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Drama unfolding over Broadway-style theater

Earth to Sandy . . . . you're a suburb!! You're like the little brother that is trying to make a name for himself. Fellow Utahns, obviously I'm biased, BUT, for crying out loud!!! A theater belongs in a big city. A city with restaurants (not arby's), a city with buildings (over 4 stories), a city with culture (some at least), a city where there is at least an incy-wency bit of night life (as opposed to houses where people are asleep after the show). Lets get real here folks. Sandy cannot support a theater. And trying to have 2 cities fight for this only diminishes both cities and the entire state. Put the theater where it belongs!!

I know!! Let's build another soccer stadium!

I remember hearing that the stadium would NOT use tax payers money. How did that get past all of us. Now two theaters coming to two cities. I agree it should be in a bigger city, not Sandy but if I cannot afford to go to the stadium even once and probably cannot afford to go to the theater why should I have to pay for it?

Every time I happen to drive south (from the state capital to the suburb of Sandy) watching that huge metal structure of a soccer stadium going up makes me ill; it is the perfect monument to backroom deals.
Don't let Salt Lake get shafted again.

Come on, Ralph, we can do it!

I love Broadway shows. Ticket prices here make me wince, but I reason they're cheaper than Broadway, especially when you include a round-trip plane ticket, expensive food and ever-escalating hotel prices.

Having said that, I have two concerns, which I've outlined here before, but the newswriters at the DMN don't seem to be listening:
- What is the problem with our existing Capitol Theater that we can't continue to host Broadway touring companies there? I'm sure there is an answer, but no one seems to be asking the question.
- Sandy claims there will be no taxpayer subsidies, but who pays for the ongoing operation of the theater when they can't fill the seats for the more risque shows? I've heard lots of talk about sanitizing the touring shows--wake up, children, it ain't gonna happen, doesn't work that way. Touring companies don't modify their shows for local venues. Hale Centre Theatre and Rodgers Memorial Theatres have been able to fill seats consistently for locally produced Broadway shows for one reason--they filter the dialogue, lyrics and story line so that parents have no compunction bringing their children. Children fill seats. Without question, a touring-company venue will need subsidies to stay afloat.

Touring companies don't "modify" their shows because it's ILLEGAL! THe Hale and Rodgers are violating copyright laws. Also, both the Hale and RMT receive grants from the state. They are part of the ZAP tax organization (though, as the Des News revealed last summer, the Hale receives it under very dark and suspicious circumstances).
As to the Capitol Theater situation, this has been addressed before. The Capitol can't accomidate most broadway tours. The stage space (backstage, flyspace, etc) is too small and outdated, and the seating is poor. The talk downtown is that once a new theatre is built, the seats in the capitol will be reduced to improve the seating and sight lines, and the Capitol will be the official space of Ballet West.
Built the theatre in Salt Lake. Sandy is a poor excuse for a city.

Theater Lover: To answer your first question, the Capitol theater is the permanent home for the Opera and Ballet West with an occasional performance from CDT. It's nearly impossible to book a fairly long running broadway show in there with out impeding on the Op's and BW's schedule. Because of this, the theater sits dark a lot of the time or very short run shows come through.

Theatre Lover: I too love the Capital Theatre. There are 2 major problems with it @ this time however. The stage and upper stage (fly) is too small. They could not "hang" the helicopter for Miss Saigon when it was here.

The other reason is that the seating is horrible. The site lines are right behind another seat. You get a direct view of the heat of the person in front of you. Both can be repaired / changed but they would loose seating volume and the stage has already been redone once that I am aware of.

I think everyone outside SLC has to laugh when they see these Rocky Anderson syndrome suffer's puff out their chests and tell everyone, "It has to be all about SLC". They put down any other Utah community as "Just suburbs" or "Rural trash". Only SLC, with it's swave culture, plentiful bars and other attractive characteristics (like beggars and high priced parking on every corner) is worthy of anything classy. They shouldn't need to leave SLC for anything. Everyone and everything, should flow unto SLC.

All mass transit should do one thing, bring people to SLC.

All taxes should have one goal, bring money to SLC.

All infrastructure and culteral projects should be in SLC (because that's where everyone and everything of worth should be).

Ya gotta love it!

It seems SLC'ers are always longing and trying to be more like NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc.

Well... NYC has more than one theatre. Some are old and classy (like the Utah theatre), some are new and modern (like the one proposed for the Sandy development). Some are in the suburbs. Why can't Utah have more than one theater in the whole state? Then maybe we could have more than one show in town at a time.

Keep in mind... Tracks runs both ways and there will probably be a stop right next to both of these theaters. It's just as easy and economical for SLC'ers to ride out to Sandy for a show as it is for suburbanites to be funneled into SLC for every sporting or cultural event.

Put the new theatre downtown!

Despite the problems with the Capital Theatre I support keeping the new theatre in downtown SLC. Remodel the Utah Theatre, talk is that the 2 stages can be connected. Then re do the seating at the Capital. If that happens it would be the best of both worlds.

FYI most theatres on "Broadway" have smaller seating capacity than the Capital. There are exceptions such as the Hilton.