AN OLD GROUCH
The True Meaning of Off Broadway
While it is true that I’ve never actually attended a play on Broadway, I have walked 42nd Street and once found myself on the next to last row for a Las Vegas show. Several years ago out of sheer desperation a small town paper asked me to write a review for their local theatre, though oddly enough it did not become a regular job. It is with this paucity of credentials that I nevertheless venture forward with a commentary about the South City Theatre.
There is a stage and performers and a paying audience in Broadway Theatres and also at the South City Theatre. But those two locations have little else in common. You can’t get much more off Broadway than the South City Theatre in Alabaster, Alabama. But hold on, because that’s not necessarily a bad thing at all.
Broadway is well lit, theatre after theatre, and 42nd St. is not hard to find even amongst the tall buildings and millions of people hurrying in all directions. You have to be very careful not to miss the small road leading to the South City Theatre. Remember it is the first road on the left after the intersection of highways 31 and 26 in Alabaster, Alabama. That assumes you are headed toward Calera.
Broadway provides stars, great productions and magnificent sets, but South City Theatre has free parking. Broadway tickets can cost hundreds of dollars, but you can’t spend more than $15 at the South City Theatre. Broadway theatres are large and even have balconies. The South City Theatre is a more intimate setting and maybe 150 people sit close enough to the performers to hold a conversation, which is a good thing since they use no sound system.
So, yes the South City Theatre extends the term Off Broadway to its outermost limits, but so what? Once inside, when the lights dim, you will be entertained by an energetic and talented cast. I saw Christmas Belles and enjoyed a delightful evening of humor. Upcoming shows include: A Raisin in the Sun, Harvey, and Pride and Prejudice.
A trip to the South City Theatre thankfully involves no airplane tickets, hotel reservations or taxi rides. You will, however, find the magic of live theatre.
The South City Theatre is located at 109 Cloverdale Dr. in Alabaster. Their web site is http://www.southcitytheatre.com.
Jack Kean
December 2008
