Phoenix is not usually thought of as a culture capitol. This is so despite its size, which ranks as the fourth most populous city in the United States. Now that Arizonans have begun a habit of visiting the theatre Phoenix, already the major urban hub of the desert Southwest, takes its place as a major cultural center.
It can be challenging for a newer city, one lacking two or three centuries of background, to assert itself. But there is a lot more at stake here than civic ego. There is also the matter of building a community in a typical Western city built along highways, and the theatre is a great community builder.
Phoenix, AZ has roots in the Old West, but it truly came of age during the same decades that brought us the highway system and the novelty of TV. In ways that tended to dove-tail each other, these novelties worked to corrode the development of a sophisticated urban life. People driving about at eighty miles per hour rarely take the time for the pleasure of walking about, taking in the night life alongside fellow citizens.
In its own way, TV is yet more of a suppressant for city living, as it provides the ultimate narcotic of entertainment while comfortable on one's own couch. There are now whole generations who are TV drama junkies, but who are lacking in any experience of the thrill of living actors performing in real time in front of a live audience.
In response, the city has developed its downtown into a secret treasure and cultural corridor. Not just the venues, but the architecture itself is a delight to the eyes. The downtown is, in itself, the first course of an evening out that can include fine dining and strolling beneath the stars.
Some venues offer first-rate popular fare, all adding to the vibrancy of downtown Phoenix. The Orpheum is focused on familiar, well-loved popular musicals and other performances. The Comerica is a concert hall treating the public to major musical and comedic talents famous across the world.
Among these treasures are two lovely spaces that provide the best in live drama. The Phoenix Theatre, located on McDowell Road, presents contemporary plays penned by some of the most gifted playwrights in the country, and the also features new musicals. To help the taste for live entertainment cross into the next generation, it offers writing and acting classes for teenagers as part of its ambitious public outreach program.
The Arizona Theatre Company, also downtown, makes its home in the small, intimate Herberger Theater Center, but it also has a site in Tucson. It also offers a full complement of outreach programs, with special attention to programs for teachers and students. Its programming runs to suspense, thrillers, and new plays written by top TV writers.
With so much sophisticated entertainment available, this desert is only a desert in its lacking water, not culture. More people are choosing to come downtown for dinner and a show, leaving the TV behind. One can always let the DVR recorder store TV fare for the some other time.
It can be challenging for a newer city, one lacking two or three centuries of background, to assert itself. But there is a lot more at stake here than civic ego. There is also the matter of building a community in a typical Western city built along highways, and the theatre is a great community builder.
Phoenix, AZ has roots in the Old West, but it truly came of age during the same decades that brought us the highway system and the novelty of TV. In ways that tended to dove-tail each other, these novelties worked to corrode the development of a sophisticated urban life. People driving about at eighty miles per hour rarely take the time for the pleasure of walking about, taking in the night life alongside fellow citizens.
In its own way, TV is yet more of a suppressant for city living, as it provides the ultimate narcotic of entertainment while comfortable on one's own couch. There are now whole generations who are TV drama junkies, but who are lacking in any experience of the thrill of living actors performing in real time in front of a live audience.
In response, the city has developed its downtown into a secret treasure and cultural corridor. Not just the venues, but the architecture itself is a delight to the eyes. The downtown is, in itself, the first course of an evening out that can include fine dining and strolling beneath the stars.
Some venues offer first-rate popular fare, all adding to the vibrancy of downtown Phoenix. The Orpheum is focused on familiar, well-loved popular musicals and other performances. The Comerica is a concert hall treating the public to major musical and comedic talents famous across the world.
Among these treasures are two lovely spaces that provide the best in live drama. The Phoenix Theatre, located on McDowell Road, presents contemporary plays penned by some of the most gifted playwrights in the country, and the also features new musicals. To help the taste for live entertainment cross into the next generation, it offers writing and acting classes for teenagers as part of its ambitious public outreach program.
The Arizona Theatre Company, also downtown, makes its home in the small, intimate Herberger Theater Center, but it also has a site in Tucson. It also offers a full complement of outreach programs, with special attention to programs for teachers and students. Its programming runs to suspense, thrillers, and new plays written by top TV writers.
With so much sophisticated entertainment available, this desert is only a desert in its lacking water, not culture. More people are choosing to come downtown for dinner and a show, leaving the TV behind. One can always let the DVR recorder store TV fare for the some other time.
|
0 nhận xét: