Altarena Playhouse » Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org Frederick L. Chacon, Artistic DIrector • 1409 High St. • Alameda, CA 94501 • (510) 523-1553 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:13:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Sold-Out Opening Weekend For ‘Wait Until Dark’ http://www.altarena.org/2008/01/20/sold-out-opening-weekend-for-wait-until-dark/ http://www.altarena.org/2008/01/20/sold-out-opening-weekend-for-wait-until-dark/#comments Sun, 20 Jan 2008 19:11:41 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2008/01/20/sold-out-opening-weekend-for-wait-until-dark/ Wait Until Dark (2008) What a great way to start the season! The opening weekend of Wait Until Dark was completely sold out and our box office phone is still ringing off the hook. There was a lot of enthusiastic audience buzz around the theater after the [...]]]> Wait Until Dark (2008)
What a great way to start the season!

The opening weekend of Wait Until Dark was completely sold out and our box office phone is still ringing off the hook. There was a lot of enthusiastic audience buzz around the theater after the performances, so it’s pretty safe to say that Stuart Lyle’s dark and suspenseful staging of the 1967 classic really delivered some thrills. Check out Patrick Tracy’s photos in our online gallery for a glimpse of the stellar cast and amazing set (designed by Angelo Benedetto and painted by Darrell Burson).

Opening weekend may have sold out, but (as of this writing) there are still tickets available for all remaining performances through February 16th. I’m sure that won’t be the case for long, so buy your tickets well in advance. And if you are coming to Wait Until Dark, please arrive at the theater early… Due to the nature of the play, latecomers will not be seated until intermission.

]]> http://www.altarena.org/2008/01/20/sold-out-opening-weekend-for-wait-until-dark/feed/ 1 The Man Who Saved Christmas is “a real gift.” http://www.altarena.org/2007/12/07/the-man-who-saved-christmas-is-a-real-gift/ http://www.altarena.org/2007/12/07/the-man-who-saved-christmas-is-a-real-gift/#comments Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:17:03 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2007/12/07/the-man-who-saved-christmas-is-a-real-gift/ What an exciting week it's been at the Altarena! Our highly anticipated family musical The Man Who Saved Christmas opened last weekend and the early reviews have confirmed what we've known all along: It's "the perfect way to kick off the holiday season." Carrie Beavers of the The Man Who Saved ChristmasWhat an exciting week it’s been at the Altarena!

Our highly anticipated family musical The Man Who Saved Christmas opened last weekend and the early reviews have confirmed what we’ve known all along: It’s “the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.”

Carrie Beavers of the Alameda Sun starts her review this way:

“The return of Ron Lytle’s delightful musical The Man Who Saved Christmas to the Altarena Playhouse is a real gift. The perfect way to kick off the holiday season, the musical is uplifting, deeply moving, and hilariously funny.”

Ken Bullock, in The Berkeley Daily Planet, adds:

“This year’s production [is] even more brisk and upbeat than the last.” And, “It’s a tip of the homburg to the nostalgic musicals of 50 years ago, of Meredith Willson…”

The Man Who Saved Christmas is only here for two more weekends, and must close December 16th. The good news is that there are still tickets available for most performances, including tonight and tomorrow night (Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th). You can purchase tickets through our website, or by calling our box office at (510) 523-1553. Tickets are only $20 for adults and $17 for students (under 18) and seniors (62+).

]]> http://www.altarena.org/2007/12/07/the-man-who-saved-christmas-is-a-real-gift/feed/ 0 ‘The Man Who Saved Christmas’ Opens Tonight http://www.altarena.org/2007/11/30/the-man-who-saved-christmas-opens-tonight/ http://www.altarena.org/2007/11/30/the-man-who-saved-christmas-opens-tonight/#comments Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:03:16 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2007/11/30/the-man-who-saved-christmas-opens-tonight/ The Man Who Saved Christmas (2007) Christmas comes early to Alameda this year as Ron Lytle's family musical The Man Who Saved Christmas opens this evening at the Altarena. There's been a lot of buzz about 'The Man' around town recently, and ticket sales are off [...]]]> The Man Who Saved Christmas (2007) Christmas comes early to Alameda this year as Ron Lytle’s family musical The Man Who Saved Christmas opens this evening at the Altarena. There’s been a lot of buzz about ‘The Man’ around town recently, and ticket sales are off to a brisk start. If you haven’t picked up the local papers lately you may have missed several terrific articles about the show, like the Alameda Journal’s profile of writer/director Ron Lytle, and the The Alameda Sun’s preview. ‘The Man Who Saved Christmas’ was also featured this week as the East Bay Express ‘Critic’s Choice.’

There are still tickets available for The Man Who Saved Christmas, but with the limited 3-weekend run, they won’t last long. Buy your tickets today by calling our box office at (510) 523-1553… or use our secure, online ticketing system.

