BLOGGING AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME

by Bob Speck, Director of Sales

I blog a lot.

Other than my personal blog, I also write for a fitness website about my never-ending battle against glazed doughnuts, beer and all the other foods that, while delicious, make us (read me) well …fat. And yet, as I sit writing my first post for our new blog here at the Pantages, it occurs to me that in all those words I have never once written about theatre. This strikes me as a little strange because I’ve been working in theatre over half my life.

I got my first professional job as an actor at age 16 and in the ensuing 27 years performed just about every job theatre affords. I have worked on stage, back stage, in light booths, at sound mixing desks and costume shops. Having worked Off and Off-Off Broadway, I performed many of these tasks simultaneously. While the Pantages here in Hollywood is certainly one of the nation’s most opulent theatres, please don’t think my brilliant career has been all gilt and crushed velvet. In my past a theatre has meant many things—church basements, the street, public buildings, store fronts, night clubs, catering halls, ramshackle movie palaces of ill-fame and, yes, opera houses and even old red barns. However, Mickey and Judy were nowhere to be found. For those of you who have no idea who Mickey and Judy are (shame on you), ask your parents. If they don’t know (shame on them), ask your grandparents.

So with all this experience why haven’t I written about theatre? I’m not sure. The best I can come up with is that it may hit a little too close to home. With so many friends in show business and a paycheck at stake, it’s much easier, not to mention fiscally prudent, to be snarky about my dislike for working out or my refusal to get a driver’s license. The joke is always on me and nobody important gets their feelings hurt. But blog about the celebrity who spent the entire second act of a new musical on their Blackberry and all hell breaks loose. Oops!!! But I’m willing to give it a shot if you are. I’ll write it (if they let me), you read it and we’ll have a laugh together. Deal?