Mill Valley's 142 Throckmorton Theatre struggling financially, ...

One thing I'd like to add is that over 3,000 comedians have performed here in the past 5 years and word has spread that The Throckmorton is the best comedy venue in California. The sold out crowds that come on Tuesday probably have no idea of the financial problems because they only see it sold out on Tuesday. If there's no theater, then there's no Tuesday night comedy. Let's keep it going. Many more comedians want to come here and make you laugh.

I hope they stay open.
I saw Sammy Hagar play there last year.
Great theater, 5 stars, I can only say good things about it.

How about a corporate sponsorship, with naming rights? Like the "Budweiser Throckmorton Theater" or something?
How about taping some HBO/etc comedy specials there and the proceeds go to keeping the theater open?
Time to get creative here. Where there's a will, there's a way.

How about they stay open the old fashioned way ie they make money?

how about they stay open the old fashion and pay less than 20gr a month ?

FatFreddysCat wrote:

I saw Sammy Hagar play there last year.

That must have been hot!!! I have the same problem as him. I can't drive 55. Or 65. Life in the fast lane. I'm king of the road!!

That's a shame but they need to do a better job of booking and advertising in advance.

I don't want to pay to watch a bunch of foul mouthed commedienes from New York City in the hopes that "Robin Williams might drop in".

If we want cultural sewage, we can easily find it in San Francisco.

How about hosting the Marin Shakespeare Company during the rainy season?

Lucy's heart is in the right place, but she doesn't have the instincts of a promoter and businesswoman. If the room sells out and you're losing money, raise your prices. People will pay for a quality product. Rather than cutting performer pay or canceling acts that actually draw well but are costly, bump the ticket prices. If a show isn't selling out, promote it harder. Yes, it's a quirky place and it's fun to have big names drop in unannounced, and generally to maintain this little "undiscovered jewel box" persona, and to have cheap tickets (Lucy is so very charitable, honestly!), but at some point, you have to realize that none of that stuff keeps the lights on. If the mission is to share the vanishing art of live entertainment, then you need to do the regular things it takes to make an enterprise survive. Get healthy first, then think about being charitable. If the place tanks, nobody wins. I'd love to get back on that stage.

Looking at ticket prices for the booked events, they seem high enough as it is.. are most of these events selling well? If not, maybe it's time to bring on an experienced booking agent and/or outside promoters? Any chance they can do business like a normal venue - ie - expand the bar area and sell more drinks??

Tough love wrote:

Lucy's heart is in the right place, but she doesn't have the instincts of a promoter and businesswoman. If the room sells out and you're losing money, raise your prices. People will pay for a quality product. Rather than cutting performer pay or canceling acts that actually draw well but are costly, bump the ticket prices. If a show isn't selling out, promote it harder. Yes, it's a quirky place and it's fun to have big names drop in unannounced, and generally to maintain this little "undiscovered jewel box" persona, and to have cheap tickets (Lucy is so very charitable, honestly!), but at some point, you have to realize that none of that stuff keeps the lights on. If the mission is to share the vanishing art of live entertainment, then you need to do the regular things it takes to make an enterprise survive. Get healthy first, then think about being charitable. If the place tanks, nobody wins. I'd love to get back on that stage.

I agree, other than the comedy nights, my feeling is that the programming isn't what it should be. I work in the music business and you can tell when someone understands their demographic and what they should be booking and you can tell that this place doesn't "get it" when it comes to booking music that would work well for the Marin demographic. With the Sweetwater being closed there was a big void to fill and a great opportunity that wasn't taken advantage of by the Throckmorton (although I don't think The Steeres really "got it" either when it came to good bookings/promotions). Anyway, I do feel there is much more this place could do and they don't, but I wish them the best of luck !! Cause the Marin music scene is pretty pathetic as it is and The Throckmorton does have the potential to make it better !

perhaps you should book better acts than Tiffany Schlain... Oh... and lose the smugness.

Mark Pitta,

Mornings on glue called. They want their ratings back.=p

$20,000/month mortgage? Wow...

It would be GREAT to keep this theater. But I agree with many of the posts here... the theater needs better promotion, better acts, maybe higher ticket prices....

There is a lot of room for improvement!

The fact that the situation has reached the "crisis" point is another example of bad management.

The average age at their shows has to be over 55 because all the "famous" people in Marin that they market around are over 50. Over 60 mostly. News Flash: Bob Weir is no longer relevant or good. There are tons of people in MV between 28-40 that don't give a crap about bob weir or dana carvey. It's hard to sympathize with a stagnant business model. Go younger- at the very least, you'll sell more beer which is very profitable.

are the morons running novato trying to open the same type of thing in the old novato theater? here we have an established theater in a great downtown that is having a hard time, and novato thinks one will survive in their dump dowtown. by the way novato turned down a developer who owns about 100 theaters. so smart- why choose someone who knows what he is doing.

Well, I've been there for a music performance and really enjoyed it a lot.

Just how much is the building worth if she's paying a $20,000 a month mortgage, or is that a misprint? Her ability to pay more than my annual income each month is mind-boggling. Maybe she has some other mortgage-broker friends who could help. It'd be a way they could give back after how they've ruined the economy. Or maybe she opened it in the first place because she doesn't fit in with that scum?

You can run a community playhouse just fine, offer affordable art, and pay performers fairly, leaving you with a thin margin. BUT you can't swing that with a $20,000/month nut to make on the real estate. It might be a money-making enterprise after all, but it's housed in a money pit. Don't run a low-profit, feel-good project with that kind of overhead. I thought she could tweak the details and make more money, but she needs an angel to get her out of her property burden. Like a lot of people who bought property 5 years ago, she was probably banking on appreaciation & re-fi options coming along and she's seen it go the other way.

Lucy,

Since your theatre is a non-profit, take your case to the Marin Community Fund, otherwise known as the Buck Fund. Beryl Buck would love to see her money going towards such a community treasure as yours. Hopefully the admins of the trust will think the same thing. I also agree with Mr., or Ms. MonkeyWang. Bring in more diverse, younger talent to include the youth of MV and Marin.

San Rafael residents!
Folks, please vote along with the frustrated people of San Rafael and be sure to VOTE "NO NO on MEASURE G - a $88 milion new tax bond"" this TUESDAY.***The nerve of these people to ask for more taxes from the citizens struggling to pay their mortgages. NO MORE TAXES! No more bonds! Less spending