]]> http://www.altarena.org/2007/11/30/the-man-who-saved-christmas-opens-tonight/feed/ 0 New Box Office Phone Hours http://www.altarena.org/2007/11/30/new-box-office-phone-hours/ http://www.altarena.org/2007/11/30/new-box-office-phone-hours/#comments Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:43:21 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2007/11/30/new-box-office-phone-hours/ We’re very excited to announce that we’ve expanded our box office phone hours and will now have a live agent available to answer your calls every Tuesday – Saturday from 1:00 – 6:00pm and Sundays from 10:00am – Noon (on show days only).

If you call outside of business hours, or we’re on the phone with another customer, you’re still welcome to leave a voicemail message and we’ll return your call as soon as possible.

]]> http://www.altarena.org/2007/11/30/new-box-office-phone-hours/feed/ 0 Rave Reviews for Morning’s At Seven http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/26/rave-reviews-for-mornings-at-seven/ http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/26/rave-reviews-for-mornings-at-seven/#comments Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:39:16 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/26/rave-reviews-for-mornings-at-seven/ Morning's At Seven, and we're thrilled to see that the critics love this play as much as our audiences. Ken Bullock, in his review for the Berkeley Daily Planet, writes:
"...Morning’s at Seven gives audiences a chance to see a finely tuned ensemble show and to [...]]]> The reviews are rolling in for our current production of Morning’s At Seven, and we’re thrilled to see that the critics love this play as much as our audiences.

Ken Bullock, in his review for the Berkeley Daily Planet, writes:

“…Morning’s at Seven gives audiences a chance to see a finely tuned ensemble show and to witness a compelling interpretation of a prewar family stage comedy.”

“…Morning’s at Seven holds hidden delights and entertainment, thanks to the sensitivity of Sue Trigg’s direction and the wonderful ensemble’s ongoing discovery of their characters’ true interrelationship.”

“It’s a great evening, a great celebration of seven decades of Altarena Playhouse and of a perennially pleasing American comedy.”

Alice Chalip’s review for the Alameda Journal can be summed up by the headline:

Cast does ’superb’ job in ‘Mornings at Seven’

Morning’s At Seven runs through November 11th. Be sure to buy your tickets soon, before word gets out about this hidden gem of a comedy at the Altarena.

]]> http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/26/rave-reviews-for-mornings-at-seven/feed/ 0 Auditions, Auditions http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/25/auditions-auditions/ http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/25/auditions-auditions/#comments Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:40:28 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/25/auditions-auditions/ auditions for the first two shows of our 2008 season. Auditions for the thriller Wait Until Dark will be held on November 14th, with callbacks on the 18th. Auditions for the musical Chicago will be held on December 9th & 10th, [...]]]> Attention all Bay Area singers, dancers, and actors: We’ve just announced auditions for the first two shows of our 2008 season. Auditions for the thriller Wait Until Dark will be held on November 14th, with callbacks on the 18th. Auditions for the musical Chicago will be held on December 9th & 10th, with callbacks on the 12th. Click the links for all the details.

]]> http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/25/auditions-auditions/feed/ 3 Morning’s At Seven opens tonight http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/19/mornings-at-seven-opens-tonight/ http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/19/mornings-at-seven-opens-tonight/#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:14:06 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/19/mornings-at-seven-opens-tonight/ Morning's At Seven (2007) Rehearsals are over, the paint's dry(ing) on the set, and we're thrilled to be opening Paul Osborn's family comedy Morning's At Seven tonight at the Altarena. At the end of a very musical season, it's such a delight to sit back and [...]]]> Morning's At Seven (2007) Rehearsals are over, the paint’s dry(ing) on the set, and we’re thrilled to be opening Paul Osborn’s family comedy Morning’s At Seven tonight at the Altarena. At the end of a very musical season, it’s such a delight to sit back and watch this subtle, small-town play unfold on our intimate stage. Morning’s At Seven premiered on Broadway in 1939 and it truly transports you to another time and place. When people say “They don’t write ‘em like that anymore,” this may be the play they’re talking about. Equal parts comedy and drama, it has an almost magical way of pulling you into the lives of the families onstage. We look forward to sharing some of that magic with you.

Many thanks to Patrick Tracy, who has taken some beautiful photographs of our production. You can see the full photo album here.

Morning’s At Seven runs through November 11th. Click here for ticket information.

]]> http://www.altarena.org/2007/10/19/mornings-at-seven-opens-tonight/feed/ 0 2008 Season Tickets Now On Sale http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/26/2008-season-tickets-now-on-sale/ http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/26/2008-season-tickets-now-on-sale/#comments Thu, 27 Sep 2007 02:21:52 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/26/2008-season-tickets-now-on-sale/ our 2008 season [...]]]> Our 2008 season just happens to be the Altarena’s 70th anniversary, and we’re thrilled with the ambitious and exciting line-up that we’ll be presenting. There’s truly something for everyone, and each show will take good advantage of the Altarena’s unique and intimate setting. If you haven’t clicked over to to see our 2008 season schedule yet, now’s as good a time as any (just be sure to come back and finish reading this post).

