New Kid on Block Is Stage-Minded

Reversing the tackiness of Disneyland’s environs is the ultimate aim of all that Anaheim redevelopment, of course. And as the Anaheim Planning Commission approved the $500-million Pointe Anaheim urban entertainment center at a rundown location just across Harbor Boulevard from Disneyland, some intriguing details emerged on what the new look will include.

Unlike most such centers, Pointe Anaheim hopes to be anchored by live theaters rather than cinemas, project manager Robert L. Shelton said. A main stage would have 2,350 seats, with smaller venues at 1,500 and 750 seats. The large hall would be capable of handling touring Broadway shows, but the main purpose of all three would be to showcase name entertainers, Las Vegas or Branson, Mo., style.

The idea is to book performers who no longer can fill large arenas, Shelton said. Rather than one long show, the acts would perform two short shows per night.

“It’s less demanding and more fun for the performers,” he said. “And you could set the ticket price at half the price for one long show.” Visitors presumably would make an evening of it at Pointe Anaheim, catching a show, grabbing a bite and maybe doing a little shopping.

Or they could stop by Anaheim Alley, a nightclub district. Shelton said his group is toying with the idea of charging a single cover charge to get into the club zone, as Walt Disney Co. does at Pleasure Island, a cluster of clubs arranged around a central courtyard at Downtown Disney in Florida. Disney won’t duplicate Pleasure Island in Anaheim, Imagineering manager Timur Galen said. There’s just not enough room to squeeze one in.