Author: Downey Arts Coalition

  • Visiting band students from Kobe, Japan at the Downey Theatre

    Visiting band students from Kobe, Japan at the Downey Theatre

    Warren High Band director David Niemeyer has organized an exciting event at the Downey Theatre next Wednesday March 23rd. You may have heard about the recent Japanese earthquake. I’ll let his words explain.

    “Over a year ago I was contaced by a company in Tokyo that helps groups have joint concert experiences/ trips. I’m guessing they are much like a student travel organization. They told me that there was a band interested in coming to the Los Angeles area having an exchage/ joint concert with an American High School band. The truth is that I don’t know how they found Warren HS. We have a website. www.warrenband.org that has over the years helped gain us attention, so I’m assuming that this was possibly the way they found us.

    “Of course I was interested was my reaction and so began the plans. All plans have been made via email for this experience. The band that is coming is the Takigawa Daini HS band from Kobe Japan. Kobe was not effected in the recent earthquakes/ tsunami in Japan, so they have chosen to continue with the trip as planned.

    Wednesday March 23rd – Joint Concert @ Downey Theatre 7pm

    Thursday March 24th – band festival @ Kennedy HS (warren band participating, japanese band attending to watch)

    Friday March 25th – Takigawa band visiting Warren HS classes. The Takigawa band will perform at Warren HS at 2:45pm and then have an exchange dinner with the Warren band.

    Saturday March 26th – Takigawa band visiting and performing at Disneyland

    Sunday – the following Wednesday – the Takigawa band will be doing sight seeing activities.

    “The band students and I are looking forward to this experience because we hope to broaden our global perspective. We hope to learn from our Japense friends and also show them what the American HS band experience is like. We are planning many small things with them so we can share with them our generosity.”

    Tickets are at the door or can be purchased for 5 dollars in advance from:

    David M. Niemeyer – Band Director
    Warren High School
    562-869-7306 x5616
    Room – Stadium 201

     

  • ‘Rough Start’ at Civic Theatre Premature, Underrated

    ‘Rough Start’ at Civic Theatre Premature, Underrated

    Last week an article came out in the Downey Patriot titled thus: ‘New Era’ Off to a Rough Start. It was referring to a comedy night recently held by H&E Entertainment at the Downey Civic Theatre.  The show undersold, and the producers were disappointed.  They canceled all future bookings for the year, and their disappointment was retold to a Patriot reporter who turned it into a front-page story.  What the article didn’t say, though, was that the light quote, ‘New Era’ was quoting this post from here at the Downey Arts Coalition.  So since they dragged us into it, I guess I’ll respond.  I’m never without opinion, after all.

    First of all, the show had an attendance of 200 out of 350 sold or handed-out tickets.  This is not a failure.  Nor is it even a rough start.  200 butts in seats is a HUGE success, by most standards.  And we are not Center Theatre Group or The Kodak.  200 people is a marvelous turnout for Downey, CA.  Now, it must be said that the theater itself seats over 700.  So in a space that large, 200 is going to feel quite sparse.  This is an indication of a different problem.  Another venue, or a different management of the space perhaps could have helped.  Morale does tend to slump when there are so many empty seats, and that can make the room feel cold and awkward.  Also, when audience is spread out over a larger space, they can’t respond to each other, which limits the amount of laughs something like a comedy show would receive.  So there was definitely a problem here.  But the shear number of tickets should not be knocked.  Good job on getting those 200 people!  Seriously, that is awesome.

    Second, the producers were quoted more than once complaining that those in the community who advocate for the arts didn’t even show up.  Well, if we were the only people you were going for, you’d have about 10 butts in the seats.  We already support the arts.  The people we are trying to reach with this effort are the regular people– those who rarely or never see a DCLO show, Downey Symphony concert, who spend most of their evenings out at Olive Garden and the movies.  These are the people we want to reach in our community.  Artists making art for other artists is nice, but it’s not far-reaching enough.  The purpose of our efforts here is to unify us all as a community.

    Third: okay, you want to fill that house?  You must market.  You must advertise.  You must (here’s the hard part) figure out what this community needs (not just wants, but needs), and how to make them want it.  And you’ve got to deliver.

    Now, as for the New Era and the Rough Start.  The new era to which we are referring is the takeover of the Downey Civic Theatre by VenueTech, a booking company that will bring new acts to the theatre and pretty much bring it back to life.  VenueTech is in residency at the theatre starting in 2011, but they have yet to book their first season.  So the New Era hasn’t really begun.  H&E Entertainment is commendable for bringing some new stuff to the theatre, but VenueTech’s first season will be the lineup that we’re all waiting to hear about.   They also have different plans for the way that the theatre promotes all of its bookings, including the community’s usual theatre and music events, but it all has yet to be implemented.   I do hope that H&E comes back, and that they continue to produce great shows that bring people in.  They are doing great work and shouldn’t be discouraged.

