Shelly Bordas, the longtime Theatre Group company member who has been waging an uphill battle to save the company’s primary home, confirmed what seemed inevitable today. “Theatre On Broadway is gone,” she announced.
TOB, located at 13 S. Broadway, has been the home base for the city’s only primarily gay theater company for 20 years. Former artistic director Steven Tangedal was due in court early today to answer charges of having $18,889 in unpaid rent there. Owner Peterson Industries of Loveland began eviction proceedings two weeks ago.
Bordas cited $25,000 in debt and the statewide smoking ban for the theater’s demise. Theatre Group’s primary source of income has come from conducting Bingo games, and proceeds have fallen 90 percent, Bordas said, since the smoking ban went into effect last year.
Bordas emphasized, however, that the 35-year-old Theatre Group will go on, even announcing a production of “Torch Song Trilogy” to start off the 2007-08 season in September at the nearby Phoenix Theatre, located at 1121 Santa Fe Drive.
While Theatre Group rented TOB, it holds the mortgage on the Phoenix, which it has primarily rented to other local companies such as Vintage and Paragon. But how long Theatre Group can stay there remains an unanswered question. That building remains on the market to be sold; the proceeds on any equity expected to be used in part to repay the company’s debts.
The fate of Theatre On Broadway is undetermined. The news comes on the heels of the Country Dinner Playhouse’s abrupt closing last week after 37 years. Combined, the companies represent 72 years of Colorado theater history.
TOB hosted more than 100 Theatre Group productions beginning with “American Buffalo” in 1988, with esteemed directors ranging from Tangedal to Nick Sugar to Jane Page to Jeremy Cole to Terry Dodd to Kirby Llewellyn to former Denver Post theater critic Alan Stern.
The full text of Bordas’ announcement Tuesday:
“Hello my friends and avid supporters! I finally have a moment to give everyone the update of what is happening to the Theatre On Broadway. First I’d like to thank each and every one of you for your support and faith in me while I tried so hard to wrestle this lion of a task, trying to save the space. You have all been so wonderful. I’d also like to congratulate each and every one of you for supporting Theatre On Broadway as artists and patrons over all these years.
“The back debt of Theatre On Broadway nears $25,000. The downfall due to many different factors, including the no smoking ban – which depleted Bingo sales (which supported our company all these years) losing nearly 90 percent of income. As many of you know, I tried to negotiate a new lease with the landlord by bringing in other theatre companies to share the space with Theatre Group to help pay the already phenomenal rent. The landlord actually wants to raise the rent an additional $1,100 per month without any improvements, maintenance or upkeep of the 30+-year-old building (which it desperately needs). After including monthly utilities (last winters heat bills nearing $2,300 per month), the maintenance costs, and finally replacing the electronics and equipment for example, lightboard, lights, sound system, computers, curtains, hardware, etc. Marketing costs, employee pay, insurance, and taxes, it all got to be so overwhelming that I find, that just short of a miracle I cannot realistically continue with this fight. The eviction continues, and Theatre On Broadway is gone.
“I’m not sure what the landlord will do with the building. Only time will tell. Another very sad event in our theater community.”Many of you know that I have dedicated the last 12 years of my life to the Theatre On Broadway. Stuck through the good, bad, and the ugly times. I believe in this company, but mostly I believe in the building as it housed so many terrific shows (see below), so many talented, loving artists, enthusiastic and dedicated patrons. I will miss it dearly. I feel like I’ve lost a member of my family. I will always remember the fun and amazing memories, and am so grateful to be a part of its history. (I will even miss Antonio – our resident ghost).
“So what’s next? Well, Theatre Group will continue on through our struggles, and continue to “re-group” at The Phoenix Theatre. We are currently scrambling to clear out the building of 20 years worth of stock, (moving from the Titanic to our “lifeboat”) so any help you can offer is appreciated Theatre Group will share the space with Acting Up and Paragon Theatre companies through the end of 2007. TG will produce “Torch Song Trilogy” to start off the 2007-08 season in September. We are looking for new directors, talent, and technicians. We will also continue to expand our support of the theater community by sharing space with other Denver theater companies throughout the year. Please feel free to call us if you’d like to come and share our “home” and produce your upcoming shows. The number is 303-730-8229.”
