ANNOUNCING OUR NEW SEASON ... NOT!

by Linda Markwica, TeleSales Manager

With "Riverdance," the first show of the 2010 season, starting in January – the Telesales Department will be closing down for a short while. It’s also about the time of year that rumors start going around the Pantages about shows being planned for the next season. Since nothing is confirmed and no one is talking, it’s also about the time of year when my staff likes to put in their “two cents” about what would make a great theatre season.

Linda who has been a singer and dancer all her life (well, not lately) absolutely adores "Hair" – she feels that it really depicts the 60s generation – “I was there, it’s about love and caring and the music is wonderful.” Linda also wants to bring back "A Chorus Line." – The movie stinks, but she could see the live show over and over again! “What I Did for Love” says it all.

Ian agrees that "A Chorus Line" is his number one favorite. But any musical with a tragic love story will do – like "Miss Saigon," "Les Miserables" or anything that'll give him a good, cleansing cry – it’s cathartic.

Tracey takes her theatre quite seriously, she thinks "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" should be revived. “It could be staged to be very contemporary, it has great parts for both men and women. Oh, and it’s funny." Tracey also wants to see "Chess" and would love to see a revival of "Oliver!"

Matt, recently separated, would like to see "Girls Gone Wild, the Musical." But if he has to be realistic, "Avenue Q." Jake agrees, "Avenue Q," the anti-musical, the musical that people who don’t like musicals like.

By now we’re a little out of control – the names of musicals are being shouted out: "Sweeney Todd," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Carousel," "Hello Dolly!," "Little Shop of Horrors" ...

We all want to see a good version of "La Cages aux Folles."

Stephen wants "West Side Story" because it was his introduction to musical theatre – and, it’s a classic; he just loves it.

Quite a few votes for "Billy Elliot."

Robert wants "Company" or "Into the Woods." We all agree that we would all love to see some Sondheim!

"That's a very large season," I tell my staff. "Would you buy that big a package?"

So I force them to whittle it down. The result? Just for the heck of it, this is what the 2010-2011 season would be if TeleSales was doing the programming: "West Side Story," "Hair," "A Chorus Line," "Les Miserables," "Avenue Q," "La Cages aux Folles" and "Billy Elliot."

I’ll pass that along!