Movie theaters put damper on live entertainment
By CHRIS MARKLUND
At this point in the school year it has probably become apparent to you
that, no matter what Esquire says, Fresno is lacking the sort of live
performance that most towns with a university possess.
For example, recently I attended what can arguably be referred to as one
of the most popular stage plays of all time, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
“Phantom of the Opera.” Men were dressed up in tailored suits;
women were in their finest dresses, toting opera glasses.
The crème de la crème rubbed elbows in the lobby as we all
waited for the housemaster to open the doors to the theater. Finally,
we were allowed to settle into our seats. The show began. In front of
us, the actors began to impart the “Joy of Pepsi,” and regale
us with wacky tales from the latest Ice Cube joint.
Better yet, reserve your tickets now for your favorite band, coming soon
to a Regal Cinema near you.
Remember the last time you went to a concert. The exhilaration you felt
when, after waiting in line for what seemed like an eternity, your favorite
artist came on stage and sang his heart out for you.
Remember how hoarse you were at the end of the show after screaming back
the chorus every time those really bright lights above the stage turned
on. Now imagine this taking place inside “The American Drive-In”
and having the first song you heard be “Lets all go to the lobby…
to get ourselves a snack.”
I know we’ve all experienced those feelings of exhilaration at least
once in our lives and yes, I hate all that energy and excitement that
comes from live entertainment too.
Why get all dressed up to go to the theater or wait in line to get wanded
before the show? Why drive all the way downtown when the good people who
run our movie palaces have made things so convenient?
Today the stage has been painted white, flipped on its end and stripped
of its actors, dancers and musicians.
Thanks to theater owners, the movie industry and the simulcast you can
experience the explosive energy of a KISS concert without allowing the
heat from the pyrotechnics to dry out your skin, or enjoy the pageantry
of a Broadway show without the old people.
As students, we should not be content with allowing the staple events
of the college experience, the excitement of live shows and entertainment,
to be piped to us.
If we allow the Fresno community to become content with replacing live
events with secondhand experiences, we run the risk of losing what we
already have.
The smell of musty velvet curtains and of sweaty arenas has been replaced
with the melodic clatter of ticking projectors and the wild exclamations
of two year olds, duped into attending with promises of boxes of candy
which are slightly larger than any you can find in stores (unless you
shop at Costco).
If this continues, how long will it be before we have no choice but to
order The Met on pay-per-view?
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