The Pasadena Playhouse, founded in 1917, closed it's door on Sunday -- plagued by millions of dollars of debt.
I had been a season subscriber for more than ten years (though I didn't renew this year) so it was bittersweet to take in the last matinee performance of "Camelot" Sunday afternoon.
I feel especially bad for season ticket subscriber who paid for six shows this season but will only see one.
This isn't the first time the Pasadena Playhouse has closed it's door. It also closed in 1969 and was dark for 17 years.
This "stripped-down" version of "Camelot" seemed like a fitting farewell for the theater. Gone were elaborate sets and costumes and just about all that was left was an eight member cast and a small orchestra. So much of the script was stripped out that Act Two was incomprehensible to me.
A sad sign of the times.
1 comment:
It's so sad to see theatres close -- especially ones with such a history; I used to live two blocks from the Pasadena Playhouse. Coincidentally, the theatre next to my condo in Florida (Coconut Grove Playhouse) closed several years ago, with no signs of resurrection.
Let's hope the same fate doesn't permanently shutter Pasadena!
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