THEATER NOTES : Alex Enters New League for Musicals

Can Glendale’s Alex Theatre attract subscribers to its next musicals series, despite the conspicuous failure of a musicals series at the Alex just last year?

Alex officials are quick to point out the differences between the former series, which was produced by the struggling Theatre Corp. of America, and the new one, which is coming from the Theater League.

Theatre Corp. had never toured big musicals before launching a circuit at the Alex. By contrast, the 19-year-old Theater League tours shows to Kansas City, Phoenix, Toledo and Thousand Oaks. Theater League audiences last year numbered 250,000, including 30,000 subscribers.

Theater League’s programming also is more conservative. The first season includes “South Pacific,” “My Fair Lady” and “Evita.” Even the new show on Theater League’s list, “The Goodbye Girl,” has the familiar names of Neil Simon and Marvin Hamlisch as librettist and composer. Last year, three out of the four Theatre Corp. shows presented to Alex audiences were new to the area.

So how will the Alex series differ from the many local civic light operas that present old musicals? Well, except for Los Angeles Civic Light Opera (which uses imported national tours), only Long Beach Civic Light Opera has an Actors’ Equity contract that requires the use of 15 Equity actors in each show--the standard Theater League also must meet. And whenever Theater League moves a show between theaters, the Equity contract further stipulates that at least 75% of the cast must belong to Equity.

Theater League has a bigger budget for stars than most civic light operas, according to Mark Edelman, the organization’s president. Jack Jones, David Birney, Jodi Benson, Gary Sandy and Debbie Shapiro-Gravitte are scheduled to appear in the first three shows. (Edelman also noted that now he makes sure his stars can sing, as opposed to Kevin Dobson, who drew sneers for his vocalizing in a Theater League production at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in 1993.)

Because the Alex is smaller than Probst Theatre in Thousand Oaks, programming won’t be identical at the two venues. Edelman is booking national tours of “Les Miserables” and “Cats” into Thousand Oaks, as well as “The Goodbye Girl” and “Evita”; Thousand Oaks won’t see “South Pacific” or “My Fair Lady.”

LONG BEACH SEASON: Long Beach Civic Light Opera’s new artistic director, Luke Yankee, has announced his first season, and it looks as conservative as the Theater League season--with some of the same titles.

It’ll begin with Yankee’s staging of “Brigadoon” (Sept. 30-Oct. 15). Then John Rubinstein, who created the title role of “Pippin” on Broadway, will direct “Pippin” (March 2-17). This will be his first staging of “Pippin” but hardly his first directing job--he just won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle directing award for “Counsellor-at-Law.”

Eileen Heckart will take the grandmother’s role in “Pippin.” How did Yankee snag this East Coast-based Oscar winner for his show? “I had a contact or two,” Yankee admitted. In fact, Heckart is Yankee’s mother. “She hasn’t done a musical in a long time. She’s a nervous wreck,” he said.

Like Theater League, Long Beach will produce its own versions of “Evita” (May 4-19, 1996) and “My Fair Lady” (July 13-28, 1996).

Long Beach’s reliance on warhorses may be broken before the season even starts, however. Yankee said that he’s negotiating for “Jack,” a new musical about the Kennedys, which could happen in August. It would be a bonus, offered at a reduced rate to subscribers. The same will apply to the touring production of “Les Miserables,” which will play in Long Beach Dec. 27-Jan. 7, after its Theater League run in Thousand Oaks (Dec. 12-23).

OFF THE BOULEVARD: West Coast Ensemble has left its two-theater home on Hollywood Boulevard for smaller digs at the one-theater Lex, at 6760 Lexington Ave.

Artistic director Les Hanson said that attendance fell at least 30% since the earthquake on Jan. 17, 1994, which caused still-unrepaired cosmetic damage to the theater exterior. Excavation of Hollywood Boulevard for the Metro Rail Red Line hasn’t helped.

Stan Seiden, the West Coast president of the Nederlander Organization, which owns the building, said that a decision hasn’t been made whether to repair or demolish it. “If we got a substantial tenant, we would fix it,” he said.

West Coast will use the Lex primarily for offices and workshops, renting other spaces for major productions. Next season will open with “Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love” at Los Angeles Theatre Center’s Theatre 4 in August.*