by Maria Polletta - Sept. 18, 2012 08:18 AM
The Republic | azcentral.com
Design plans for the Silver Star Playhouse, the reincarnation of northeast Mesa's Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, are being finalized as the theater's new operators prepare for a Nov. 29 reopening.
Executive producer Mike Todd has declined to release renovation details until they're official, but he said "the process is moving along" and "a number of modifications will make the theater," at Higley and Brown roads, "look and feel different."
"Different" also sums up the Silver Star's unique brand of locally flavored comedy, already implemented at the Desert Star Playhouse in Utah, according to Todd.
The Silver Star will kick off its season with "Nutcracker: Men in Tights," the story of an Arizona mayor trying to save his small town from financial ruin by putting on a ballet -- without anyone in town having ballet experience.
"This Valley is loaded with fabulous theater, but ... our philosophy is, 'Find out what everybody else is doing, and don't do that,' " he said.
The Broadway Palm, which opened in 2001, had found success producing more traditional Broadway-style musicals. It was shuttered in late July after a decline in box-office revenue followed the opening of venues such as the Mesa Arts Center.
Todd's interest in the Valley market predated the Broadway Palm's financial troubles, however. "My wife and I met in Arizona ... and we'd always wanted to bring our brand of live theater here," he said.
"We'd been acquainted with the Prather family" -- which operated the Broadway Palm and is subleasing the space to the Silver Star -- "for many years. When the circumstances presented themselves to take over this existing theater, we came to a decision that now was the right time."
In addition to its performances, the Silver Star will offer a "cabaret-style" table service with an a la carte menu of gourmet burgers and pizzas, wraps and desserts.
Mesa Councilwoman Dina Higgins, whose district includes the strip mall where the Silver Star is located, said she was thrilled that someone had agreed to take over the space. The expansive theater anchors the southeastern corner of Higley and Brown and is surrounded by smaller shops and restaurants.
"You might think, 'It's only a matter of time until someone else comes in,' but those big-box spaces are huge and they're really hard to fill," she said. "For an office or a boutique that needs 300 square feet, that wouldn't even be a postage stamp in something that big."
The chance to have the dinner-theater tradition extended was a bonus, she said.
"I think it speaks to the fact that there's vibrancy in the area, and people still want to see theater here," Higgins said. "I'm excited for some neat, quality shows to come to the neighborhood."
18 Sep, 2012
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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/09/12/20120912mesa-curtain-could-soon-rise-silver-star.html
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