December 3, 2008

• The Daily News
  
  

  Kiss today
  

  goodbye…
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  1  I was absolutely stunned to awaken yesterday morning to the news that the American Musical Theatre of San Jose is closing its doors and filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
  
  2  AMT in many forms has been around since 1935, where it began as San Jose Civic Light Opera. I was around when it was still called that back in the early 80′s. If you went to San Francisco for theater, you’d have gone to ACT; if you wanted musicals back then, you went to either the Hyatt in Burlingame, or the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos. Later, you could go see the Peninsula Civic Light Opera at San Mateo High School, but by and large, if you wanted musicals, our own CLO was the team to beat.
  
  3  I used to watch some of their shows out at the Civic Center, and later at their home, the Center for the Performing Arts. In my earliest days in the ESUHSD, I saw some of their older shows, which were okay. I actually felt at the time, when the Drama Workshop was just a pup, that we were close to their level in many areas.
  
  4  Then I saw Cabaret. I believe it was back in the early 80′s. It began with the Master of Ceremonies atop a scaffold singing Wilkommen. He was doing well when there was an explosion. I”m guessing that given the times, it was probably something they shouldn’t have used, because that was the mentality back then. But HUGE explosion on the scaffold. And guess what happened next?
  
  5  The Master of Ceremonies had disappeared from atop the scaffold and magically appeared at center stage in exactly one second!
  
  6  Within seconds, the entire San Jose community stood aghast. Up ’til then, you could always count on seeing a dutchman here, or some sloppy paint there, or a hideous sound system always. Maybe a bent nail. Painted duct tape.
  
  7  Cabaret didn’t care about any of that. The show suddenly locked the entire San Jose theatrical community into a reverie, and ultimately, one of those theatrical moments that heightens the senses and elevates to levels that makes us all appreciate just what a grand performance could do for cultural edification, and just plain awesome entertainment!
  
  8  The scene where the young boy starts singing the haunting Tomorrow Belongs to Me as Nazi decorations fly in sent chills through everyone who had been through political changes in America. Reagan had been in office long enough for everyone to identify and appreciate the patriotism and flag-waving that Hitler used to seduce the Nazi youth movement, and the significance was not lost on anyone in the CPA that night.
  
  9  And when that song took us into intermission, the Truth ran high. The Cabaret was the only safe haven from the jingoism and Nazi madness out in the streets, both in the play, and slowly, on the very streets of America. Within seconds,  the doors of the house blew open and at once the audience saw, standing in every doorway, the sillhouettes of live Nazi soldiers. For many, it mirrored what was happening slowly to America, even way back then. In the play, real Nazis stood inside the Cabaret seeing to it that nothing bad was being said about the movement. And it all worked, as only true theatre can. The Nazis standing in the doorway represented what many felt America was slowly becoming, and it worked.
  
  10  Cabaret took San Jose into the bigs. It was shortly thereafter that they brought in the immortal Dianna Shuster, who transformed the extremely horrid San Jose theatre scene into a community the likes of which eventually rivaled the shows coming out of the great houses in San Francisco:  the Curran, the Orpheum, and the Golden Gate.
  
  11  I used to laugh at theatre anywhere outside of San Francisco. Most efforts were pathetic, so when I saw Cabaret in my own home town, I celebrated the arrival of a potentially magnificent theatre scene emerging before my very eyes. Overnight we had political, mad, insane and luscious theatre at its most decadent,  shrouded in the splendid fashion of Cabaret, the show that tells us it’s okay to hide from all the madness, because “…In here, life is beautiful. Zee girls…are beautiful. Even zee orchestra (rim shot) is beautiful…” Ah, sheer decadence! Who could ask for anything more?
  
  12  For many years I would hook up with CLO and provide tickets at low cost to some of the greatest musicals of all time. I assumed that they would always be around, and for that I was forever grateful, because it is always fun to hit a musical downtown.
  
  13  When I got home from the basketball game last night, I began reviewing the article in the Merc News about the tragic fall of AMTSJ.  According to yesterday’s article by Shay Qullen, AMTSJ
  
  

   ”…will officially cease to exist later this week, and the upcoming performances of Tarzan and 42nd Street have been canceled.”
  