  • Greek Trilogy Oresteia at the Downey Theatre

    Greek Trilogy Oresteia at the Downey Theatre

    Southern Californians have a unique opportunity this fall to experience a theatrical event that bears great significance on our time—and Downey is the proud host.  The Downey Civic Theatre will be the temporary home to The Leonidas Loizides Theatrical Group presentation of the Oresteia, and they’ve chosen our little diamond-in-the-rough theatre to present an abridged version of this timeless classic trilogy by Aeschylus.  While the production is in the Greek language with English subtitles, and sponsored by The American Hellenic Council, the evening will be meaningful to far more than those within the Greek community.  The vision of director and producer Leonidas Loizides is to “hand over the torch of ancient Greek culture” to the rest of us, a task that bears more significance today than ever before.

    Complete mythologies were represented in ancient Greece in trilogies, and the Oresteia is the only remaining trilogy we have today.  The story follows the end of the curse on the house of Atreus—which began with the brutal murder and cannibalist consumption of his nephews, and continued through to his son Agamemnon, who sacrificed his own daughter to launch his fleet to war, and who was later killed by his wife Clytemnestra in the first play of the trilogy, Agamemnon.  Their daughter and son, Electra and Orestes (for whom the play is named), are followed through the other two plays as they seek revenge on their mother for their father’s death.  The story ends with the establishment of justice in a court of law triumphing over personal revenge.

    Excepting the Oedipus plays, the Oresteia has been arguably the most popular and influential Greek tragedy in the western world.  Its influence began with Seneca in ancient Rome, continued through to Renaissance Europe, and from there echoed its themes across the ages and straight into our modern-day story-telling.  So this special evening will not be simply an event for the Greek community.  They are truly passing the rest of us a mighty torch with this production.

    During this time, when our nation is facing rapid social change, political polarization, wars, and political unrest around the globe, Loizides offers us these tragedies that “are full of messages about justice, love, peace, from 2,500 years ago.”  They remind us that there is nothing new under the sun, and the struggles of humanity in ancient Greece still make their way into our lives today.  Be sure not to miss this incredible opportunity, one night only, at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 at the Downey Civic Theatre. For more information and to order tickets, call (323) 651-3507, or go to www.americanhellenic.org, or buy your tickets at the Downey Theatre box office the night of the performance.

    As for me, there is only one thing that would cause me to miss this event—the birth of my second child, due any day now.  So in case you don’t see me there, and you hear later that the Wahlquists are proud to welcome little baby Electra into the world… you’ll get it.

    ed. note: You can also read the excellent article about the show found in The Downey Patriot.

  • Downey Theatre Photos

    Downey Theatre Photos

    Sunday I walked around downtown Downey with a camera, and took a few photos. Coming soon, a photo walking tour of Downey Avenue classically known as downtown Downey, as well as some of 2nd street and 3rd street.

    I also walked over to the theatre for a couple hero shots. So here for internet posterity is a visual tour of the Downey Theatre exterior. As you’ll see, there is also a generous amount of space in front of the theatre and in the courtyard to hold an outdoor concert or event as well. A couple things you can’t tell from the photos: directly behind the front entrance is the Embassy Suites hotel. Behind the theatre front is Mimi’s cafe.

  • A large performing arts hole to fill

    A large performing arts hole to fill

    This map, courtesy of the LA Stage Alliance, illustrates the problem perfectly:

    See that large empty space in Southeast LA County? That’s Downey’s responsibility, and you can see that the Downey Civic Theatre is the only notable venue anywhere near us. How notable? Well, it wasn’t even on the map until about a month ago when I emailed the website’s webmaster about its omission.

    We have a responsibility that we’re not fulfilling. One project I hope to tackle soon is to list the cities with comparable populations and incomes and compare what they’ve done about the arts to what Downey has done.

  • State of the Arts in Downey, 2010

    State of the Arts in Downey, 2010

    Downey Civic Light Opera

    The DCLO has a 55 year history of producing popular musicals at the Downey Theatre.  They currenty produce three musicals a year, with 12 performances for each show in October, February, and June.  2010 Season: My Fair Lady, Rodgers & Hart: A Celebration, Carousel The 2011 Season: No No Nanette, The Melody Lingers On (Irving Berlin), Funny Girl


    Downey Symphony

    Downey’s very own symphony orchestra puts on four performances a year in the Downey Theatre, including one free concert in Furman Park during the summer.  Upcoming musical pieces include:  Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Brahms; Walk to the Paradise Garden, Delius, Firebird Suite, Stravinsky; St. Paul’s Suite, Holst, Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, Mozart; Serenade for Strings, Tchaikovsky.  They’ve operated for 53 years.

