STOP, WAIT, PLEASE

Today, January 7th, the curtain will permenantly go down on one of LA's performing arts fixtures - the Shubert Theater in Century City (see August 28th post). On a personal note, it was at the Shubert where I began my love affair with musical theater. I've seen so many shows there - it's so hard for me to imagine it gone. I could understand if the theater were being torn down to make way for another theater, but it's being demolished for office buildings of all things. There are plenty of vacant lots and strip malls where office buildings can be built, but why demolish the Shubert? The Shubert was one of three large houses in LA - The Music Center, the Pantages and the Shubert, which will soon be history. I always imagined going back to all three venues with my child and introducing them to the performing arts as my parents had. By the time I have a family, I hope the other two will still be around.

The Shubert and Pantages Theaters were such pivotal figures in my growing-up process. I was introduced to theater in those venues. I saw Annie (at both those theaters I think) which was a show that seriously changed my life. I can't even imagine what my life would be like had I not been exposed to theater during that time...it made such a lasting impression on me. I literally fell in love with performing arts when I saw that show. I wanted to sing, dance, act...I knew if I could be involved in entertainment when I "grew up" I'd be happy. From that moment on, I've spent my entire life making sure I would do just that.