The real news here, however, is that today marks the start of our 2008 Season Subscription campaign. Our subscribers (also known as season ticket holders) are the backbone of the Altarena Playhouse. Without the income and ‘guaranteed audience’ that our subscribers provide, it would be very difficult for us to make the up-front commitments necessary to produce such an ambitious season. Honestly, we love everyone who buys a ticket to one of our shows, but it’s our subscribers who really make it possible for us to do what we do.

Now, we understand that the idea of “supporting local theater” isn’t quite enough to get everyone off the fence and into a warm pair of season tickets. That’s why we offer a wide range of valuable and exclusive benefits to our subscribers. They’re all described in detail here, but let me take a minute to point out my favorites:

Priority Seating. How many times have you been in the Altarena’s lobby when we begin seating, only to watch our red-ticket-holding subscribers walk right past you and into the theater first? All you can do is look down at your white ticket and wait your turn. I’m at every performance, and I’ve seen the look in your eyes. If you were a subscriber, you’d be holding those red tickets. You’d be walking past the crowd and into the theater. And you’d be able to choose seats in any section… even the reserved-for-subscribers “section B”. Could life get any sweeter?

Flexible reservations. When you buy a subscription at most theaters, they make you choose something like “Third Friday” or “Second Sunday” and you’re assigned dates based on your choice. And if you want to change your reservation from a Wednesday to a Saturday, be prepared to pay an extra charge. Who knows what our schedules will be next January, much less next August? At the Altarena, subscribers can make their reservations as early or as late as they wish. Of course, last minute reservations are subject to availability, but our shows usually don’t sell out much more than a week in advance. Plenty of time for most folks to arrange their calendars.

And lastly…

Big Savings. Several months ago, Fred Chacon and I sat down with the Board of Directors and expressed our desire to offer a 20% discount on season tickets, across the board, in order to encourage as many people to subscribe as possible. The Board loved the idea. However, as this week approached, I started thinking “Am I crazy? $80 for 5 shows? $68 for seniors and students? An additional 10% off for renewing subscribers (before October 31)?? Who in their right mind sells tickets that cheap?” Well, the jury’s still out on whether we’ve completely lost our marbles or not, but there’s one thing I’m sure of… if you love live theater, you’d be crazy not to take advantage of this incredible value. :)

There’s still a lot of great stuff coming up this year at the Altarena, and we hope to see you at the theater at least a couple more times before year’s end. But it’s also not too early to start thinking about 2008 and becoming an Altarena subscriber. If you’re interested, please don’t put it off. The sooner you purchase your season tickets, the easier it is for us to begin working on next season.

Ready to pull the trigger? You can click here to purchase season tickets online. It’s the quickest and easiest way to subscribe. If you’re more of a “check’s in the mail” kind of person, we haven’t forgotten about you. We’ll be mailing out brochures and order forms in the next few weeks. You’ll be able to sign up and send in payment at that time.

Many thanks to all of our past, present, and future subscribers. We hope to keep you coming back for more.

Daniel Zilber
Managing Director, Altarena Playhouse

]]> http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/26/2008-season-tickets-now-on-sale/feed/ 1 We’ve added an extra Urinetown performance http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/18/weve-added-an-extra-urinetown-performance/ http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/18/weve-added-an-extra-urinetown-performance/#comments Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:09:54 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/18/weve-added-an-extra-urinetown-performance/ Urinetown, The Musical, we've added an extra matinee performance on Saturday, October 6 at 2:00pm. Tickets are on sale now. The quickest and easiest way to purchase tickets is through our online ticketing system. It only takes a few minutes, there are no service [...]]]> In response to the overwhelming demand for tickets to Urinetown, The Musical, we’ve added an extra matinee performance on Saturday, October 6 at 2:00pm. Tickets are on sale now. The quickest and easiest way to purchase tickets is through our online ticketing system. It only takes a few minutes, there are no service fees added, and every online order is confirmed by email.

As always, be sure to buy your tickets well in advance. All of our performances so far have been “waiting list only” at the box office.

]]> http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/18/weve-added-an-extra-urinetown-performance/feed/ 0 Urinetown is ‘Surprisingly Delightful’ http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/14/urinetown-is-surprisinly-delightful/ http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/14/urinetown-is-surprisinly-delightful/#comments Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:38:27 +0000 Daniel Zilber http://www.altarena.org/2007/09/14/urinetown-is-surprisinly-delightful/ his review of the Altarena's Urinetown, The Musical. One quote sums it up:
"So far, this is the most must-see show of the Alameda theatrical season. Don't miss it."
What can we say? We agree with Tom completely. :) Read the full review | Tom Billings, writing for today’s Alameda Journal, weighs in with his review of the Altarena’s Urinetown, The Musical. One quote sums it up:

“So far, this is the most must-see show of the Alameda theatrical season. Don’t miss it.”

What can we say? We agree with Tom completely. :)

Read the full review | Buy tickets

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