By Dale King
The stage at The Plaza Theatre in Manalapan will be bare this season. No music or dialogue will be heard. The lights will remain dark and the seats empty.
The owner of the cash-strapped, nearly three-year-old entertainment venue that replaced Florida Stage, which operated for 19 of its 24 years in the same storefront location at Plaza Del Mar, locked the place up for good on Friday after filing for bankruptcy.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that we are closing The Plaza Theatre effective immediately,” owner Alan Jacobson said in a letter to the media dated Monday.
The move, he said, came after a “horrible” summer when ticket sales “fell drastically short of our expectations, and we have been in a precarious cash position.” The shutdown came on what would have been opening night of the 2014-2015 season, one that included several plays and musical shows and a special New Year’s Eve package.
Jacobson formerly produced cabaret shows, musical revues and comedies and ran the former Florida Jewish Theater for five years during the 1990s. Shortly after the Florida Stage bankruptcy in 2011, he came forward to say he was taking over the same State Road A1A space in the upscale plaza across from the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, formerly the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. It was his intention from the start, he said, to produce “light musicals and comedy fare.”
“We have managed to stay in business for almost three years with very little in donations, sponsorships, and grants, surviving almost entirely on ticket sales,” Jacobson said in his missive. An anticipated post-Yom Kippur spike in ticket sales for the season opener, Exceptions to Gravity, didn’t happen, and that put “the nail in the coffin. The sad thing is, we actually do not have that large a debt, but it is one we are unable to carry at this time, as we have run out of cash.”
“We have worked tirelessly throughout the summer and to this day trying to identify and reach out to philanthropists that could make a difference, but simply have been unsuccessful in those efforts. We believe that we have produced quality work in all areas and have looked forward to what we believe would have been an exciting and eclectic season, and cannot begin to express how disheartened we are that we cannot continue,” Jacobson added.
The theater, located in a plaza among stores, real estate offices, the popular John G’s restaurant and the Ice Cream Club, also a major local draw, had been decorated with posters announcing the upcoming season, including Exceptions to Gravity, which was to open Friday.
The theater was an unusual venue, with a steep stairway leading from the lobby and ticket offices to upper-level doors. Patrons sat in seats that mainly looked down on the productions.
Indications of trouble were evident late last week when a notice went up on the theater’s website saying that the phone lines were not working properly and suggested patrons email their ticket requests. Soon after, Jacobson posted the following message on his own Facebook page:
“As one can imagine, this has been a very difficult time for [wife] Melissa and me, and our sons as well. We have shielded them as much as possible, but it was inevitable that they were affected. Once I made the difficult decision to close the theatre, I had to sit back and observe the response from the theatre community.
“First of all, to set the record straight, I feel most for the actors, directors, designers, and others we had offered work to for this season. This was the most difficult part of the decision, one that I have agonized over. Every single person we hired is talented, and I am confident will enjoy long careers, full of great work. I have received many private emails, texts, and FB messages, as well as seen many beautiful comments on FB that were so supportive and full of love, and I want to thank each one of you for your understanding, and kindness.
“Through all the difficulties and hurdles we’ve had to endure, as well as the good times, we always tried to not only do good work, but take care of the people that worked for us. We can hold our heads high knowing we gave it our best. As this chapter closes, a new one begins, and we’ll be fine. Thank you, South Florida Theatre, for giving us a chance, and best of luck to all the talented people down here. We look forward to seeing you all shine ‘doin’ what comes naturally.’”
In his letter to the media, Jacobson, who was not available for comment Monday, added: “Thank you for the coverage you gave us these last three years, and please continue to give good, positive coverage to all theatres. We need theatre as an art form to thrive, and press coverage is an integral part of the marketing of live theatre.”
The Plaza Theatre got a financial boost in its first season from the show Waist Watchers, the Musical. It was originally scheduled for a Feb. 21-March 31, 2013 run, but was held over by popular demand through May, pumping needed dollars into the theater’s coffers.
After Exceptions to Gravity, this year’s season was to continue with the musical, Forever Plaid, from Nov. 6-23. A Tony Award winner, She Loves Me, was due in December. The New Year would have begun with another Tony winner, The Assembled Parties. Phantom was slated to arrive in Manalapan Feb. 19-March 22, and the season was to conclude with That’s Ballroom, a world premiere musical, slated for April.