  

  14  It’s difficult really to voice the sadness of that. Last night I visited their page. Nothing had changed; it’s as though they aren’t quite yet ready to give in. 42nd Street, which I have seen twice at that venue, was to play this April. Here is their homepage as of last night. It’s a come one, come all ad for the touring company of Chicago, which AMT staff was to help usher in. Yesterday’s Merc reported that the Cabaret performances are canceled.  As of yesterday, their webpage still looked like this:
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  15   What happened? According to Chief Financial Officer Robert Nazarenus, they received a phone call about two weeks ago from Atlanta’s Theater of the Stars telling them that monies AMTSJ had given towards building a touring show of Disney’s Tarzan had been use for “other things”.
  
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  17  In short, Atlanta’s Theater of the Stars canceled the entire production with utterly no warning, and now AMTSJ has to file for bankruptcy.
  
  18  Can you say “Lawsuit!”? Or “Outrageous!”?
  
  19  In one weekend the legendary AMTSJ was forced to scramble around, weigh all sorts of critical decisions, and then emerge having to fold. Someone else had spent their money recklessly, and now not only is one of the greatest cultural giants in San Jose going out of business, but the amount of jobs affected and lives ruined is utterly unspeakable.
  
  19  Most DN readers have enjoyed a show or two, and probably have some vivid memories of that grand company. I certainly do, and I bid them a fond farewell, as well as some prayers to the families immediately affected by all of this.
  
  20  It must be devastating.
  
  21  In the meantime, I also copied the AMTSJ Mission Statement, which they could be proud to have followed to the letter, as well as a history of every show they’ve ever staged.
  
  22  It’s the least I could do.
  
  23  I keep hoping that a lot of this might be a means of gathering money from goodly citizens and corporations. In many ways I surely hope so. Meanwhile…
  
  24  Farewell AMTSJ. You will be missed. Your Student Preview Nights will forever remain in our hearts, as well as your awards, your presence in the community, and the fact that you are one of the very last existing class acts. You will be sorely missed. As an educator, I salute all you’ve done for the community, and particularly for the students. Always for the students. May drama live forever.
  
  25  Rock on.
  
  

  ~H~
  
  
  

   
  
  

  http://www.xanga.com/bharrington
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
    

  AMTSJ’s Mission Statement

  The mission of American Musical Theatre of San Jose (AMTSJ) is to create the highest quality of musical theatre that inspires the spirit of our diverse community.

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  AMTSJ History

  Entering its 73rd season, AMTSJ is one of the oldest musical theatre companies in America. A professional not-for-profit organization, we have been dazzling audiences with exceptional artistry and innovative approaches to musical theatre since 1934, when a group of community volunteers formed the San Jose Civic Light Opera Association. Our first season opened with The Mikado, and in subsequent decades, stars such as Theodore Bikel, Jane Powell, JoAnne Worley, and many more Broadway-bound local actors have brought their talent to our stage.
  
  AMTSJ is attended by 150,000 patrons, is supported by over 15,000 season ticket holders, and operates with a $9,800,000 annual budget. In addition to our main stage productions, AMTSJ brings the power of live performance to over 13,000 children, families and people with disabilities through 14 acclaimed education and outreach programs.
  
  With a strong commitment to a thriving arts community in Silicon Valley, AMTSJ is one of the founders of the San Jose Arts Round Table and sits on the boards of Team San Jose, The San Jose Arts Round Table, First Act, Theatre Preservation Inc and the University of Santa Clara. As the largest producing musical theatre company in Northern California, AMTSJ looks toward bright future by breathing new life into musicals, collaborating with our regional theatre partners, nurturing local artists, and engaging our community.

  AMTSJ Show History

  1935/1936 The Mikado Chimes of Normandy 1936/1937 Pirates of Penzance The Gondoliers 1937/1938 HMS Pinafore 1938/1939 The Bohemian Girl Erminie 1939/1940 The Red Mill 1940/1941 Rio Rita 1941/1942 The Firefly Mlle. Modiste 1942/1943 Madame Sherry The Red Mill 1943/1944 The Merry Widow Naughty Marietta 1945/1946 The Firefly The Fortune Teller 1946/1947 The Sweethearts Rio Rita 1947/1948 The New Moon The Mikado 1949/1950 Countess Maritza 1950/1951 A Waltz Dream 1952/1953 Irene On The Bridge at Midnight 1954/1955 The Fortune Teller The Chocolate Soldier 1955/1956 The Merry Widow The Song of Norway 1956/1957 The Vagabond King Brigadoon 1957/1958 Carousel Guys & Dolls 1958/1959 Showboat Pajama Game South Pacific 1959/1960 Finian’s Rainbow 1961/1962 Damn Yankees The King and I 1962/1963 Flower Drum Song West Side Story 1963/1964 Gypsy Kismet Carnival 1964/1965 The Music Man The Sound of Music Carousel 1965/1966 My Fair Lady Stop The World I Want To Get Off Li’l Abner 1966/1967 Camelot How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying 1967/1968 West Side Story Funny Girl Oliver Little Me 1968/1969 The King and I Do I Hear A Waltz? The Song of Norway Sweet Charity Annie Get Your Gun Showboat 1969/1970 A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to The Forum The Fantasticks The Most Happy Fella 1970/1971 Mame Roar of the Greasepaint Man of La Mancha