    Downey Art Vibe

    Downey’s newest organization is a non-profit group for promoting local arts & culture,  They’ve produced five arts events in the past 4 years.  In April 2010, they produced a successful event around a photography art exhibition in the Downey Theatre gallery space, which drew approximately 800 people.

    Summer Concerts in the Park

    For six Wednesday nights in July and August, the city of Downey hosts and sponsors a series of concerts held outdoors at Furman Park.  This year featured Mariachi, Big band jazz, the Downey Symphony, Classic Rock, Country, and nostalgia A Capella.

    Downey Art Museum

    Furman park is the home of the Downey Art Museum, a small showcase of art for the community for many years. Unfortunately, it has been closed this year and may be for awhile. The museum is currently involved in a lawsuit that triggered the city to close the museum and put the art in storage.

    Others

    There are small things going on all the time, and the often will fall under the radar.  We have a comedy troupe based in Downey known as Chameleon Comedy that will perform improv at various places including Mambo Grill.  Our high school drama programs produce plays in the fall and spring.  We have some local dance studios that perform at the Downey Theatre, as well as programs put on by the Downey Kiwanis.

    What else should be included here?  Add it in the comments below.

    Photo credits: Downey Civic Light Opera, City of Downey, Valentin Flores, Pam Lane

  • City of Downey

    City of Downey

    We are home to where the Apollo Space Program began its journey to the stars. Downey is where you can find the world’s oldest McDonald’s restaurant and the site of the first Taco Bell eatery. This is the city where the pop recording artists “The Carpenters” were inspired with many hit records. Today, our city is admired for its strong retail base with quality housing.

    Downey is a unique community in the heart of Southern California that combines the best of both large and small. We are an active city of 110,000 with a small town atmosphere. This is a place of pride, history, involvement, and community. We are highly recognized for our centralized location, top medical facilities, quality residential neighborhoods and schools, excellent golf courses, and an unmatched family lifestyle. In fact, Downey has been rated in the top 25% of “100 Best Cities To Do Business in California” by California Business Magazine.

    Situated 12 miles southeast of the Los Angeles Civic Center, Downey is only five miles from Orange County, and about 10 miles from the beautiful Pacific coastline. Conveniently located near several major freeways (5, 710, 605, 105), the city is an ideal home base from which its residents can take advantage of the business resources and hundreds of cultural and recreational activities in Southern California.

    Currently the city council is adopting a new downtown specific plan to stimulate the redevelopment of downtown Downey into a revived community destination. The vision includes more options for retail, dining, entertainment and the arts, as well as multi-use buildings with ground level retail space with residential units on the floors above.

    However, the strengths of Downey as a place to call home has also brought about limitations in terms of an entertainment or arts destination.  Many people in the area take their evening plans elsewhere, simply due to a lack of available activities in the city.  Part of the push to revitalize downtown must include a plan to develop and encourage the arts, especially performing arts as an anchor for economic growth.

    Click Here for a Google street view of downtown Downey.

    Below you will find some statistics about the city, as well as a list of local business close to the Downtown area.

    DEMOGRAPHICS
    Source: 2008 Estimate, Demographics Now

    Population: 113,000
    Race
    White: 54,536 (49.8%)
    Black: 4,152 (3.8%)
    American Indian or Alaska Native: 487 (0.4%)
    Asian or Pacific Islander: 10,125 (9.2%)
    Some Other Race: 34,502 (31.5%)
    Two or More Races: 5,815 (5.3%)
    Ethnicity
    Hispanic: 66,759 (60.9%)
    Density / Downtown.
    Source Market Retail Analysis, Gibbs Planning Groups, 2008
    1 mile radius: 30,206
    3 mile radius: 271,861
    5 mile radius: 755,170

    EMPLOYMENT (3 mi radius)
    Source: Market Retail Analysis, Gibbs Planning Group, 2008
    Daytime employment base 148,557
    Service-oriented positions 39.5%
    Manufacturing 16.0%
    Retail 11.6%
    White-Collar Employed
    Downey (3 mi radius) 54.6%
    Los Angeles 57.5%
    California 60.8%
    Percent of households with incomes $75,000 or higher
    Downey (3 mi radius) 32.0%
    Los Angeles 28.7%

