes up to 5%.

If this sounds like a good deal for Theatre Corp., both parties point out the Theatre Corp. will invest more than $1 million in launching the series. And, said Alex board chairman Laurence R. Clarke, the Alex is “not a laundromat geared to make a profit. It’s more analogous to a public library.”

Clarke hopes the project will enhance the “the cultural fabric” in Glendale and incidentally serve as a stimulant to nearby businesses. Theatre League’s Edelman predicts this will translate to more “esoteric” shows than his at the Pasadena Civic.

Hansen sees the Alex shows eventually touring to other Southland cities. “Everybody’s building a performing arts center,” he noted, “and they’ll need something to put on the stage.”

A DOOLITTLE DAB: Though it’s not yet a completely done deal, Herb Gardner’s “Conversations With My Father” is the likely opener for the Ahmanson-at-the-Doolittle season next fall. Judd Hirsch, star of the original Seattle and New York productions, is expected.

EAST WEST WATCH: The East West Players building at 4424 Santa Monica Blvd is for sale. The asking price: $400,000.

The group needs more space, both for customers and their cars, and has begun a search for larger quarters, said Lissa Lee, the company’s administrative director.

East West officials have inquired at the Community Redevelopment Agency about the possibilities within the Hollywood redevelopment area. There also has been renewed talk about Union Church in Little Tokyo, a venue that has long been considered a potential next step for East West. The company wants at least two 99-seat theaters, within a building that’s at least 10,000 square feet.

Asked if this isn’t a bad time to sell the old building, which East West has owned since 1972, Lee replied, “We know it’ll take a long time, so we’re starting now.” If buyers are scarce, East West might refinance its loan in order to pay for the construction of a larger facility at the same location.

East West raised a few eyebrows last year when a non-Asian-American, Jeff Smith, became board president, but Smith is no longer on the board. Lee and Smith said an increased work load at Smith’s Toyota job and his commitments to other community groups forced him to quit, not any rancor over his ethnic background. He was replaced by co-presidents Wenda Fong and John Kobara.