  1971/1972 Cabaret South Pacific Fiddler on the Roof 1972/1973 Company The Sound of Music Hello Dolly! 1973/1974 Promises, Promises Applause My Fair Lady 1974/1975 The Boyfriend Follies Guys & Dolls 1975/1976 Mack & Mabel Little Mary Sunshine George M! 1976/1977 Peter Pan The Music Man Seesaw Oklahoma! 1977/1978 No, No, Nanette Gypsy Fiddler on the Roof 1978/1979 Mame Oliver Showboat Jesus Christ Superstar 1979/1980 Damn Yankees City of Broken Promises West Side Story Carousel 1980/1981 Funny Girl Man of La Mancha The Sound of Music Fiddler on the Roof 1981/1982 Hello Dolly! South Pacific Paint Your Wagon Anything Goes 1982/1983 Annie Get Your Gun Cabaret Brigadoon Kiss Me Kate 1983/1984 The Fantasticks Sweet Charity My Fair Lady Two Gentlemen of Verona The Music Man 1984/1985 Camelot They’re Playing Our Song Oklahoma! Annie 1985/1986 A Chorus Line Evita Barnum The King and I 1986/1987 Oliver Follies Best Little Whorehouse in Texas The Sound of Music 1987/1988 42nd Street Chicago Peter Pan Gypsy 1988/1989 La Cage aux Folles Sweeney Todd My One And Only West Side Story 1989/1990 Dreamgirls Pirates of Penzance Jesus Christ Superstar Guys & Dolls 1990/1991 Evita Me And My Girl The Wizard of Oz Pacific Overtures 1991/1992 George M! Chess Mame Little Shop of Horrors 1992/1993 Phantom Assassins Annie On The Town 1993/1994 No, No, Nanette Grand Hotel Pippin Fiddler on the Roof

  1994/1995 Lunch 42nd Street Man of La Mancha A Chorus Line 1995/1996 My Fair Lady A Little Night Music Once on This Island Rags — In Concert Crazy For You 1996/1997 Anything Goes Tommy The Will Rogers Follies Kismet — In Concert Me And My Girl 1997/1998 The Music Man Follies City of Angels The Most Happy Fella — In Concert Seven Brides For Seven Brothers 1998/1999 Hot Mikado La Cage aux Folles Big River South Pacific 1999/2000 Annie Children of Eden A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to The Forum Phantom 2000/2001 Singin’ in the Rain Copacabana The 3hree Musketeers (American Premiere) Victor/Victoria 2001/2002 Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Grease Evita Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Damn Yankees 2002/2003 Blast Miss Saigon The Sound of Music The Big Bang Swing Les Miserables MAMMA MIA! 2003/2004 Funny Girl On the 20th Century Dreamgirls Starlight Express Thoroughly Modern Millie The Producers 2004/2005 Peter Pan RENT Chicago A Chorus Line Lord of the Dance Tapestry: The Music of Carole King CATS Movin’ Out 2005/2006 The Wizard of Oz Little Women the Broadway Musical West Side Story MAMMA MIA! Disney’s The Lion King Gypsy STOMP Hairspray 2006/2007 Brooklyn The Musical Sweet Charity The King and I Christmas Dreamland Camelot Smokey Joe’s Café Dirty Rotten Scoundrels All Shook Up 2007/2008 Guys and Dolls Go Diego Go Live! The Great Jaguar Rescue Jesus Christ Superstar Little Shop of Horrors Cabaret MAMMA MIA! Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Disney’s High School Musical 2008/2009 The Full Monty Flower Drum Song Chicago Disney’s Musical Tarzan® Avenue Q 42nd Street Fare thee well AMTSJ. Thanks for the memories. Truly. ~H~

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