    (Photo: Pam Lane)

    LOCAL BUSINESSES

    Downtown
    Mimi’s Café
    Embassy Suites Hotel (219 guest rooms)
    Firestone Grill (inside Embassy Suites)
    Downey Civic Center (Library, City Hall, Police Department)
    First Baptist Church of Downey (800 seat worship center)
    Downey High School (3700 students)

    Krikorian Cinemas 10
    Porto’s Bakery (opening fall 2010)
    Granata’s Italian Villa, Peking China, Downtown Bar B Que
    Mambo Grill (Sports Bar addition opening fall 2010)
    Third Street Coffee, The Coffee Bean
    Hometown Buffet, San Sai Japanese Grill, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panda Express

    Other Highlights
    Stonewood Shopping Mall
    Department Stores: Kohl’s, JC Penny, Macy’s, Sears
    B.J.’s Brewery (new in 2009, most successful opening night in company’s history)
    The Olive Garden, Acapulco
    The Downey Landing
    Major Retail: Best Buy, Old Navy, Pier One, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ross, Staples
    Restaurants: The Elephant Bar, Chili’s, Johnny Carino’s Italian Restaurant
    Bob’s Big Boy Broiler (formerly history Harvey’s/Johnnie’s Broiler)
    Oldest operating McDonald’s
    Largest Coca Cola Bottling Facility
    Kaiser Permanente Hospital
    Downey Regional Medical Center
    Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
    Downey Studios (former Boeing/Rockwell Plant)

    What are your favorite parts of Downey?  What do you wish our city had?  Tell us in the comments below!

  • The Downey Civic Theater

    The Downey Civic Theater

    The Downey Civic Theatre opened 1970, the vision of then theatre director John Hume.  In 1955, Downey’s Parks and Recreation department sponsored Hume to launch of the Downey Children’s Theater, which began in an elementary school auditorium.  Its first play drew an incredible 200 children to audition and quickly grew to serve an annual audience of 75,000.  Other programs came alongside the children’s theatre, including the Civic Light Opera, adult theatre, experimental theatre, teen theatre, reader’s theatre and marionettes.  Hume lobbied for a decade for a permanent theatre, and it was to become the city’s first large building project, even before they built a new city hall.  Its first year was a success, with an audience of 105,000, though controversy always surrounded the city’s support for the theatre.  When 1978 brought Proposition 13, the city faced huge budget cuts, and the theatre was hit hard.  All the programs shut down, except for the profitable Civic Light Opera.  The Downey Theatre today survives off of a limited amount of rentals, three annual musicals from the Civic Light Opera, three concerts by the Downey Symphony, dance recitals, community and school events.

    The theatre seats 738 (516 orchestra, 222 balcony).  Its main stage is 50 feet wide, 56 feet deep and 23 feet high.  Two smaller “wing” stages on either side have about 305 square feet of space each.  It is a fully equipped facility with professional sound and lighting, orchestra pit, loading dock, staging area, green room, dressing rooms, and an outside patio for concessions and receptions. It is located in the center of the city of Downey (population 113,000) near the civic center, library, and Embassy Suites hotel, with ample free parking.

    Click Here for theater technical specs.

    Have any favorite shows or stories about the Downey Theatre?  Tell us in the comments below!

  • An Arts Renaissance in Downey

    An Arts Renaissance in Downey

    Welcome to the Downey Arts Coalition.

    We believe the arts are the cornerstone of community. Theatre, music, film, the visual arts– they bring us together to experience our culture and humanity. As residents of Downey and the surrounding area, we believe that there is a void that needs to be filled. Our purpose is to bring new arts and cultural events and opportunities to our city, and become known in the surrounding area for our dedication to the arts.  We will look closely at the spaces provided for the public to interact with the arts, for example: the Downey Civic Theatre, the Downey Art Museum (currently closed), the Barbara Riley Community Center, remodeled theaters at our public high schools, and the proposed redevelopment of the shut-down Avenue Theatre.  We’re also looking to partner with businesses in the downtown area to present arts events in their space, which bring exposure and business, and also benefit the community.

    DAC's event "Art on the Vine", August 6th at Mari's Wine Bar

    If you are an artist, performer, producer, filmmaker, writer, director, musician– or just love the arts and want to help, we want to hear from you. We will soon be organizing meetings to get together and discuss our vision and how best to organize our efforts.

    Add your personal vision for the arts in Downey to the comments below, or use the contact form on the home page to give us your information so that we can keep you involved.