Theatre Group’s 20 seasons at Theatre On Broadway (numbers 16 through 35), from 1988-2007
2006-2007 Season 35
Debbie Does Dallas; The Musical
Holiday Spectacular Spectacular III
Dirty Blonde
2005-2006 Season 34
Naked Boys Singing
Holiday Spectacular Spectacular III
Southern Baptist Sissies
The Exonerated
Sandstorm: Stories From the Front
Dearly Departed
Pageant
2004-2005 Season 33
Tale of the Allergists Wife
Lips Together, Teeth Apart
Sordid Lives
School House Rock, Live!
As You Like It
2003-2004 Season 32
Springfield High Presents
Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde
The Crumple Zone
Holiday Spectacular Spectacular I
Batboy: The Musical
Painted Bread
Campfire Stories
2002-2003 Season 31
The Laramie Project
Cabaret
Ruthless! The Musical
The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)
*Reaching for Comfort
Painted Bread
2001-2002 Season 30
Never the Sinner
Cabaret
An Evening of La Commedia
Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly
Cellblock Sirens of 1953
2000-2001 Season 29
A Question of Mercy
The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told
Stupid Kids
Parallel Lives
*Whyde Awake
1999-2000 Season 28
Corpus Christi
Shakespeare’s R&J
Beautiful Thing
Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly
1998-1999 Season 27
Porcelain
The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)
Execution of Justice
Dying Gaul
*Cellblock Sirens of 1953 The Women’s Prison Musical
The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me
1997-1998 Season 26
Schoolhouse Rock Live
Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding (at The Adams Mark Hotel)
Titanic
The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)
Poor Super Man
Party
1996-1997 Season 25
*Kitten With a Whip
Howard Crabtree’s Whoop Dee Doo
1995-1996 Season 24
Death and the Maiden
Ten Percent in Maple Grove
Psycho Beach Party
Yellowish Green Girl
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
A Perfect Ganesh
subUrbia
Love! Valour! Compassion!
Hersterics
UFO
Two Boys in a Bed on a Cold Winters Night
The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)
1994-1995 Season 23
Six Degrees of Seperation
Raft of the Medusa
Jeffrey
Scenes From My Love Life
Love Letters
The Boys in the Band
Ruthless: The Musical
1993-1994 Season 22
and the World Goes ’round
Gin Game
Before it Hits Home
‘night Mother
A Breeze from the Gulf
Mass Appeal
Tracers
Who’s on First
Marvin’s Room
Belle of Amherst
A … My Name is Still Alice
Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead
Sweet Land of Liberty
1992-1993 Season 21
Closer Than Ever
Vampire Lesbians of Sodom
Sum of Us
Talk Radio
Henceforth
5th of July
Jerker or the Helping Hand
Spoils of War
Medal of Honor Rag
1991-1992 Season 19
The Boys Next Door
*Blood Ties
Antigone
Burn This
Talking With
Bent
Mystery of Edwin Drood
1990-1991 Season 18
A Shayna Maidel
Reckless
for colored girls who consider suicide when the rainbow was enuf
Baby With the Bathwater
Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down
Laughing Wild
*Aztec Empire Does the Hokie Pokie
A… My Name is Alice
Safe Sex
*480 E. 50th
1989-1990 Season 17
Woolgatherer
*Victor and Vanquished
*Campaigning
Lion in Winter
Dreams That Money Can Buy
Tracers
Under Milkwood
A … My Name is Alice
Orphans
1988 – 1989 Season 16
Bouncers
Three Guys Naked From the Waist Down
Curate Shakespeare As You Like It
Extremities
Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd
Tomfoolery
Savage in Limbo
American Buffalo
*World premieres
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
